Will Akualoa play forward? I'd like us not to have to be reliant on Crosby. I saw nothing spectacular in him before the issues in he private life. Maybe room for a forward from the championship perhaps. I also hope Hughes is backup and not first choice 17.

I think Hughes will be okay with big men around him.

Well seeing as he's a prop I'd hope so.

Crosby didn't put a foot wrong in the couple of games he managed to play.

Hughes will have been affected by Crosby's tough time for sure. He's solid in defence and does the 1% things in games that go a long way. Unfortunately he goes under the radar a lot but the bad thing about him this season is that he was that bad he actually stood out. Rather than him usually playing well and blending in.

I wouldn't be too quick to lay too much blame solely at his feet though (as bad as he may have been). Warrington's 1 tactic of the backs making 3 scoots, to a forward taking a ball in on his own for the half backs to kick to a corner will hardly do anything for his game.

As Duckie said (I'm shocked I'm agreeing with him) with some big stable bodies around him I think he'll go back to the form he had in 2016. Hopefully we will see the end of the back taking balls in and getting smashed and instead we can go back to how we played in 2011 with 3 massive drives from the forwards, a switch play to the other side, and finish off with either an attacking shape or a kick to the winger.

I'd have Hill and Crosby as my 8 and 10 next year, Crosby is a quality forward and i hope he has the starting Shirt ahead of Cooper.
Has BMM played much loose forward before or primarily at second row? Either way i'm happy as pie with the forward pack next year, maybe another prop to compliment.
But we are looking good for next year and i'm very excited

Not sure that can excuse the fact he could not play the ball correctly, knocked on frequently, never made an opportunity for his centre and conceded a high number of daft penalties.

But as you say, 2018 is a new start.

Pretty sure we are more than done with forwards now,apart from hooker unless said rumour of Baptiste is true.
Winger for me then we should be good for next season.

On the contrary...if Hughes has a poor pack around him and the pack interchange are just as week...Hughes being a second row doesn't get the luxury of a rest and constantly punching above his weight...he will fatigue quickly and make the daftest errors.

He stank this year, from the first minutes. But as I said, 2018 is a new start. I can see why Wigan didn't retain him.

He did...so did the pack around him, don't you agree?

My big concern with our pack over recent years has not just been in the go forward but even more in defence. I know the shoulder charge has gone but in its pomp the pack we had 6 years ago had less regard for self preservation when defending. Some games we would knock the ball out in contact sometimes 3 or 4 times a game just through hitting hard but fair. Harrison, Grix, Monaghan and a lot of others probably spent a lot of tine on the treatment table with shoulder injuries because of it. It usually happened early in the tackle count as the opposition were trying to get out of their own 20. Maybe a bit harsh but recently that has turned into leaving the hands in the tackle or a little nudge to try and get the opposition to spill the ball.
The relationship between forwards and halfbacks is a 2 way thing. It is difficult to play behind a beaten pack but the pack also needs direction.
A good halfback or hooker should be able to direct the intensity of both attack and defence, know when to crank things up a notch or know when to slow things down. Sometimes it looks like the dummy half has looked up and whoever is prepared for another carry gets the ball rather than the halves and hooker directing the big men.
Melbourne dont have the best pack in the NRL (i know Bromwich is regarded as the best prop) but bellamy makes sure they have only a few simple instructions all the other direction comes from Smith, Cronk and Slater but as long as the forwards remember their simple instructions then they have done their job.

Quote ="Paul2812"Ben Julienne has signed for Catalan.'" Can't find any links to say that he has signed for Catalan. All I can find is this one. www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php ... arrington/

Quote ="Paul2812"Ben Julienne has signed for Catalan.'" Can't find any links to say that he has signed for Catalan. All I can find is this one. www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php ... arrington/

I asked julien after the last game if he was coming back, he said he didn't have a contract for this year.

In terms of value for money this season, he's been pretty hood, for someone playing full time professional sport whilst living on a student campus away from his native land.

Baring in mind other contract/release decisions made in between coaches, I wonder if Benjamin wanted more dosh than kf wanted to give, or he thought he was valued at.

Well in my opinion ...I doubt he would put pressure on the starting 17 with a squad looking more than half full of full internationals, and some of the best players in the world.... something has to give!

Nice lad and with scope for some promise, but it'll be like Coops a few years ago, he wasnt missed.

I would like him to stay,he was way better than Hughes last season.

