But hadn't been playing with a similar level of injuries for weeks and had three players who had played in the halves at international level in their team, rather than 6 halves out injured.

You're wise enough to realise it's not necessarily the number (although our number is very big) it's where and the impact that has on a team.

We have played them twice with full teams and lost on both occasions


There are a lot of teams beating a lot of teams so far this year which is a good thing.
But now we are over half way things may just start to settle and we see more predictable results.

It happens every year a couple of teams start really well and then fade. You get some strange results.
Last year Quins beat Wigan, Salford beat Saints etc

This year Quins beat Saints and Leeds and then Catalans beat Wire and Wigan.

Good. Because playing Wales is hardly an international. It's a game against a mostly championship one level side.


No they didn't. We had former internationals. Former internationals are not internationals. They are no longer international standard. Hence, they are former internationals. If Wello, Gardner, Meli and the like were internationals, they would be buggering off to the training camps. But they are not. Stop trying to make out we were stronger than we were.


Gosh. I'm impressed. Drooling in fact.

You still had props and you still had halfbacks. Try it without those and lets see how well you do. Meanwhile, go away.

And we beat Catalans.

Exactly, the poor teams have scraped a few wins.

Correct once again! Wigan beat Saints

Nice one!

For all this quoting of internationals as being as a key factor it isn't. Both Billy McGinty and Ian Potter were internationals for Great Britain. Make of that what you will.

Soliola played for NZ when they came over here for the Tri Nations the year we signed him. He was injured at the end of last year wasn't he?

Our problem with injuries is the fact that our half backs are all the ones out, take out the first five half back choices of any team and they'd struggle. Even at Wigan.

Whilst we have a large number out, if Pryce and Lomax were fit then Eastmond and Gaskell would not be playing for example.

Did he? I've lost track. We have a lot of former internationals in our side, anyway! (That is, those no-one wants anymore, lol)

He was injured at the outset of the 2010 season. He got lost in the fog against Hull, only emerging three games away from the end of the 2010 season.

This has been pointed out to the trolls many times on this thread and others.

Doesn't suit the agenda, so...

Add to that three props and some handy second rowers ...

He was sub against the Aussies at The Stoop IIRC, came on and played centre.



No wonder he didn't get picked for the World Cup lol.

That's only this week though, going back over the last few weeks only Clough and Moore have been missing from the pack who you would say are almost guaranteed to be in the first 17.

We'd have covered the missing players in the pack at Huddersfield had we been able to put out our first choice half backs fit.

True but because of the halfbacks we have also lost Wilkin from the pack. So it's not just the injured, but the effect of the injured. Like Wilkin to halfback therefore taking him out of the pack.

Roby and Graham basically having to do 80 mins each week because of the loss of Moore and the replacement props.

I know every team has injuries, but ours are like buses at the moment. If it was just 1 or 2 halfbacks, we would not be moving people around. Also those reserve backs lomax and wheeler are our first choice replacements in the backs, so we are having to rush people back as there is no stand in. In Meli's case I'd now argue Wheeler has the chance to be the first choice centre not a replacement back.

But maybe I'm being overly tough on meli.

I've just watched Boots'n'All the tries and Meli was shocking in that match. I hadn't noticed how his total lack of even an attempt at a tackle let in two extremely soft tries for Hudds. He never changes, does Meli, no matter where on the field he is played. What our chairman was thinking of in re-signing him for a season after this one I have no idea but even though I really liked the look of Wheeler at 6 against Wigan, he has to be our first choice centre in the future as Meli is just a liability there (or anywhere for that matter!) for all that he scores the odd great try.

To be quiet honest I am bemused as to why we gave Meli another contract. He is awful on the wing and not much better in the centres. His lack of effort is the thing that really annoys me infact it infuriates me. The thing is Meli has shown on the very rare occasion before he has the ability to be a class finisher and reasonably competent in defence. His time has come to move on imo.

Meli has been given a new contract because we cannot afford to lose too much experience in one go and a replacement would probably cost more.

We're already pushing it in losing experienced players and replacing them with kids IMO.

Meli's a player of extremes both good and bad. Once you have accepted that, you'll sleep a lot easier.

Wait until Howler Hohaia arrives, he falls exactly into that same category.

At least we'll never be bored.


Meli can make a hash of things, but to be fair he brings a lot to the table going forward. Do you remember the clangers Sully used to come up with? I'd love to have him back in the red vee.

I take it he isn't a Wigan fan then ...

Who?