Hughes at 13 absolutely, but Robson isn’t good enough for starting back row at a club with aspirations, not yet at any rate.

I like this 2 props signing because one doesn't come as "the saviour" and feel the pressure of being the prop that the CEO has said we need. Gives Butler time to adjust to a higher level.

Widdop might actually opt to stay now we seem to have invested in the pack.......

That's fair enough, pretty sure philbin started as second row. I'd prefer hughes at 13 but think he will be second row with currie and j Clark at 13. I don't like that one bit to be honest but expect it will be that lineup. I want to see currie and someone else more dynamic as our 2nd row and hughes at LF. Backs don't get involved enough for us because the ball gets run in from 2nd row almost all the time. I suppose that's a price instruction, why wouldn't he want back row playing like props if that's what he wants his wingers to do as well.

I don't think Robson offers much variety on hughes and j Clark to be honest, or matt Davies for that matter who would make a better bench options because he could hooker and back row.

This signing gives us the opportunity to go a little bigger and for size in the pack if needed to bolster it, for example.. We all know that Cooper can play long minutes, usually plays around 60 mins but he could play for longer if needed, with his offload game too he could be an option at 13. Then rotate the other props for shorter spells each to keep them fresh. If we really need to step up and bully a team, could go with this sort of pack and bench.

Hill
Clarke
Mulhern
Currie
Hughes
Cooper

Bench: Philbin, Butler, JClarke, Davis/Robson.

Ideally next, we could do with the Widdop situation sorted as soon as possible, the longer it drags on the bigger the egg on our already blushed faces!

Unfortunately it’s looking more and more likely he won’t return to us next season. Unless, the Covid situation settles down and when he is reunited with his family after a couple months, he decides to give it another shot - Hypothetically I can’t see it. I think being in lockdown since March this year probably chalked their overall experience, bad timing for all parties tbh.

I just hope when he does leave we have a suitable replacement lined up & not another Matty Smith type scenario... YIKES!

I fail to see how any criticism can be aimed at the club over the Widdop situation.

Tbh, im at a point where its either jack Hughes at 13, or not at all.

As nice a guy as he us, and as effective he is tackling, he's almost a non force going forward, he offers zero threat in attack, that doesn't help austin, thst doesn't help whoever at right centre or charnley.

Remember our purple patches from when gleeson joined and onwards, whoever was playing down the right was a threat, 2nd row centre or wing, swann, Westwood, gleeson Bridge whoever was on the wing, defences couldn't slack off on any of them as they were all dangerous.

Now, stand black, watch Hughes get the ball and shuffle to a stop and then slowly step inside.

As has been mentioned before we can't have 2 of Hughes and clark in the pack at the same time, its too passive. Robson might be a bit better running directly, but I get thr impression he's going to be used as a middle rather than a wide runner.

Great comms from the club, I received my "Members Exclusive" email about this at 5 am this morning.

Yeah i think Hughes attack is near non existant, he's had a few random games where he seems to realise he's a big lad and hits the accelerator and does really well. But those games are rare, put him at 13 and defensively in the middle we look a hell of alot more solid, and put someone else at second row......not J.Clark....i thought gelling would make an exciting second rower but ahh well not to be.

The next piece of the puzzle is Widdop. If Widdop stays, which I think is unlikely, or if we do a deal with another Aussie halfback heading this way then we have the conundrum of how you fit Ratchford and Ashton into the side together. One way is to move King to SR, Ratchford to Centre and Ashton at FB with Hughes at 13. If we need to find a halfback from within our ranks then Ratchford is the obvious answer leaving us with J Clark at 13. The first option sounds a lot more exciting to me.

mailman moaning about the mail

I'd be surprised if Rathcford was anywhere else other than full back or half.

Had Gelling stayed there would be the option to move King to SR and run with Inglis and Gelling as centre, now he has gone centres have to be King & Inglis, King is a good SR, but he is a better centre I think.

If Widdop stays (and hopefully by March the UK will be a different place and his family will be happier to come over) the question will what do we do with Ashton, wing or waiting to step up to cover injury / suspension.

If Widdop goes, keep it simple. Ratch in to the halves, Ashton Full back, consider whether we need a backup half or if Dean is enough to cover.

Either way I'd still like us to add an attacking backrower to the squad, whether that is through Sita / Latu going or Widdop leaving.

Personally I would not want to see Ratchford shoe horned into centre.

Me either i think that would be an absolute waste of him, Halfback or fullback with king at centre all day long with Inglis, i would say put Sita at second row as it would slightly decrease his work load and may improve. But i think we played him there once and he looked clueless.
He did much improve his fitness early in the year and looked to have sorted himself out, so i hope that continues and now we have the young lads coming in to take his place he might kick in to overdrive to get back on the field.
Latu.......can just leave.

Signing two props is a step in the right direction, how big this step is remains to be seen. I'm just worried that SP will use the newbies in small portions of 10 minutes a game, like he did with Akouala. This may happen to start with until they hold their own when replacing Hill or Cooper, but the template of how our bench props have been used may be a difficult habit for him to break.

Luis Johnson would possibly have be a decent option, best in the squad is Toby king despite him also being a very good centre. Maybe longstaff gets a go or maybe we are looking to sign another second row! Doubt it though it will be j clark or hughes and we all know it. Still at least that should mean price will be out quite quickly with our toothless attack. Karl has after all acknowledged it's not good enough (again) let's see how long it takes him to do something about it.

Agree, full back or half back. He needs to play down the middle and get his hands on the ball. Wasted at centre.

I worry that having Ratch and Austin in the halves is there 2 very similar type of players

I felt the same about Austin and Widdop.

Too many chiefs not enough indians summed us up at times last year, unfortunately all the chiefs were waiting for each other to take charge.

Captaincy, the role to ensure everyone does their job on the field, rather than waiting for someone with a bottle of water to come on and do it for you. It's an important position, and one that has to be given to the right player.

I think Ratchford at 13 could work, not sure about him doing too much donkey work though.

Having 2 captains says everything about the indecision bred into the team from the coach downward - as someone else said we have too many chiefs.
All good teams should be greater than the sum of their parts but we are the opposite. We need leadership on and off the field.
Until we get the changes off the field we need we should make Cooper captain - he leads both by example and by direction.

Agreed, Cooper is the natural choice.

If we were desperate like last season then fine he won't let us down but ratchford shouldn't be used in the forwards IMO.

Ratchford played in the halves a few weeks ago ,i forget who it was against, but my own opinion despite years of thinking he should be a half back, was that it stifled his natural ability to make space for himself & probably create breaks .