Can they teach him to tackle though as Atkins can't tackle a salad and Bridge isn't much better

I wouldn't even wait for that, I'd have binned him off already. One good season and he thinks he's Greg Inglis.

Ellis will start next yr at 2nd row imo. Prop will be an option depending on injuries/form of props n the people pushing him n mini for back row spot. Think the prop thing radders has mentioned will more be within games next n will move to prop fully yr after

You don't like players being naughty do you

His father is making the situation worse blowing smoke up his !

Of course but then it's not your money is it?

And if he does become the next Greg Inglis, what then? You're happy that he was binned of due to his poor attitude; which is no doubt down to his advisers, who his dad is and is age.

I think he should be given a full season in the centre to see how he goes.

Quick question - do you think Crooks has the physique to make a top RL centre? Or the defensive qualities?

A top SL centre or top (world class) centre? If the latter then probably not, although he is only 21. If the former then yes and yes. He is already an above average centre in this comp even if he never improves one iota.

I disagree. He's a defensive liability currently and unless that improves he will never be better than around average overall. He's also messing the club about which I find unacceptable. He seems to think that at age 21 he knows it all and has nothing to learn. That attitude does NOT lead to greatness. Quite the opposite.

To play centre you have to be able to tackle a centre and these days centres take some tackling. You don't need size for that if you develop a good technique. I think Crooks will get there but perhaps not for us.

Timana Tahu is going to be released by the Knights if we want to continue our policy of signing really really really experienced players.

How do you know he is messing the club around? I don't claim to know different but in my eyes it seems that it is FC/Radford messing him about and I feel sorry for him.

Back the original post, so far there has been a massive upgrade player for player, I have no doubt we will improve next season, if that progress if enough though I'm not convinced.

Big questions still at hooker and if Cunningham can replace Heremia and in the centre position.

If you look at team stats, in every area we are in the top 8 apart from clean breaks and mistakes too areas that need improving massively, I'm still not convinced with have line breakers in the team.

Another centre is a must even if Crooks stays, if he does go, hopefully either Sa or Rankin will play there if he goes.

If he bulks up will he lose some of his other qualities such as pace?

Surely defensive ability can be trained with good coaching? Unless he has no heart of course. Are you suggesting that?

I don't think he'll ever be world class if that's that you mean but I do think he has the potential to be an established Super League standard centre.

He is the best centre currently at Hull FC. Yeaman's failings are well known and he is virtually past it. Sa seems only to be able to manage 15 minutes.

Crooks is definitely a better centre than Whiting.

Huge trade up at half back which will improve us dramatically. Still feel we lack a little pace in the centres. Lots of talk about Crooks - my feeling is that if he doesn't want to do what his employer is asking him to do then sell him for as much as possible. He's good with the ball but that's only 50% of the game. Hoping for bigger things from Sa next year with a pre season. Hooker bothers me a bit - I don't think Houghton has had his best season and has ingrained issues with the quality of his distribution and decision making - we need to hope Cunno hits the ground running. Azza has been good for us overall but is the epitome of the inconsistency we desperately need to remove if we're to get anywhere.

All this has to be coupled with a totally revamped attacking structure and shape. I do believe the halves will go a long way to improving this provided they get a platform. We've also played this season almost exclusively without a kicking game which has crippled us at times. That appears to be rectified for 2015.

I don't like players taking the , no. Happened far too much in the past. Don't care how good they are/could be, if their heads are up their s and can't be sorted bin them off.

+1

Does it come with Audio description?

Thought Moran was worth more.

Besides, its ok being "worth" all that, depends how much he can write a cheque for.......

Maybe he doesnt need it. Health wise too

Agree, it could well be the "culture" at the club which ends up messing players about.

Wigan and Leeds find good young players and give them 5 year deals.

What do we do?

Under uncle Kath everyone got 2 or 1 year deals

Green got a long term deal
houghton
lineham
shaul
if players prove themselves n want it we've been going down that road.
regarding crooks I first saw him about four yrs ago. Obviously he was tall skinny kid defensively flimsy. He's still a tall skinny kid n defensively flimsy.
This has to change if hes to be any good.
Range of supplements there is these days,the scientific knowledge regarding nutrition n the knowledge behind strenght n conditioning n being a full time athlete even the most stuborn of 'hardgainers' would struggle to beat only putting on a couple of pounds a yr the way crooks has.
You'd have to question how hes preparing himself away from the training ground!

Spot on mate, particularly, your last comment, if we could just get the attitudes right, what a set-up we would have.

People said for years Paul Cooke had to bulk up when he burst onto the scene. He didnt, and was still our best attacking player

Gaining body mass does not compromise pace if it's done correctly. And technique can only get you so far. A combination of the two would work best and that appears to be the approach being attempted by the club. I really don't see a problem with it.

Would I have played him ahead of Whiting in the centres? Absolutely. But I'd have played Sa ahead of either of them. We have no idea if he can manage long spells or not because for some reason he's not being played in anything other than short bursts.

There are two sides to every story and some of the stuff circulating about Crooks indicates that he possibly doesn't have the right attitude to succeed. We've had a squad with far too many players with that attitude for far too long, and if we've finally decided to be tough on them then that's more than fine with me.