So Riley has been fantastic all season, 20 odd tries on the wing. And Mathers has been brilliant all year at fullback and his performance at Wembley was MOTM worthy, also take into the account that Riley's posistioning at fullback has come into question before, yet "jdrocket" insists this is what we do.

I'm a big fan of Bridge but if something is working then why change it, he'll have to fight for his place in the play offs.

Mathers
Hicks King Atkins Riley

Hicks and King are devastating at the minute. Can't split them up.

1) I don't think there was a need to quote my name.
2) You could have just quoted me. I don't know how many people care. That isn't a dig, It is jsut me and you talking ATM. I think if someone else cares they can put their two pence in.

Firstly, i respect your decision, it is the obvious choice for good reason and i am sure TS will probably have that at the front of his mind. However, I was of the assumption that Bridge would be good enough in the Quins game to warrant a place in the team "he'll have to fight for his place in the play offs". If that isn't the case then leave him out obviously. Also, No matter what some other people believe, i think that Riley is a very capable Fullback. I know the status quo is working but it is not like i suggested we put Cooper at fullback.

This thread was to think of possible ways Bridge could get into the team and i really don't think I have come up with a bad solution.

74, if Bridge was impeccible and it looked like he improved the team tenfold at quins. What is you plan to put him in?
No reasonable idea mocked.

I'd stick with our backline now for the play offs.

Also i think you are wrong there. I think this year it has been our weakest position.

I am not one who believes the hype that some anti-Mather's twitter addicts have had. I do however think his departure is good for the club.

Agree to differ then because apart from the odd brainfart, he's been brilliant.

I think that is what i mean.

But as Fullback defensive mistakes cost points and ultimately cost games.
People can quote the gift of a try at Wigan to Richards (that i can't help thinking wouldn't have happened with someone else) but he has consistently made brain farts this year.

I forgived Monas his brainfart at HJ against Saints as that is an occasional one. I can only forgive so many. Do not get me wrong i think he has the ability to defend well and really proved that this weekend.

I hope this doesn't turn into the 'almost as common as anti-Clarke thread' Anti-Mathers thread.


I can respect the keepeing the status quo apprach but wouldn't it have been worth trying out a new line up at quins (This still may be possible| am i right in thinking the forwards are rested?) Then not only will everyone have had an extra week in practice and match in their positions but we will know if it is absolute rubbish.

I don't mind being proven wrong as long as we get the best out of the Wire whjen it counts.

I dont want to turn this into a Mathers V's Hodgson thread and, when comparing the two from an attacking perspective there was no comparison last year or this year as Hodgson wins hands down.

However, from a pure defensive and errors made point of view Mathers wins hands down this year and did last year as well.

Last year Mathers averaged at 0.85 missed tackles per game played, Hodgson averaged 1.45
This year Mathers averages at 0.85 missed tackles per game played, Hodgson averages at 1
Last year Mathers averaged at 1.21 errors per game played, Hodgson averaged at 1.63
This year Mathers averages at 0.9 errors per game played, Hodgson averages at 1.6

So yes, we will benefit from Hodgsons attacking play but as far as defence and errors are concerned, next year we will be weaker at Fullback than we are at the mo!

King, Briers, Morley, Westwood and L Anderson rested so looks like Bridgey will be in the centre

Bridgey will probably play in the halves I think (with Myler) allowing Rhys to play at RC. Wouldn't be surprised to see Jon Clarke fill in in the back row allowing Monas and Mickey H to share the dummy half. Whichever way Tony goes we should still post a decent effort and the 2 points tomorrow. 2nd place is anyones guess but if I had the choice I'd rather play Stains at KR.

What's Bridge like at LF, he's a strong guy so isn't out of place as a forward and can play a bit ?

Another option Yed, didn't he play in the pack against Wakey at the HJ? Tony might want to protect him a little though.

Personally always thought that if he hadn't been such a biscuit in the past he would have already been a LF with his strength.

Bridge has been fantastic this season, but he is our third best centre. However good he is, King and Atkins are the best centre pairing. I think moving things around to try and accomodate him, weakens the team overall. Sorry to say it but baring injuries I can't see him playing in the playoffs.

Good to see Bridgey back earlier than expected, as Smith thought his season was over. Having been held back 1 or 2 weeks and not playing for a fair chunk of the season I'm guessing he will be keen as mustard to put out a good display. Although considering the brilliant form of our backline at the moment, its going to take something special for him to force his way onto the field for the big cruncher in the play-offs versus Saints.

But for me it's the centre/wing partnership that's key.

Even though Riley has bagged loads of tries arguably Atkins/King on left and Bridge/Hicks on the right could be seen as our strongest back line.

I think I'm right in saying that only once this season have those 4 plus Riley/Mathers been fit and available for selection and it was Riley who was left out (he might have been sub though).

bridge as a sub and vinnie to miss out i think at saints or we could put bridge at LF and use harrison as a prop/second row which may be the preffered option. dont have a clue who playind between clarke and higham. clarke since he has come back from injuries has been in great form and i dont think he has played better.

TS plays a fluid system so even if Bridge were named at 13 we could expect to see him pop up at centre in both attack and defence.

Huddersfield at the Galpharm in the cup saw Riley come on as a 2nd half sub. For me Chris Bridge will continue to miss out unless someone gets injured.

oh ye with short memories, bridge and hicks was a dynamite combination early in the season, as was atkins and king.

i think saturday did cover comething though, king is superb at mopping up a lot of the traffic opposition teams send over at briers, i can't say whether bridge is any better or worse, but matt's a tower of strength.

that's what i was thinking... he was up there as one of our players of the year before his injury.. smith will find a way of integrating him back into the team again.

welcome back bridgey, 20pts, walking in a bridgey wonderland.

Chris Bridge was excellent last night: confident, dangerous, fast, good goal kicking. What a change for the club having to work out which of an abundance of quality backs to leave out match-to-match. It wasn't so long ago when an injury meant we had to play second-rowers at centre. What is stopping this being a problem is the obvious 'squad mentality' about Wire these days. It seems that all the players ( except maybe Mathers ) acknowledge that they won't be first-choice every game, but that they all contribute to the season's success.

Brilliant. MOTM by quite a distance.

Think Bridge could play at Loose Forward from the start with Ben Harrison able to fill in as a prop, loose forward or second row from the bench. This giving the Lord Tony Smith the option to move Bridge around at either the halves of at centre. What a great problem to have.