I think Dave Halley

Depends if Kearney works out at Stand off.

If not then I'd put him in the position everyone who's seen him seems to think is his best one.

If Kearney goes alright at stand off then I'd start with Halley. If he has a bad few games we have ample options to take his place.

Well the thing is, it seems clear we've brought Kearney in to play 6. But surely he can pass on a few hints and tips to Halley about playing FB?

It appears we've got a few options - some better than others!

Realistically it will be Halley to start, but personally I think the team would have more balance starting with the following:

Kearney
Reardon
Platt
Nero
Halley
Sykes
Orford

of those, 5 have played fullback for a reasonable amount of time during their playing career. We shouldn't have a problem in this area. We can probably add Hyde to that list too.

Personally I'm more worried about the back row.

We're expecting a lot of Donaldson and Whitehead at the looks of it.

Realistic back-rowers will be from:
Hall, Menzies, Langley, Worrincy, Donaldson and Whitehead. If we lose a couple through injury we look very light.

Unless he's gone backwards at a rate of knots, Reardon will certainly be our starting FB and deservedly so. I would rate him as probably as good an attacking Fb as there is in SL.

Halley should make a wing spot his own, and he and Platt (and indeed Kearney and Sykes) mean we have the best cover for FB than any team in the history of RL in the universe has ever had

Even Dave Halley doesn't know I said to him t could be an arm wrestle between him and Platty using the Harry Hill version of FFFFiiiigghhhtt, maybe in sumo cossies. He certainly isn't sure how Macca will go on this. I have to say Platty looked fit and quite relaxed on Sunday as did all the players so I think the pre season matchs may have some spice to it.

I just worry too much about Syke's defence in the centre position and would prefer him at stand off, meaning kearney at fullback and halley on wing.

Will be interesting to see what he does.

There may be times when Kearney plays elsewhere, but unless I'm missing something, surely we'll be going with Kearney and Orford at 6 and 7 for starters? I'd have thought that (and Reardon at F/B) were pretty much a "given"?

I'd say Kearney at 6 seems a given. Not sure Reardon at fullback is nailed on, unless i've missed something Macca has said. I guess lack of wingers would mean Halley has to be one.

With Halley, he seems to have developed into a much better player over the last couple of years, and there is his pace. Not sure how much better he can get but wouldn't rule out further improvement as he's still quite young. Though I wasn't that impressed with what appeared to be a Solomonaesque gut in his T&A photo yesterday.

Halley for the start of the season, but after that if anything isn't working or we need a fresh change, then Kearney or Reardon could move there and that would suit me.

Like Dixie I have concerns about the Sykes/Sheriffe partnership in defence. It never looked like being sorted out throughout last season and things only improved when Sykes was defending elsewhere.

Reardon. Halley could be overrated.

I wouldn't have a Sheriffe/Sykes partnership at all, because Sheriffe is not up to our standard at the moment nor anywhere near so wouldn't play, and Sykes I reckon needs some time out of the first team to sort out his defence.

Repeating what others have said, it depends how well Kearney does at SO, if he makes the 6 shirt his own then I'll go with Reardon at FB, Halley & Platt down one side, with Nero and Sheriffe on the other. Sykes to cover SO and FB in emergencies.

For me it would be Reardon, with Halley and Platt on the wings. I'm not sure what has gone wrong with Sykes, he certainly didn't seem too bad in defence when he was playing at the Broncos, and positioning isn't too hard a problem to sort out in pre-season, I'd be more worried if he couldn't tackle at all.

Halley will be wasted on the wing, fullback is his best position.

Couldn't that be said about Reardon?

depend if you class playing wing as a waste. granted reardon can play FB and probably at a higher level than halley, given that halley is still developing. However reardon has also played wing plenty and has the advantage of size over halley. I always worry with halley that he doesnt have the power to go through people and relies on his sidestep too much and is consequently at risk of being pushed into touch. Dont think that size is a massive issue for a FB. tend to think reardon ( and platt if he gets given the chance there) would make a pretty effective winger and a lot stronger defensively than sheriffe.

Problem we have is we have a couple of players whose best position is FB. plus a couple more who can play there to a decent level. We have to find the best group combination, which may not necessarily mean playing someone in their strongest position, if the group as a whole performs better with them in a different position.

guess we'll be trying the various permutations out in the pre-season games and going with most promising one for the start of the season.

Precisely. I fully expect Halley will be given the first opportunity at FB as long as he puts in the graft during pre season. His performances last year have earned him the right for 1st shot at it IMO.

If his performances are below par then we have plenty of options.

Stat with Halley and see how Reardon is going, a Stuart Reardon on form is twice the player Halley will ever be.

Personally, I think it'd be quite insulting on Dave Halley's behalf to start anyone else at FB except for him, when you consider how well he did there last season.

Well is relative. I am not knocking Halley, but we finished 37th in the league table and so nobody is starting with a shirt nailed to their back.

That's why the league's leading try scorers inevitably play that position. What a waste.

Personally, bollox to insulting - I'd want us to start with the best-choice fullback. Whoever that may prove to be. Anyone who suggests otherwise is surely doing precisely what so many people (rightly or wrongly?) accused Macca of doing last season, which was playing people in positions ahead of the best candidate for that position?

And, to nick from Henry Ford: history - as in last season - is more or less bunk. Its start-again time now.