I think Ben J is exactly the sort of player we should keep on and develop. He may (or may not) develop into a world beater, but in a salary capped sport you need players who put a shift in and don't break the bank. Purely in terms of enthusiasm he showed up more senior players last year.

+1 for me here. We perhaps need to create a new starting 13 almost, but with the number of players leaving, we need good squad players. That said, if he has the chance for regular game time in home country, can't blame him.
Would hope he may return.

Im a bit baffled as to why you Continue to bang on about the pack being the cause of everything bad about wire last year.

Yes the pack weren't fabulous our interchanges often performed well below expectations, but how that affects wingers being woeful in defence, being unable to do the basics like catch draw and pass, or our halfbacks being unable to create tries after three repeat sets on the opposition line..?

It was a general poor effort from all players and those players of limited ability were highlighted and for me Hughes was one of those. he's as ordinary as ordinary can be .....What's his particular skill
Currie has pace
Westwood has mongrel and desire for hard work
Westerman was a decent ball player
Julien had effort enthusiasm and an occasional big hit.

Jack Hughes just played every game (or it felt like it at least).....!!!!
He even played . ..was very ordinary against lower league opposition and still got praised by the coach...

He should find himself on the edges of our team not a central figure.

I have to agree TFB Hughes looked solid/dependable when he first arrived and his form, maybe a confidence thing, declined to the point last year where he should have been unplayable and not in a good way. I don't think he was outstanding in defence and he ran some awful lines in attack predictable stuttering the cut inside and for me was part of Brown's problem, more cause than effect.

A clean slate for all next year, but, out of the two if one has to go then I'd have kept Jullien he has potential and I think that Hughes' first season was as good as it gets.

Exactly, a loan out to Rochadale for Hughes where he can hopefully discover how to be a Top 4 Super League Second Rower.

.
I don't except your point that you make out and I'll defend mine.
I'll recap...

Hughes came here and was much better than Westerman to my surprise...his form was solid enough throughout 2016, we even made 2 finals and as lls, he was enjoying his time and even help persuade Crosby to leave the Pies.
...in 2017 we had the poorest pack some circumstance and much of it injury plus a lack of vision from TS to recruit.
Imo...Hughes has suffered more and come in for more stick than anyone because he simply was ever present, he couldn't hide behind injury.
TS had him constantly shifting positions and playing above his weight...this being the main reason we see error after error.
Forwards make errors when they fatigue, Hughes has more reason to fatigue and error above any forward throughout 2017.
It simply isn't fare to ignore everything about and around 2017 and label Hughes as anything less than what he was in 2016.

You don't have to give the lads a break Biscuit, but it'll do your ticker a world of good if you did.

Hughes will get 100% support from me as will Brown under Price...
I still say Brown will be in the running for mos in 2018.
I underlined everything the minute TS went public about him going.

Quote ="Paul2812"Ben Julienne has signed for Catalan.'" www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... activated/ Do you get you intel from the same place as Rubber Duckie?

Quote ="Paul2812"Ben Julienne has signed for Catalan.'" www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... activated/ Do you get you intel from the same place as Rubber Duckie?

Engaging in a debate with you Is like playing chess with a pigeon. ....even when they lose they'll on the board and strut around like they've won. ....



I'm hardly having having a pop at players left right and centre. ...

I don't think Hughes is good enough. It's a simple enough statement.

All last season while Sims was trying his hardest to drag people along to his standard of work ethic you still had the front to single him out nearly every week as being powder puff etc.. oh and cooper and Hill Atkins. ..was he one as well

Last season I stuck to pretty much one train of thought that was "Smith out" .....right from the start.. ( though I did occasionally jump on the matty Russell is hopeless train also).

Meanwhile you thought we'd win a treble and sign all sorts of mind blowing players.

I do like the fact you blindly stick to your incorrect statements. No doubt Kevin brown will win a mom against widnes next year but he was an emergency stop gap Signing by the worst recruiter this club has had. He is not man of steel material and if he gets near it what a sorry state the league will be in.

I hope Patton gets the nod over him

If that's me not giving players a break then you are too precious for words. ...

Ive bought a season ticket. ...early bird and all that. I'm giving them money as well as a break. ...

Rubber Duckie....didn't give that info... so I'll make it simple so you can take it in...No.

How about that hypocrisy had just gone off the scale.
Lol. Made my day.