wasn't there an attempt to bulk him up a few seasons ago to get him playing 2nd row?

People are right about him needing the opportunity to lose the "utility" tag.

I think Burnett is a decent acquisition injuries, options, hopefully all players fighting for their shirts...recipe for success imo tbh, I agree about Rich the prospect of a 2nd rower with ball handling skills is mouering...Starting to look a bit exciting now, some good rugby ahead

Agreed, he needs now to be A second or A loose etc and cover if urgent .. the lad has given the club so much maybe its time he had his own run where he feels happy !!!

I agree, so long as Gentle feels that the role any player "wants" for themselves also fits the team, we saw Fitz dictating where he played at times last season and it wasn't always the best for the side.

So you've said. But you've also said that if Horne is given a further deal Pearson is not aiming for top 2, and spent the last 3 years or so slagging Horne off regardless of the factors/halfback partners he has had to deal with. So it appears that no matter how Horne plays you want rid, which is not the open mind of seeing what the season brings and choosing players on form you're claiming.

I've said it many times and here it is again; with a bit more weight he could offer us the same as Chris Chester did.

if his performances warrant a change in my opinion then my opinion will change, if, as some people attest, he'll be a much better player than he has been when he's not having to organise the side then I'll be happy.

Some good points been made all round regarding Horne/Ellis......if neither of the starting half-backs are firing and say its is Horne with Seymour then hope gentle does drop them and let Ellis and Nicklas have a go in the prefered positions....Horne needs a massive season for me as i havent been impressed with him of late but also accept that he does need a organising 7 or 13 to do the stuff he is good at...we used to notice when Horne didnt play....we dont now.As for Whiting,personally,think he has back-row wrote all over him and his handling could make him a dangerous wide running 2nd rower.

I agree, but lets give PG the benefit of doubt and maybe also a clean sweep of our opinions of players too?? as the club have already started again maybe we as fans should do the same and give all the players a fresh chance under this completely new regime ???
I agree some have not done their best last season or so , so lets start again and support rather than attack maybe?? and if they dont improve i think PGs own history states he wont suffer fools gladly

sorry not preaching just my op

couldnt put it better myself mate! AND as a previous poster said what a great choice of similar player in chris chester, very similar indeed and we always looked a better side with chester in it didnt we

Fair enough. I just do think that the organisational side is a big factor. IMO the attributes to his game are not dissimilar to Danny McGuire, but McGuire has been able to depend upon Sinfield doing the organising as he rarely misses a game.

If we finally do have a dominant pack and someone pulling the strings we may see the best of him again, but if not there can be no hiding from it.

It depends what kind of off season our pack puts in, Lynch,Moa and O'Meley means we're one light to me, hopefully O'Carrol will continue developing as he started to at Wigan before his injury.

One thing is certain, none can be so ineffective in the forwards as Lauaki was at times last season.

Hopefully, he'll have a better injury run than Chester did!

If Whiting does play 2nd row, how are we using him? Tickle and Westy will play 80 minutes a week, so he spells Manu for 20 minutes?

Westerman at 13?

I hope so!!

it is his best position in my opinion

No chance, Tickle will run the middle channel with Westy and Manu on the edges.

Tickle could also do a spell at prop and allow Whiting to slot in quite easily

that's just daft, Westerman is a totally different type of player to Tickle, if we play him at loose then Gentle's got some odd ideas.

Wouldn't want Whiting playing through the middle at all, but Tickle could go up to prop, I agree.

I'm still hopeful that the January signing will be a decent forward. Either a prop or a back row with Tickle moving up for a spell.

I don't think the type of player we need is going to be available for our budget in January, otherwise we'd have recruited them already, but it's going to be interesting to see if we sign anyone.