I hope I'm wrong on this, but with all the backline players out, and the bans we've been copping already, it is starting to look worryingly like the beginning of last season.

At least we're playing at home.

I don't think we need another luxury player who does low minutes.

People are obsessed with forwards on this forum. Let's not forget it was a player with lightning pace and an eye for a gap that undid us against Wigan. No-one really rated their pack before the game but here we are.

I'm still concerned about the lack of capacity to strike from deep when the opportunity arises. We used to kill teams in the past because we had pace to burn across the backline and any defensive lapses were punished. Not sure who we have who is capable of doing this now. Handley has the pace but not much evasion; Tindall looks fast but not sure he'll make it. No one else has the pace to go 80-90m against most SL opposition IMO.

Think we could do with one more hard hitting senior prop, but you are dead right, the three quarters we are selecting at present are pretty pedestrian. On the bright side Fusitua, Newman and Broadbent would go along way to rectifying that. Would love to see us making a play for a Dufty style full back from the NRL, but given the retention of Myler and with Walker still under contract I doubt that is on the cards.

You need both. Props give the platform for the speedsters to do their work but you need quick players to finish and strike from distance too. Wigan beat us in the middle and it gave Field so much room

Exactly. Look at Fields third try.
Mago brushes Thompson and Donaldson aside and offloads to Field to run the length and score.
Field doesn't get that space if we match them up front.

Its rubbish defence whichever way you look at it. Nice offload but he should have been put on his arris regardless of which forwards were tackling. The offload for the last (?) try with three tacklers was just as bad.

Having said that I agree entirely that we need both more speed out wide and more size up front. Too many plodders in our squad, both backs and forwards.

Mango’s a huge bloke. Think it was a pretty powerful and skill full play…..

It`s not harmed Saints and Cats having those sort of players though.
Wigan and Hull the same.
One more player like that and our backline would flourish.
Now if we could offload Bodene and take French off Wigans hands that would help.

Dream on!

I disagree regarding Kasiano / Paasi. They are exactly the sort of player we want, a high impact player coming off the bench to give breathers to our front line who are of slightly different mould. Currently when Oledzki, Prior, Tetevano get replaced the pack is substantially weakened whereas with Kasiano / Paasi it would strengthen us when our front line require a rest. Replacing Oledzki for Thompson or Donaldson substantially weakens us.

Regarding backs, I am hoping having a fit Handley, Newman, Fusitua and Myler with Broadbent possibly taking our other centre spot could improve us a lot. Fusitua has looked very impressive from the little I have seen so far.

So far this season our first rotation has been Mik coming on. In an ideal world we would have Prior and Mik starting with Tetevano and Holroyd coming from the bench. In terms of a rotation I think that is pretty good. Issue obviously keeping them all fit. I think we need another prop, probably two. One an experienced overseas prop who replaces Thompson and a younger prop as the sixth option replacing Donaldson/Mustapha.

I think that will probably happen next year but it isn’t going to happen this year and never was so we just need to get on with it and use what we have.

We cannot carry 6 top quality props in a squad with a salary cap.

We are 2 games in thats all. We need to improve dramatically on last week but lets be honest we all know we are better than that performance.

Newman and Fusitua will both improve the backline dramatically. We need a fully fit Mikolaj in that pack.

I don't think anyone is suggesting we could have 6 top flight props. But 4 decent ones plus a couple of others who are actual props rather than second rowers isn't impossible. I certainly don't believe that King last year or retaining Thompson this year were the only options available at a decent price for a short-term contract had we made additional props a priority.

Recruitment and selection since Agar took over suggests he simply doesn't believe as much as I do in prop-sized props. He seems to believe in 'middles' filling in around a couple of props. I'm still not clear what a 'middle' is, but it seems to be something like an undersized prop who can play second row.

Think it means a player who can fill in when you have no other prop options l, due to inability to get enough squad balance, and the usual bad luck..

A 'middle' is a player with limited attributes to play prop and limited attributes to play back row, but all of the attributes required to play in the championship.

Now that made me laugh.

That def beats my definition…..

After agars half time confession last week it does bother me that he's hanging on this message of it being a 'short turnaround' and 'not much time to fix things up'. Is anything less than 7 days worthy of getting an excuse in early when the opposition have travelled and on a day less?

Agree Seth getting his excuses in early.
On another note Myler out for 10 weeks so back mid May.
Was there any mention of Fusitua`s absence tonight?

If you're talking about his presser he said that both sides were on a short turnaround, and didn't really dwell on that point (I also don't remember him saying not much time to fix things up but could be wrong on that). Didn't sound like any sort of excuses to me.

Yes, he said he just wasn't quite right but wouldn't go into details. Said both him, Newman and Martin should be in contention for Wakefield.

I'm probably reading too much into it. The bit on not having time was quoted in YP

Catalans were super lazy against wakey last time out. I suspect macnamara might have put a rocket up them this week. Hopefully Agar can lift our lot too. Should be a good contest.

I`m going 24-20 Leeds win.

Going with same outside backs as last week. Clucking bell.

Obviously Broadbent is so far down the pecking order now to not get picked after Briscoe and Walkers shocking display. Only Donaldson dropped for Oconnor and Dwyer back otherwise same again.
Hope they repay the faith shown to them by the coach.