Briers I mean.

How will we respond?

Ratchford to 6 and Russell straight in at 1
or
O'Brien to 6 and Ratchford at 1
or
New signing at 6?

Unless there is a top signing coming in we will not be able to replace Briers and we will be a much diminished team next year sadly due to Briers' absence.

It is a crying shame that he will never again be in our team. It is going to be hard to imagine a Wire side without him in it.

We don't have anyone that can step up we need a quality replacement now imo ! But I fear that will not happen as I doubt that anyone of the right calibre is available so I predict we will limp through the season and win nothing I hope I'm wrong !

We didn't exactly stroll through this season, with Briers missing for chunks of it, and won nothing, so if we limp through next season and win nothing, then not much has changed.
Agreed, you can't replace Briers as an individual, but we have no choice but to move on without him, and trust in what Tony does. I remember last season everyone going on about how Wigan would struggle with a load of their stars going - look what they did!!! And look what they are loosing next season - we will be alright!

Oh woe is us. We'll be fine, have the faith, top 4 finish, CC semi final, and another grand final appearence will do me next year as the team rebuilds.

To be honest I feel like this is the time that O'Brien sinks or swims, throw him in at the deep end see what he does, he wants game time, here's his chance. We need a play maker, Ratchford isn't a play maker other than for himself, he's a one man band almost all the time. Myler is a runner and support player, one of the best, but he too isn't a play maker. We either need to bring someone in, or give O'Brien the spot, BIG space to fill, but it will be for anyone for years to come.

Can not argue with this.

I think this is a good summary of the options, but we should remember also Evans. He seems to have gone well at FB at Swinton and for Wales and if TS starts with Bridge and Atkins next season, I would hate to see Evans omitted from the team.

On the issue of Briers, as already pointed out, we were already losing him this season. He only played 19 matches whilst the likes of Hill and Ratchford played 32. And even when he did play, he seemed to drift out of the play for big sections of a game. Sounds daft, but I think we will miss him, but not miss him as well.

At the moment it seems logical that Ratchford will move to stand off but will he even be fit to start the season? I'll be honest I see him as our long term full back and as others have pointed out I'm not sure he has enough play making ability at stand off.

Having said that he certainly did a job last year.

However that leaves us with Russell and Riley as the realistic options at full back. Russell has the potential and has been having a good WC but the jury is obviously is still out on whether he has the all round game to really cut it at this level. Riley didn't have the greatest season and although I'm sure he will get back to his usual high standards I don't feel he offers enough of a threat at full back.

So is it Gaz O' Brien who has a decent amount of SL time on loan last season. I wonder if we had someone earmarked for 2015 and we've been caught out by Lee's early retirement?

No point in panic buying. I would like to see a proven stand off brought in if available, especially one with experience at playing at a top level given the departures we've had in the off season.

I'm going to enjoy watching us next season. We may or may not be as competitive as previously but I'm looking forward to seeing whether certain players can step up.

We've got to go with O'Brien, otherwise we might as well release him. Very good goalkicker too.

Ratchford
Riley
Bridge or Evans, depending on pre-season/injuries
Atkins
Monaghan
O'Brien
Myler
Hill
Higham
Asotasi
Waterhouse
Westwood
Grix

Monaghan
Wood
Harrison
Currie

You must have been on holiday or on the moon for a couple of weeks. Matty Russell
will not only be one of our best players he will be outstanding in the whole of super league. He will be in our starting 17.

Russell will have to earn his place through what he does in pre-season but could challenge at full back or for a wing spot based on his world cup form. O'Brien has to start at 6 if we don't buy someone otherwise, as TANCW says, we might as well release him. Looking at that proposed starting 17, I also think England and Riley (prop version) will be kicking around the 17 for large parts of next season.

I'm quite excited about it. This will be a big season for a few of our younger fringe players and I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing them do well for us.

Scurrilous rumours circulating that Thurston has been signed.....

O'brien will play at 6, if not for his excellent goal kicking.

We have to give O'Brien a go, he did well at Saints and needs a run in the team!

Behave.

Thurston is probably the premier halfback in rugby league, i doubt we could offer him a contract that any of the other clubs in the NRL couldn't at least match.

Sorry but no one in Super League is fit to even lace Lee's boots for him.
To get a replacement we have to go big from the NRL.

I'm guessing that Thurston is probably on 400k when his sponsorship deals etc are added up.
We could not match that even if SL gave us a special dispensation to break the Cap.

Hull will also presumably be on the lookout for a '6' with Holdsworth having gone, so we'll be fighting with them most likely if we do go searching for a replacement from SL or NRL.

I think we'll stay in-house though, and that concerns me. I don't think O'Brien is good enough (personally from what I have seen for us and Saints). Saying that, I'm more than happy to be proven wrong.

Gutted as I am that Lee has had to hang his boots up, got to look at it positively and maybe it needed to change.. as it as Winslade's has already mentioned already last season Lee did drift a little during some games.

Don't think O'Brien has what it takes at the minute and maybe a season out would do him good.
Mick Monas could go back in and Dwyer coming in as replacement hooker??

Your Paul Cullen and I claim my £5. Not being funny but moving Mick to 9 coincided with us winning the challenge cup in 09 and continued to where we are today. There is not a chance on earth Tony Smith will move M Monnas. We have a bright lad in Russell who can play fullback and we have Ratch & Gaz O'Brien who can play at 6.

as already said can't argue with this.

GOB did well at saints this year and with our pack and players I think he could do a great job for us. Give him a chance to shine and then shuffle if need be.

Fantastic but I feel it's probably as realistic as the UK putting a man on the moon in a reliant robin.

Awesome if true but unfortunately i don't think its possible.

Would love to be wrong though

He will be difficult to replace, His replacement will be under scrutiny from the word go and I just hope that any stray passes or misplaced kicks will not be jumped upon by the wire faithfull. I hope that GOB will be given a go and that the crowd will not get on his back if he does not kick 3No 40/20's a game and put Bridge and Westwood through gaping holes every 5 minutes.

If we have to go down under for a replacement then I would go for Jarrod Mullen at Newcastle. Good player and can play in the right side channel. Looks like Laurie Daley doesn't see him fitting into the NSW team for 2014 but it still might take some booze fuelled indiscretion to get him to play in SL though.

Lee Briers is an almost unique player so he cannot be directly replaced. Even players like Thurston play a different style. I do think that O'Brien deserves a shot at 6 with Myler at 7. Monas, Micky H, Ratchford and Dwyer will provide the added creativity to make up for Briers's loss.