I did say if the real Lineham turns up we have a good player, fingers crossed it’s permanent.

https://www.totalrl.com/mark-applegarth ... overs-win/

https://www.totalrl.com/mark-applegarth ... overs-win/

There were lots of good things but a lot to work on in my opinion.
Lineham is a good example.
Evans made him look like a prop on the wing for the first try but he did plenty in the rest of the game to deserve credit. He has an extra gear which seems to take a bit of time though the gears but he has it.

We improved in second half, but the biggest thing was Riley Dean coming off for them. He was running the game in the first half. We need to be better at controlling players like that.

Hall looked good in all areas, as did Lyne, though his passing wasn't perfect. Langi looked good at 13. I don't know if I'd play him there but he has to play somewhere. He's quality.

Renouf near the line is unstoppable. I'd like him running from deeper though.

Lino looked sharp when sharp and stood up ok in defense.

Battye was probably the best forward, certainly in go forward yardage. Took his try well.

Max was his usual quality. Perfect under high ball, probably our best in attack and some key tackles in defense.

Talk of Hood after the game wasn't good. Might be a problem.

As often said, the result isn't the question, it's the performance. When good it was good, but more energy needed when we play for real.
.......but it was nice to win. Especially now we play for the Don Fox trophy.

It's on Trinity TV now.

Really hard to read anything into these games but, after a poor first half (some credit to Fev here), the second forty was excellent.
It really was a game of 2 halves.
Proctor looks real quality and as long as we haven't picked up any injuries, job done.
Not quite sure how we fit him into the matchday squad but, I'd like to see Morgan Smith in our 17 somewhere.
Whether he can cover hooker ? but, he'd be a useful addition and gives us some different attacking options.

No no no no no, Morgan Smith has all the makings of a genuine HB! Why put him at 9. We have Hood, Kay and Bowes.

The only players Smith should be challenging is Lino and Gaskell.

Not having a go at you in particular but why do British RL fans continually want to convert every promising young British HB into a 9! Then we wonder why we don’t have any international HB’s.

For me Smith has been the stand out half so far, but I admit it’s early days.

Sorry but i have to agree in the pre season games he has looked better at 7 than 9 and should be kept there other than in times of need ie hood injury been bad and kay or bowes gets injured

I think that you've misunderstood what I was trying to say.

On the basis that no side can afford to have an out and out HB on the bench, it's whether he could cover at 9 to give us attacking options at certain points within the game.
Leeds used to have Burrow coming on in this position back in the day and it worked ok for them.

I'm certainly not advocating converting him into a hooker.

It could be that Hood has picked up an injury. It seems mash is decided on Gaskell/Lino starting the season at HB.

Smith was good at 9 on Boxing Day and has played 9 previous in his career. He is an option at 9 though I agree he is very much a HB for me and that’s where his future is.

I’d be tempted have Smith and Kay alternate at 9 if Hood doesn’t make round 1.

Don't think there is anything wrong with Smith playing hooker, but I wouldn't want to change his play or physique to do it.
He's good there but it's his brain and hands that make him good

Equally, hooker for me is one of tge most important positions on the field. It can make or break a team. So if Hood is injured we have to play the best option that can manage the team from 9.

But why? We have one HB and Gaskell and nobody not even Gaskell knows what his position is. There are many more 9's out there than 7's. In our Academy we have an excellent potential future 9 in Jake Camplin, I don't see the equivalent HB.

So my question stands, why would you convert Smith, make zero sense to me?

Lino ball service is still too slow. We have a very capable set of forwards, who unlike last year look fit as a fiddle. Battye is a new man. Proctor has some kind of engine in him.

I just hope Mash is not scared of playing Smith because Lino is the overseas player. Fev had a go forward scrum half in their side and he bossed us.

Lino tipped the balance from having a poor game to an OK game by creating the off the cuff break in the second half. We can't bank on that every week. I'd prefer a half who can give 60-70 minutes instead of 15.

I`m pretty sure it was Applegarth that suggested Smith is an option at hooker for us, so if it makes sense for him I`d be happy to go with it. Don`t forget, we also have Langi to cover the halves. It`s worth noting played every single SL game for Warrington at hooker so we are hardly converting him.

All of that said, I thought he looked brilliant in the halves but there there are only so many spots in the team and as MA says "he just wants a place in the team so whether he's picked at nine or half, I don't think it matters to him. He just wants to play,"

Bossed us? I thought Riley Dean had a dreadful game, his pass selection was off big time, nobody around him seemed to know what he was doing (over running him, holding back), he kicked the ball out on the full twice.

Just my opinion ,but Smith is our best half and like Vastman says looks the classic scrum half. I thought Gaskill was rubbish yesterday . Smith and Lino for me .

I didn't say you should convert him. You should play the best team you have, and when Hood is injured and Lino and Gaskell are fit, it leaves Smith as a good option.

In terms of why? Because sometimes it's the better option and sometimes it isn't. There is no silver bullet for the decision.
Cooper Cronk was being looked at as a hooker but found a better permanent role at 7.
Cameron Smith who I'd say is the best hooker I've ever seen was a half back at first.
James Lowes made the role his own.

But there are loads who can't. It's up to the coach to spot it or leave them where they are
I like him at 7. Right now I think he's better there.

I’d go with Harry Bowes before I chose Smith as a Hooker
Smith is making a significant step up and IMO he will need to play Half Back and stick to that position which will help him develop

But worring for me fans are having a discussions about the 3 most important positions on the field .Does not look good for season .

I'm not sure us not knowing is really an issue as long as Mash knows what he's doing.

Alternative view (from a Fev fan): he created two line breaks out of nothing in the first half, created Evans' try with a deft kick, and generally got Fev on the front foot when he got the ball. There were a couple of plays that didn't work, and he did kick the ball out on the full (once, not twice) but he's only had 1 previous hit-out with his new team mates.

Whilst there was clearly more to the turnaround in the second half than just the fact that he wasn't playing, it certainly wasn't a coincidence that Fev posed less of a threat with ball in hand.

Did you watch the game on stream? Because I think you may have clicked the wrong one.

You carry on worrying then.....


I'll stick with Mash knowing what he's doing......

Here we go again.

Sorry but that wasn't the reason imho. You ran out of energy in the second half, SL fitness and a better finishing was the reason. The lad had a decent first half but his being on in the second half wouldn't have made a jot in truth. I know it's cliche but Trinity found that extra gear that you as a part time team don't have, in truth you could have been beaten by more than four tries if we had really ramped it up. It went pretty much to script if we are honest.

Bowes has looked terrific so far this season, I'd be happy with any combo of Hood/Kay/Bowes, anything that doesn't force poor Crowther to play out of position.