Totally agree. If he chooses the Horne/Washbrook pairing again for Friday, he deserves all of the criticism that he will inevitably get. Turner is unknown to most of us but he must surely offer more than the other recent "failed" HB pairings.

Washbrook at 6 didnt work in 2008 and 2009..........Hate to say it but Horne has looked lost since Cooke defected.

Washbrook at 6 didn't work and Horne at 7 is even less effective. RA has many critics among the fans, some of which are just waiting for him to fail so that they can say "I told you so". It is up to him now to show us that he is a decent coach and that he actually has some idea of how to get the best from our squad.

Well of the two Washy has done more at 6 than Hall, although he has had more games.

The thing is Washy tackles well, can kick fairly well and has a decent step and decent hands. However he is not an organiser and the problem is neither is Horne. Tansey with Washy would be much better than Washy with Horne.

The fact is though if fit Horne will get selected as he has not done enough wrong as yet. Even then I would play Horne at 6 with Tansey at 7. Okay Horne was average yesterday but so were many others and as usual we always seem to have one scapegoat. The team never offered the halves anything to work with yesterday and whilst it needed one of them to grab the game even when Tansey tried he ran out of options too.

The team has to take responsibility not individuals, win as a team and lose as a team.

Lee Williams or Pat Smith

I wouldn't bother Paul, seems nobody truly remembers 08'.
We were awful because we had no 7 on the pitch to compliment washy who played very well that year. We wasn't even that bad in 2008, it was injuries that cost us that year, we were certainly a lot better than 2009 were they just didn't have a clue.

Or, possibly, they have a different opinion of what they saw to you.

Just a thought.

Yes, it's otherwise known as the stupid opinion!

He played 21 times at stand off that year, we won 7 of them.

Kind of missing the point but ok.

Berrigan at 7 and horne at 6 for friday,washy on the bench and can cover at hooker or half back.

Means Houghton getting more gametime which he doesn't deserve right now, he has been awful so far this season.

No no no. Berrigan must stay at 9 this season; we can't keep moving him from his best position to cover inadequacies elsewhere.

For the same reason Tansey must stay at full back.

Horne and Washbrook were awful yesterday. One of them must be dropped and Turner to come in.

Problem there is you'd just be exchanging one non-organising player for another. Doubt you'd see an improvement.

Fitzy to play 7

thing is without Long, we have no playmaker/organiser, Cas struggled without Sherwin(Strang struggled) and Wire were lost when Briers went off, so important a position, specialist position!!!!

It was like watching last season yesterday with our lack of creativity on the park. People have said about moving Tansey up but if we want him to develop into a quality full back he needs to play in that position week in week out.
Why people are saying to go with combinations we used last year is beyond me they failed miserably last year and will do so again this year if we try them again.

I would like to see whiting or turner given a go in the position. As everyone keeps stating Whiting has no pace but he has a excellent rugby brain. He doesn't need pace in that position and is surely worth trying.

That was my 3rd & 6th option



Bit of a nightmare this one tbh

Forget Washbrook - that project is over.

Got to try playing a ball handler, no idea how Turner would go on but him and Whiting must be the main contenders. Horne is a runner (and low on confidence), Berro is a runner, purely instinctive, we need a bit of vision and a ball player. I would go with Whiting at 6 and re-shuffle the 3/4s (Hall into centre, Calders back). I honestly don't think we have much choice.

Turner played at Sheffield in the half backs had a good game ..He should have been given the chance before Washy on Sunday in my opinoin

i'd like to see Whiting and Tansey in the halves for friday's game but then it throws up the problem of who would play fullback.

Washy plays his 1st match out of posistion and you want him out.....Horne is playing his 3rd match and still looking $hit after 3yrs of $hitness.......Horne to go for me.

Just goes to expopse our lack of cover in the halves.

TBH we all feared this would happen if Long was injured.

I don't know what the answer is, but I'm fairly sure it doesn't involve moving a specialist hooker or a full back who is having an excellent season in his preferred position.

The more I think about it the more I would favour playing Tansey at 7 and Turner/Hall at 6 if Longy isn't fit. Drop Whiting back to FB and play Turner/Hall at Centre. Horne needs to be out of the team, he clearly isn't fit and even if he was he still doesn't offer anything anymore. Tansey is the only other player in the squad who actually seems capable of telling everyone else what to do and organising them.

Wasnt Houghton a half-back???????

Need to go shopping in the lower leagues for a young halfback or a experienced 1 who fancies a crack in S/L as back up???