Most of us had the hindsight before a ball was kicked.
I still say we are a quality prop forward and a quality halfback short of being a team that are a major force.

It plainly obvious that there is a leadership lack at halfback.
Nobody taking control and organising things.

Perhaps we should have broke the bank on a Danny Brough type of player?

Who would we get now?

We are 3 games into the season. We have 2 props injured and 2 second rowers out injured. I think we will be fine.

Our go forward is okay, it's 20 away from the line where we struggle, the passing quality just isn't there.

How would you address the hb issue BW?

Tom i agree. However i think that will improve with ratchford in the halves. If asotasi improves i think wefine in the forwards.

Ratchord myler and obrien are all good enough imo. Look at most superleague clubs and their halfbacks and they are not any better. Look at wigan and leeds and saints only have one. Dont get me wrong i would love to see brough here but imo were are not as bad as some make out.

Let us just wait and see what Myler and Ratchford look like as a pairing. Harsh on O'Brien but that is sport but I don't doubt it will happen. as soon as Russell is ready for selection. Ratchford looked lively yesterday (at last).

I'd test all three combinations with GOB, Ratch, and Myler.

I'd try Ratch in the left centre first though, it gives us a wide kicking option that Leeds have with Moon.

So why not look at how Ratchford & O'Brien play together instead of dropping the better player who at least has a rugby brain, something Myler does not have.

I do agree with you on the Half Back situation, we have no leader, Myler as the senior halfback should be stepping you but when you watch the game closely you notice its always GOB who is shouting the plays and trying to take charge. I feel next week against London we should be try Ratchford and GOB in the halves as Russell is back fit according to his twitter.

On the prop forward front, I disagree, we have some good young props coming through who now have their chance to show what they can do. Ben Evans has been superb this year, Glenn Riley will be important when he comes back to full fitness and when Wood comes back will we have a strong competitive pack.

My issue is the Centres, Atkins is extremely poor, and has been for a year and a half, lost his strength, size and speed. We have a perfectly good replacement in Evans sat in the stand each week who deserves his shot. Bridge on the other hand, seems to have lost all his pace and just seems to make errors. Next season we do need to look to bring in a QAULITY halfback and a Centre.

because Tony Smith (who knows better) saw fit to give Ratchford the 6 shirt and Myler the 7 shirt clearly indicating what he thought was the best combination. Whether I think O'Brien is an option is irrelevant.

Ratchford was due to get the number 1 shirt, & after Briers earlier than expected retirement Ratchford got the 6 shirt & Russell the 1 shirt, how would Smith know the best combination if it was untried & tested. Maybe Smith thought Myler would step up to his responsibilities instead of going missing when needed to play along side & guide a relatively inexperienced half back. And as you say yours or even anyone else's opinions on here are irrelevant at the end of the day.

That's exactly what I said the other week after Atkins' horror show against Leeds and Saints. Drop him, get Ratch in there, Russell at FB and GO'B and Myler in the halves.

Agreed but that was the next option he felt would work best. I am not a fan of Myler at the minute and I thought O'Brien certainly had a better game than him yesterday but surely we all know it will be Russell at 1, Ratch at 6 and Myler at 7 as soon as it can happen?

Thing is, we tried Myler and Ratch last year in Briers' abscence, and although we did win a fair few of those, they looked very much like two individuals, i dont think they compliment each other well at all.

O'Brien looks the best out of the 3 at the moment, i think we've got a problem if Russell is back to fitness. Personally, i'd grown to love RAtch at fullback last year, his pick ups from quick PTB's and the maze-y running was destructive, he did it a bit yesterday which was good to see.

id try ratch and gob at hb with russell at 1, get the message out to myler improve or your place is gone, would like to see evans given a go at centre and dwyer as relacement hooker.

Well just seen that Russell is fit and will play this weekend. Looks like Riley will be back in as well.

Regardless GOB has to stay, especially catching the highlights and seeing some of the deft kicks he put through.

I think it wasn't until about the 70min before a kick from us actually turned a man, and I think that was in part helped from an awkward bounce.

If O'Brien does not keep his place then what sort of message does that send out to the players?

So you are right and Smith is wrong? As usual people are making judgements after 3 games. I seem to remember everyone saying last year about this time that Wigan wouldn't get anywhere because all their experience had gone. Look what happened.

Hypothetically, let's assume TS sat down when he dished out the squad numbers and assigned 6 & 7 to Ratch & Myler on the premise that those were his preferred halfbacks for the coming season.

Does that mean that this decision is, therefore, unquestionable not by us mere mortals but by TS himself? Does it mean that he is thinking "I'll look daft if I don't pick them at half-back cos I game them the squad numbers". Is it not possible he is now thinking "This isn't working - I need to rethink". Do you think he actually considers the squad numbers when picking the next team?

You pick based on form, not based on the number on the shirt. The squad numbers MAY give an inkling as to the coaches thoughts pre-season, but that doesn't mean you're a shoo-in for that position season-long.

No but they haven't been tried together yet.

and what exactly would playing them together in their pre-ordained squad positions prove, given Myler's total abject form? You could give Andrew Johns the stand-off shirt at the moment and Myler would still be anonymous.