The team for the final should be the same as the one that plays tonight.

I've been so impressed with the Wire this year therefore I have tried hard not to comment on Clarke; largely due to his welcome absence. But did you not see some of his one on one misses last weekend? They were pitiful.

As for Bridgey, if he plays so be it! I think TS has used a fair bit of logic when resting players (no coincidence that we suddenly have a full squad available besides Grix). Plus he learnt a little lesson during the 05' Final via the Senior mistake.

I guess you are not too keen on Chris Riley then?

Didn't see the Wakefield game, but you can't deny that Clarke has been excellent since returning. Well he was in the Saints match and the semi final.

Plus his versility makes him an ideal bench man. Not sure I would go with Higham and Clark off the bench. Don't see the point in having two hookers on the bench.

If Bridge is fit then he's definitely on the bench. In a tight match he has that ability to break down opposition defences. Crucial cog in the wheel.

What, a couple of walkover tries against Saints? Plus involving himself in three man tackles which were effectively completed by the time he made himself present? Also, lets not forget that he was one of those rare instances where he wasn't even used off the bench during one of our biggest games of recent times at Wigan a few weeks back.

You have an interesting view on the term 'excellent' ........


Mathers
Riley
Atkins
King
Hicks
Briers
Myler
Moz
Monas
Carvell
Benny
Louis
Harrison

Solomona
Wood
Bridge
Higham

I do like Vinnie but I'd go with the above. Clarke and Cooper to miss out also.

"some of his one on one misses" - how many were there then? How many did Morley have?

Not sure but I hardly think a prop forwards stats should be compared to a hooker really? And Clarke misses them when somebody runs straight at him. Don't suspect this is the case with Morley.

Didn't think you'd know.

I am amazed Tony Smith put him in against Catalans deliberately to take the hard hits when his defence is so poor. In fact, he appears to have become one of Tony Smith's first choice squad already. Now, I wonder why that is. Oh yes, because he is a very reliable player.

You might aswell give up people seem to think that Clarke is useless and only makes tackles when he is the 3rd man in despite him being one of our best defenders

Admittedly I dont trudge through stats but using Morley as a comparison to Clarke is poor, end of.

Myler got targetted by the Catalans in the SL fixture, thats why he was left out. Not because Clarke's defense is better.

I picked out Morley because he does miss a fair few tackles but no one ever mentions them. Just like no one ever mentions Higham's appalling dummy half passing.

If Clarke's defense wasn't better and therefore worse or best equal to Myler's surely Catalan would just target Clarke and get even more joy?

The Anti-Jon Clarke cannot be swayed. The guy has been great for us at times since returning from injury, especially when you consider he was out for the best part of a year.

And I personally think he will only continue to improve in this squad with Smith in charge and bring it on I say.

Which season did Jon Clarke have the highest percentage completion rate for tackles in the whole of Super League?

Nothing wrong with Clarke's defence for me, he's never struck me as being a weak tackler. Seeing he's been out of the game for 12 months imo he's done really well to slot back into the side. He has to be applauded for playing in pain last year before his ankle break was diagnosed. A lot of players wouldn't have continued to play with pain killers but he did. As for the 'walkover' tries, are we slagging our own players for backing up now? New one on me.

All third man in, Paul.

I don't care. He's the Emile Heskey of rugby league. Hated by fans who like the glamour players but loved by coaches and team mates cos they are vitally important to the whole.

No, we're slagging them for being Jon Clarke.

Im under the impression Myler was left out initially because Catalans wanted to rough him up. Not because Clarke is a better tackler? So I agreed with it from that point of view.

I just had a little peek at the old stats anyway for a laugh. Yes, Clarke's distribution and reliability in directing traffic round the middle are good, but those more essential and quality attributes required to being a hooker or half are simply not there. Especially when you actually draw a Statistical comparison with our other Hookers and Myler himself.

Check it out yourselves.

I thought they [iwere[/i the essential ingredients of a dummy half.

Ah Jon Clarke, a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma. I've never heard a man being booed so much by his own fans even before taking to the field. I think before this season is out, I'm going to be saying something to those morons who stand near us who constantly boo him when he comes on and cheers when he goes off.

Erm no. Just the scoring of two easy tries hardly justifies the term 'excellent' being thrown into the disillusioned Clarke support.

You are the one who mentioned the tries!

Me too.


So ISDBI, you think that Tony Smith has got it wrong by putting Clarke back in the side?

Only easy because he backed up if he never backed up we would not have scored. I guess if Clarke was one on one with the full back and passed to Myler to score you would say he is rubbish because he never rounded the full back to score himself?

Yes but there is far more to being a hooker these days. And certainly a half back. Running from dummy half, taking on the line, marker and general defense etc.

You can't deny it.

As for the tries, ofcourse I'm very happy whoever scores. But Im sorry, using those to fuel the debate positively for Clarke is mediocre, at best.