Chester has said he's having a well deserved rest and he'll be ready for Thursday.

Huby will be a big miss against a Leeds pack. Looking at Salford tonight I'd rather see Huby rested next Thursday. If he needs a rest he needs a rest and I trust in Chester. Mitch does have big boots to fill though.

Vastman - that is exactly as I see it. Added in the emergence of Hadley who's turned out to be a consistently good player from game one for us.

I still hope we secure Crowther for a few years at least. Yes we have the emergence of Batchelor who looks class but I see something in crowther. In the coming years I've no doubt he could be a regular solid/good forward for us.

A lot of young lads are let go too soon due to no A team games but I think there's great value in bringing through young players with potential. Batchelor has it in spades but there's some there in crowther too. Hopefully he will sign up and keep working towards breaking into the team.

I have watch Trinity since 75 and not since 79/80 have I being more excited about the prospect of silverware in the next few seasons
I hope we get Hirst & Crowther signed up Allgood has a real chance to step up and earn a contract the jury is out on him
Williams played very well in the NRL and given time he will come good a lot depends on him now this season

For my money we are 2 short of really challenging for honours and with no disrespect to Finn who is a valuable squad member in my view a quality scrum half and a hooker Shaun Lunt although 30 would be on my wish list if HKR do not get up

Unfortunately I'd let Annakin go. I honestly don't know what position is his best. He's just s but too small. And now has a top knot hair do which was the final straw for me

Yes, I feel that we need to get Crowther signed up.

Thought Allgood went ok last night.

I too think the same regarding 1-2 players away from seeious chance of silverware.

Lunt is a fine player, but would consider Clark, if the fallout I heard over at Warrington is true.

Dont recall at any point last night did one of our last tackle kicks turned Handley or either winger around. Most of those kicks were unfortunately by Finn. Would maybe look at the halves too.

We were debating the other day as who to offload for an NRL player, and said Sio was good when he came but as we improve, we need to improve the quality. That can be said in any position.

Maybe prize money could be used to improve on that bit of quality, bit I know we have a budget and that there is a cap.

Overall though, very happy where we are, as to where we were two years ago

I too would consider letting Annakin go.

For me he just hasnt kicked on since making his debut around 6 years ago, like I had hoped.

There could be another motive of course, another reason.

He doesnt let us down when he plays, and also on the salary cap, if a player had played for a club over a long period of time, you got an accredition from the RFL toward your salary cap. Cant remember how many years they had to play for you or what you got back from the RFL, but effectively could be getting him on the cap at a minimal fee

Yep. Like him but Annakin will always be a fringe player.
If his contract reflects that then so be it but with young players like Batch and Crowther coming through he is dropping further back every year.

He has the heart of a lion but is far too small, he looks more like a chunky hooker.

He probably has, but there have been other very small forwards who have been very effective.

It's not just down to his size which I agree is an issue but he's not moved on as a footballer either.

I thought Annakins go forward against Salford was very good...he struggled in that regard last night, but who didn't in the forwards? Reckon it would have been as tough for him as anyone last night backing up...Salford was his first outing at this level since July last year...to back that effort up again so quick was a big ask...he still managed 35 tackles with no missed against a huge Leeds pack who were on the front foot much more than us....I would keep hold because his attitude and what he puts in is second to none....certainly worth a squad place for me...

Allgood is probably one I'd let go to be fair...that's nothing against him as I think he did ok last night...problem for him is he's a quota player and that spot could be used far better to strengthen elsewhere and make us stronger...

I'd keep Williams because he's shown lately he's a quality halfback and will be far more settled next season...

Two positions I'd love to see us go for is an out and out 9....Kyle Wood has done far better than I thought he would and I'm happy with him there...would be great to sign another specialist 9 though instead of sharing the role around the likes of Finn, Hadley, Ashurst, Sio etc...would also love to see us try and sign a blockbusting type of second rower just to give us another dimension....our backrowers are as good as we've had for a long time...very strong defensively and solid...just feel a player in the mould of a Ben Murdoch-Massila would add so much...

Exactly. And without some extra skill, he is too small. The big blokes will always bounce him around.
I feel for him but that's rugby life.

He'll be the best player in a team like Fev (no offence to those players) and would do a decent job in the middle 8s but we are trying to get above that now.

I'd concur - he has more bottle than Express Dairies, and his effort is always 100%. Despite all that, he's just not effective enough for where we are now.

Shame he hasn't been able to reinvent himself in a position more suited to his physical attributes - he'd be devastating as a hooker, in the mould of McShane or McIllorum, but he doesn't seem to have the nouse.

How do we know? His instructions so far seemed to have been to run it in as hard as he can, which usually ends up with him being lifted up and planted on to his back. I love his effort and commitment, but I've never seen him in a ball distribution role, but I agree that if he had that in his game, he'd be a great hooker. Strong, fast and fit.

We don't - but you'd assume that Chester or a.n other coach will have recognised his limitations as a forward and tried to reinvent him?

That debates been running for years. And although I'm a great believer that no one is born to a position it's probably to late now.

As someone pointed out the last time we had this discussion he's been let down by the coaching staff. I'm not sure he'd ever have made a hooker, but a ball playing highly mobile No13, that could possibly have worked.

Remember him still when he was playing in our under 17's to 19's he was the star of the show, What happen to the poor lad that he was then trained to be a wrecking ball it could have been so much different for him.


Up The Trin

why are we talking about the role of a hooker as if it still exists, its just another player within the scrum that isn't as tall as the two players either side, saying that I've seen a few taller ones squeeze in. to me its another play maker caught up in a cuddle

That's the style snowiepops, keep it nice and simple

prove me wrong though

Paul McShane; Daryl Clarke; Michael McIllorum; Danny Houghton; James Roby.

Proved wrong.

I think the role you are talking about snowie, hooker in a scrum, has for a long time been defunct. You might have noticed last Saturday that on occasion Fifita was the middle man in the front row of the scrum, yes, I kid you not. The way scrums are "fed" nowadays it is virtually impossible for the non-feeding team to "hook" the ball.

When I think of hookers now I think of the acting dummy half, key to ball distribution and quick scoots from the ruck during sustained periods of the game. Parcell was a good example last Saturday of how to execute that role well.

not seen any hooker play the ball out of a scrum in years they are just play makers behind the play the ball

I hate the lazy scums, seems half the time they can't be bothered to bend down or even link it together

See wildshot's post - hooking out the scrum may be defunct, but there are plenty of other skills a specialist hooker brings to the modern game; any of the players I listed would get a gig in any SL team, for that very reason.

Yes your right, back in the day where snowie's talking about the hooker was only as good as his blindside prop, he was the one who had the biggest hand in making the hooker successful.