Benny out of action for a month.
Calf tear.
Targeting the penultimate play off game for a return.

I think that is probably your best post ever Duckie. I agree with every word.

Well, a few people, myself included, have mused that Westwood could be a force in decline so this may be the moment where Benny is ushered towards the wings or we are left to mull over Benny sized holes in our defence and ambitions.

Laithwaite, Currie, B.Evans (hopefully) this is your time to shine, boys.
Trent, Thursday was your high water mark. Grasp it, match it, sustain it,
Ben Harrison. Start practicisng your MOM speeches.

Spot on. Westwood has been a shadow of his former glories, this year. I've put my tin hat on before, and said that Westwood's Wire career should either end this season, or at the latest October next year. No room for passengers here, even for a player of Westwood's reputation and quality. Sentiment will hold us back.

Its no surprise to me that westwood is looking burnt out after the last few seasons.

Hopefully next year with someone to share the load he will be back to his best.

Maybe Westwood has been less effective this season because he's been picking up the slack of some of our other forwards?

i think he has badly missed Ben Harrison, who gets through a shed load of work.

having Waterhouse next to him and fill ins at 13 hasnt helped him at all.

That makes no sense. If Waterhouse is on the opposite side of the pitch and is a poor defender, then surely the opposition would pinpoint the opposite side to Westwood.

He's not been the same player since Hock smartened him up towards the back of last season IMO.

ive not said he is a poor defender. Im saying Westwood has had to do alot more hard years with the ball.

When one of your forwards doesnt want the ball, it isnt rocket science to figure out another one has to pickup the slack.

This is going to be one of those things were he has an absolute stormer on Thursday and we are all back to saying how great he still is.

At the start of the season when we were rather poor, I remember looking at Benny and thinking, wow, he's still got it, taking on teams on his own seeming to be the only guy who give a dam, even against Saints on Thursday, personally I thought he had a excellent game, makes good yards everytime he gets the ball (good yards that is).

He's still got it, believe me, world class. As they say, form is temporary, class is permanent

I'm afraid class isn't permanent. Only history doesn't change.
You get older you get slower you get frequently more injuries that take longer to heal.
At this time in his career it's form we need from him. His class is his history.

I to thought Benny had a good game on Thurs. Always making big yardage and drawing defenders in. I haven't seen him make as many big hits this season but he's still a rock in defence.

Agreed Gaz and that backs up what I said about slowing up some.
He has to 2 year deal yet to be announced so we've got him a little while longer yet.

He's gonna have many games where he has massive games but they will no doubt become fewer over the next 2 seasons.

I'd quitw like to see him in the middle and help out with a bit of grunt, and reduce his spells for shorter more explosive bursts. 25 mins in each half of hell, fire and fury would be better that 80 of consistent 'just above averageness' which I think he is slipping towards.

Plus with Hill, Westwood, Simms and Harrison as a front row, that would give some superb field position to play on the back of.

I have been disappointed with Ben this year, he is one player you dont want to criticise as he rarely give any less than 100% but I he is definitely not the Westwood we all know and love!

I doubt he'll be playing on Thursday.. I thought he was injured?

He is....his calf muscle has a tear of about 2"

It just highlights the Crap some people post about certain Australian players, and how their work goes unnoticed.

I bet Benny wishes his work goes unnoticed now he's copping some flak for being knackered after picking up Waterhouse and Ben Curries Slack. ....
If people can't notice that then when do we start having a pop at Chris Hill.

Rumours of Westwoods demise are quite frankly ridiculous. This board really does have some whoppers.

I don't think posters generally have "a pop" at players for nothing, Padders being the exception.
By and large the players that get it do have poor form for whatever reason.
At the end of last season Atkins form dipped dramatically and continued for much of this season. He turned it around and now I would say the best 3/4 we have. He gets commended week in and out, deservedly so.

Big Roy has had it from day 0! But the last week not a single "pop" why because he did what we expect and not a single "pop" from Yed.

I for one haven't seen great form from Benny too many times this season, it could be injuries or fitness. Would I drop him? No because we don't have anyone better but there is an opportunity for someone now to show us there is and if he proves his worth I for one wouldn't want Benny back in until he pulls his finger out!

There shouldn't be room to carry somebody in this team on proven past form alone if they are not showing currently.

My biggest critic of TS in the past is that he doesn't reward current good form, he always goes back to putting in the same core players regardless of fitness or form. This season TS hasn't done that so much and has had the balls to drop a player. Credit to TS for doing it this season. The only thing he needs to look at is putting the hb with the best form closest to the ball on every occasion instead of shifting them out into back row or 3/4 positions to make room for a hb who's form is way off what is expected and has been so for some time.

People think I need a scapegoat, I don't, I thought Williams was garbage and I think Asotasi is garbage but I'm big enough and ugly enough to admit when they've had a game in which I can't pick a fault.

Going back to Westwood, if Wire put him on the market today ask yourself which clubs would want him?
I'd hazard a guess it would be Wigan, Leeds, Hudds, Cas, Cats, Saints, Widnes, KR, FC, Bradford, Salford, London, Wakey.

Minimum

Dont get me wrong I would never want him to leave and still think he is one of our best players, but maybe he has laid a benchmark for himself in recent years and has not hit the heights this year that we all know he can but he is by no means the only one and is still head and shoulders above most!

I hope his injury is not too bad and he is back asap as we need him for the playoffs!

Westwood at 80% is still better than about 70% of the rest of the league.