Did you listen to press conference about the rules? Grix knocking it dead was referred to. I think there was confusion about the ruke change, I mustcadmit I wasnt sure which rules we were playing, Grix knocked it dead under the old rules, but under the new rules I didnt see the ref or count the extra tackle from the ball being kicked dead, pretty sure this will get ironed out quickly.

That's true - Leeds kicked the ball dead in the second half and we only got the 6 tackles instead of 7.

My bad! New rules from 1st Jan - so Grix could have made the ball dead as per last season. Easy mistake!

That clarifies it then thanks TRB

Max is far better under the high ball or retrieving a grubber with safe hands and composure, he's the future because he's 18 years old and has the time to add skills and improve in the areas he's not so good at.

Enter Scott Grix, who is strong where Max is weak and has exactly the right sort of professionalism and communicative ability to mentor Max and help him become the player he promises to be.

In terms of organisation Grix is light years ahead of Max, he is far more instinctive about recognising space and attacking it. He's far better than Max at organising defensive numbers and perceiving threats.

For example, on a 20m short side you might need 2 defenders to defend but if Kallum Watkins is one of the players you're marking you have to recognise that 2 might not be enough. Sounds simple but that kind of awareness has to be instinctive because you don't have time to think about it and getting it wrong means you're vulnerable on either the short or the long side.

Grix joins the line better, makes better decisions, defends 1 v 1 more effectively.

People shouldn't see Grix as a threat to the progression of a home grown and very talented Jowitt, he's here to bolster the first team and help Max fullful his potential.

I have no problem with Grix and think he can only help Max with his game in general.
I also didn't expect Max to play every game in 2017 and Grix must have been preferred rather than using players already on the books.
Max will I am sure benefit from being a short term understudy to Grix and we will be left with the best F B in the game within a very short period of time.
Max seems a well balanced young man with a fantastic future ahead of him.

He's aiming to be in contention for the Sheffield friendly.

That's great news.

Excellent post and exactly how I see it. This is only going to improve Max; win win situation for me especially as I believe that they will roughly play the same amount of games due to injuries/form.

That's exactly how I see the Grix signing; not a threat to, or a snub of, Jowitt - but a sensible way of developing the finer points of Jowitt's game that aren't really achievable in any other way.

The big challenge in 12 months time, will be keeping hold of him - because despite Johnstone's headline grabbing antics, I believe he'll be one of the finest young players in the game.

I don't know about that.. I see Jowitt as a good club man where as I honestly see Johnstone becoming a superstar injuries permitting. TJ is hardly 'antics' - seems a bit dismissive of a great young talent, did he forget to send you a Christmas card?

What's he done?

Not disrespectful at all - just trying to juxtapose the more obvious talents of an outstanding young winger who scores for fun, against the necessarily more workmanlike and technically difficult job of a FB, who has more to do, and who's mistakes are generally more obvious and have a far worse result. Bit like a goalie in football - the FB is exposed and often the last line of defence.

Perhaps antics was the wrong word - I've got huge respect for both lads, but Jowitt strikes me as one who will benefit more from mentorship by an experienced old hand, and has the capacity to become one of the best in the game, in one of the most challenging positions.

Better?

Burst onto the scene, scored a hatful and picked up several young player awards in his debut season!

Christ - we're a sensitive bunch aren't we? Is this the general fear of WT fans that good players will do bad things - or is 'antics' really a word with such negative connotations?!

Antics: Def. foolish, outrageous, or amusing behaviour

I reckon so.

That was the one I was trying to convey - because he did some [ioutrageously[/i good things in 2016; his try against Shudds, where he went the length of field and either handed off, sidestepped, or ran over the entire Shudds team, was one of the best I've seen at BV.

Let's hope for more antics next season

Definitely sensitive, been caught out myself many times with a poorly chosen phrase - personally just checking as i didn't think that you meant antics in that way.

As much as I enjoy watching Johnstone, and personally I think he's already one of the top wingers in Super League, I actually think Jowitt is the most talented youngster we've produced since Nigel Wright. Where as Johnstone has burst on to the scene and taken all the headlines, Jowitt for me looks like he's been there for years. And I reckon Crowther could be on his way to cement a regular spot this season too.

I do agree there comparing Jowitt and Johnstone.

I think potentially Jowitt could go further in the long run.

He looks like he has played there years and especially bearing in mind that Johnstone actually came on the scene, scoring plenty in 2015 whereas I think Jowitt played 2 games.

For me too, Jowitts position is a bit more specialist than on the wing.

i so hope we are not going to play grix over jowitt ever- jowitt is the future of our club what has grix got like 2 years left? the last thing we want to do is to get Jowitt looking elsewhere because he is not getting game time I am worried about this

Don't worry your pretty little head! That's why we have a fantastic coaching team... to take that stress from you!

Who was it that said...'the coach who listens to the fans will soon be sitting with them!'

Said before I can see Grix and Jowitt sharing the full back roll almost equally

Conversely, you don't want to damage his development by putting too much responsibility on his shoulders too soon, and setting him up to fail; or simply flogging him to death and risking serious injuries.

Personally, I'm content with lightening the load, and giving him a mentor to finesse those areas of his game that are weakest; defensive organisation and 1 on 1 tackling.

When did Grix become the Yoda of full backs?