I wasn't but they have probably come from them.

Not sure who would be available from the NRL in September/October. There's the marquee rule if we go up, but I imagine that a lot of players will have already got contracts sorted out by then. If we signed an NRL half-back, then it'd have to be someone who isn't first choice I reckon, or pay a fee.

I'd be happy to see Addy move back to loose forward only if we found a better scrum half and I can't see many around. There is a real shortage of quality scrum halves about. Even the top SL teams are struggling to find them. Warrington were so desperate that they went all out to sign Sandown who I don't believe is the answer to their problems. I can't see them releasing GOB now Myler is moving on as they'll need cover.

I say again, who is available to a championship club that is better than Addy?

Surely Mullaney? He took the ball at 1st receiever as often as Addy, including for his second try. Look at his pass for Ferguson's try. OK, it's one game but Clare played well at full back and looks a real physical presence with pace. We haven't had a scrum half all year and now we've found one we want to sign another?

Addy has done well for us in the absence of a recognised scrum half but he is not a scrum half. He is too slow around the ruck and tends to send out lobbed passes which gives the opposition time to move up. Remember Brett Iti? he passed the ball from the scrum (there more scrums then) like a bullet so much so that the pass nearly knocked Roger Simpson (the stand off) over. Perhaps now that Warrington have a plethora of half backs we may sign Gareth O'Brien next season? Addy would slot in a loose forward but I think he needs to work on his defence.

What about the Tyrone Roberts rumour?? Could that be dependant on if we get into SL??

Signed for Gold Coast.

Ohhh okay missed that! Cheers

They don't have a plethora of half backs. Myler's signed for Catalan and Chris Bridge (occasional stand-off) has signed for Widnes.

Do you really want to build next years team around a bloke who will probably end up playing about 10 games?

It's a fair point but considering we've given him a 2 year contract we must be reasonably confident he's fixable. Having said that I'm not remotely confident we're in a position to sign a player of such quality that he'd merit building a team around them either.

Or we get a very good player who's injury prone so can't command a big wage?

Certainly worth a gamble in my book but i'm not very confident that he'll stay fit for long. He's made of biscuit you see...

I think as cover for HB you couldn't get anything more perfect than Addy, he can play either 6 or 7, and has a good running and passing game. I don't think he is however a long term option. For now though he is in good form and its going to take somebody doing something special to shift him, or it should at the very least.

I actually really like him at 13 too, but I also like Pitts there. I dont suppose having two quality bodies fighting for a jersey is a bad thing though.

I want Siejka to leave, he just doesn't cut the mustard so I think next season we need to sign a very good scrum half and a six to come and put some pressure on Gaskell. Brook if he is staying should get some game time next season at 7.

Seem to remember people saying the same about Dale Ferguson.

On Addy, I think he's is more suited to a ball playing 13 role.

I think the question is - where are we going as a team style wise.

Do you have an additional ball player in the team and forfeit some of the sterner defence (A Dave Heron)
Or
Do you go for another SR who gives you a tackling machine (A Mike Forshaw)

I think the former gives you more options in breaking down tighter defences and playing a better brand of rugby, but the defence is likely to be a little leakier also....

Not sure what your point is here?

Ferguson has still missed a fair few games this season but the impact to the team has been minimal due to us having a load of 2nd rowers. He's strung a few games together recently but I wouldn’t say he's iron man now.

I really hope Jake and Dale are over the worst of it now as theyre both cracking players.

I see Mick Gledhill's tweeted that the Bulls are looking at Scott Murrell. I take Micks tweets with a pinch of salt but I'd imagine that this would be the quality of signing that we may be looking at if staying in the Championship. Nothing against Murrell but I'd stick with Addy. Would make a good squad player though.

then Danny wouldn't be your man, but as an 'old fashioned', ball playing, creative 13 then he's ideal.
Thing is though, with the substitution rules changing to fewer interchanges, it really suggests that clubs are more likely to go down the 'extra prop' route. I guess, if you're a coach, you just have to make best use of your players abilities whatever number is on their back.

Addy’s a conundrum. He’s probably played more rugby in the halfback positions than he has at loose forward.

He’s improved as he’s matured which isn’t surprising. He’s capable of really good play, take that long pass to Adam Henry that got Caro that long range try not so long ago. He’s also capable of a 40/20 or two. Where he struggles is maintaining consistency in his creative play – he doesn’t control a game as much as we need him to – there are too many naff kicks or times when he runs up a blind alley. He can hit high standards but not consistently – in other words he’s great back up for Mullaney and Gaskell. He’s better than Siejka.

As a forward it’s more difficult. Defensively he’s been showed up at SL level as missing too many tackles. He’s not the biggest backrower and I think lacks the technique in defence to make up for a lack of size like Forshaw. Not many other teams play an old fashioned creative loose forward. Most have a bigger runner. Many even use a lad who could play prop. We run the risk of being steamrollered by bigger packs and have been a few times this year e.g. against Batley (away), Halifax and Wakefield so unless we bring in some beef to “carry” Addy at loose forward I don’t think we should play him there. You can’t play fancy rugby unless you’re winning the battle up front and making metres forward and dominating the collision in defence. Addy’s not a great metre maker and not one for making big hits.

If the number of subs comes down there could be an opening for him in the pack in the future but who knows how that will turn out. As things stand I see him as ideal back up for halfback and if Gaskell and Mullaney are fit then he’s my first pick to be on the bench as he can cover halfback, hooker and backrow.

He may continue to improve and I think he’s definitely worth sticking with but I think more for his versatility. Why do we need to pigeon hole him anyway. He can do a job, sometimes very well. He’s a bit like a Carl Ablett who could have been something better if he’d just concentrated on one position but put his hand up and played wherever he was needed.

And Ablest is outstanding. Very underrated Imo

69 of his 116 appearances he has started at either 6 or 7. He has only started in the back row 11, 12 or 13 on 21 occasions.

Bloody hell, that's way more than I would have guessed.

Not really... He's been at half back more or less all this season, and as far as I recall it was much the same story last year.

This kinda backs up my reason for starting this thread. People keep saying 'Addy is really a loose forward' but there comes a point when you have to say 'if he walks like a duck, and talks like a duck....'

Yeah, I suppose. It has always felt like a temporary measure though. It's just a temporary measure that's never really gone away.

...
...then you need to take more water with it, until it just sounds like quacking again.