I agree about Smith in that we are asking too much and he requires a stand off.

However I am not of the view that Sykes returning will solve everything. We dropped very lucky with Sykes
he came as a three quarter player to provide a problem to our goal kicking. He did a very good job when moving to stand off but the guy is now 33. He may well do a good job next season, but if he doesn't or injuries catch up with him
I think our back up options are limited in such a vital season.

Absolutely correct.
With 1 play maker in the team (aside from breaks by Aiton or Ali) Smith becomes an easy man to mark and effectively take out of the game.
We need some help for the guy.
Sykes has done a useful job when fit but we have lacked adequate cover when he has been absent and we become one dimensional.
Having said that, we have scored as many points this season as Saints (5th in the league) and if believe the stats, it's our defence which needs more attention.

Getting back to the topic, if we let Smith go, we will be utterly rudderless and "looking forward" to the CC.

Regarding Sykes, I'd play him at 13 next season, obtain an experienced stand off (easier said than done) and then we would have 3 pivots. Ah, the good old days.

Back row is already packed out. No need to add there, though I see your point about LF having ball skills.

When we had the pivots we didn't have the runners anyway! Now we have neither pivots nor runners just uninspiring nothingness

If we are talking of getting another half back who can take the line on then why not move Tim Smith to Stand Off.Lets face it its where he would have played in the 70s 80s with a scrum half who would have done just that take the line on when needed.

Why not add another player with issues? Brett Seymour anyone!!

Cas bound Hopefully

Digger Land then, should suit him.

Funny you guys work a year behind me! What did I say about Washbrook all along! A tackler thats it we may aswell get a lad from Eastmoor to do a job he does.

Crazy...Sykes has never played at loose and won´t last 2 minutes there and will be ineffective. tautai at loose with Sykes at 6 but a good back up at 6 or some trust in Goulding or kaye to have a go there as their natural position instead of lee Smith....

Sykes could play loose forward but he probably wont.

If we remember Sykes was only brought in as a stop gap measure following the disaster that was Isaac John and the fact that a coach built a team without a goal kicker. Yes the lad did a great job for us last year, but we direly need a standoff. Maybe keep Sykes as a back up or move him on, depending how he looks after his injury. But for god sakes keep Tim Smith only one we have that can pick a pass!

I wouldn't describe Isaac John as a disaster - he's doing OK at Penrith. Just didn't work out at WTW. Did he get the chances he deserved ?

the issue with tim smith (especially when sykes is not there) is that our play is so easily read - stop tim smith stop wakefield.

we have missed sykes who is not the best stand off, but is a good foil for smith.
we have this only one half back problem for years, think danny brough, then paul cooke.

money is obviously tight, but the team needs to plug the gaps, and this gap in our attack is glaringly obvious

smith is the best we've had for some time now, but needs to be allowed to play the game with confidence in the rest of the team being able to support him. for me he should be a natural 6 not 7 he needs time and space to make things happen. brough would be the ideal choice at 7 but that will never happen hopefully goulding might now be given the chance to develop into a good partner to smith. i know there is a dislike foe wash brook but maybe as we dont have a fb that can make a tackle and washy is one of the best tacklers in the comp. i would like to see him tried at fb, cant be any worse than at 6 lo and could be the backbone we have been looking for in that position. mathers might make a good 13 you never know he does offer something in attack. lynne has to be a 1st choice of winger from now on and id like to see cockayne used as a sub and maybe tried as a relief 9 and give kay a shot at wing for a bit. i know this may seem strange positioning but sometomes players get stuck into positions because thats what they now and guess what we have nothing to loose now so lets try something different and see what happens.
my rambling thoughts only see what you lot think

Washbrook I think would struggle badly at full back and I'd honestly have atleast half the team there before him.

Positioning
Reading play
Chasing down players on breaks
High balls
Decision making
Joining the line at the right times to be a link in attacking plays

Unfortunately with the arrival of Tuson and MR T and with Annakin waiting for his chance I can't see much game time for washbrook in 2014.

He has defence in the number of tackles he effects and they are solid tackles but he is no tackle master and doesn't put players down on his own.

But his tackling is all he has, he simply can not pass. He can not step. He can not break tackles. Many attacking plays end with the ball going to washy and it is evident most games. He sometimes runs the defensive line and when a pass is needed he just stops.

He is one player I would look to offload, replace along with Cockayne, Fox, Mellars, Malloy.

Cockayne/Fox have not done this year what made them worth a shirt. And that is early tackle count yard gainers and exposing teams at dummy half. Maybe teams are more wise to this. But their defensive flaws and lets be honest they are apparent to all are amplified and have become too costly to have them in the team.

Haven't seen him at Penrith but he had a run of 6 games at wakefield during which he managed to make Ben Jeffries tackling look like Derek Turner on heat and Danny Washbrook like Darren Lockyer. In short he was diabolical.

He really wasn't. He was a young lad taking his time to settle in. He showed glimpses of what was needed but was too slow getting up to speed. IMO of course.

He wasn't diabolical at all, and in the early stages of the season his long cut out passes to the left were the primary method of Trinity's attack. There was very little from other sources.

It just so happened that Sykes was a better fit for Smith so John lost out

If we brought isaac john in to the side now I think he would have a better chance to make things work. Drag a young lad half way round the world and stickhim in a group of 20 players from here there and everywhere, that also has tim smith looking to get his career back on track was probably a bit much. And then only give him 6 games. But hey ho Agar obviously didnt think he was good enough

Isaac John 'was' good enough but 'wasn't' consistent enough.

Looks like you were right all along!!

I don't follow?

[urlhttp://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/335632/Salford-snap-up-Tim-Smith-from-Wakefield-Wildcats[/url