Here is a simple question for anyone to answer, if Chris Bridge is to become our right centre then would this be a step forward from Martin Gleeson ?

If you answer NO then we havn`t strengthened that position, if you answer YES then obviosuly you feel that Chris Bridge will offer more than Martin Gleeson did at right centre and make us stronger in that position.

I`ll start with a NO hence why i said earlier that we need to sign a right centre of equivelant standard to Martin Gleeson or ideally better to make us stronger in that position than we were previsously, having an inferior player in that position who has replaced a high class player isn`t really strengthening.

I will finish with a YES. Martin Gleeson is past it now wheras Chris Bridge is young, talented, strong, pacey & has very good hands. The more game time Chris gets the better he will become with experience. I personally believe he will be a key member of the squad in 2-3 years.

Long time to wait...

You're 100% right, he was on the periphary at the Warriors. He used Leeds, and the SL as a fresh start and a chance to rebuild his reputation. I think the whole 'Michael Jordan of RL' thing as a kid in the NRL didn't help.

Bit mad this Bridge stuff Rob, he was filling in on the wing, totally out of position and he did okay. If he'd had a 'mere from centre, you'd probably have half a point, but his last performance at centre he was sensational, setting up a hat-trick for Chris Hicks, and he hasn't played there since, he's been at stand off, even at Edinburgh, the best work he did, ie, make breaks was done in the 'centres channel' of attack.

As for the passes in touch, behind Hicks, I think you've just made them up ace.

The point I'm making is, he's had a mediocre first 60 mins at Hull on the wing, switched to centre, scored a try. Prior to that, he's looked a class act at centre, yet you seem to be bagging his performances at centre, but odd as the criticism you seem to have, is of his 60 minutes on the wing, unless you thought he was naff at home to Huddersfield at centre, or away at Bradford, when Hicks got another hat-trick. (Granted he was only involved in one of those tries, with great quick hands)

I'm not disputing whether we need a right centre by the way, just wondering where your criticism comes from, as if it's yesterday, I think it's a bit unfair, as he was playing in an unfamiliar position on the wing, and he did what he could, two trysavers too mind, one bad missed tackle granted.

Not really i have been waiting a long time for sucess 2-3 years isnt that long. I could wait that long if it meant silverware. Would be dissapointed to see chris edged out of the squad next season, think he's a real talent.

I knew your defence of HRH Chris Bridge would come at some point, it was just a matter of when

Your love for him holds no bounds, does he get flowers on valentines day ?

No matter what anyone says about any of Chris Bridge`s past performances you will always have an answer, i remember you ridiculing some posters in the past who questioned his performances at full back when he went through that spell of dropping most kicks that were put his way along with him being poorly positioned.

What would you be saying now if that was the challenge cup quarter final against Hull KR and we were leading by lets say 18-16 and Chris Bridge did another feeble attempt at a tackle a Hull KR player which lead to a try to knock us out of the cup the same as he did on Danny Tickle ?

It doesn`t matter where on the pitch your playing, your tackling technique remains the same, that attempt to tackle Danny Tickle was simply feeble and lazy. I noticed you failed to answer that point in your above post.

It may not have been poor passes behind Chris Hicks that Bridge made as come to think of it i`m fairly sure they were to Matt King as i remember King a few times having to reach behind him, a few times he just gave up as the ball flew into touch.

Wouldn't we rather we developed our own players rather than just kept signing from outside all the time?

Stick with what we've got, bring lads through the Academy, that will allow us to steady the finances and clear the tax bill.

Didn't that spell only last about 95 SL minutes, in which he scored two tries?

It seems to me your criticism of Bridge is based on a missed tackle on Tickle the other night.

scrum half and a goal kicker definitely

Just a thought but what about Diskin, he can't be happy playing 2nd fiddle to Buderus ?

We probably need a loose forward and we defiantly need a half-back but seen as those two places are already filled for next year, i go for two forwards.

I cant help but feel that when Morley is injured we lose some much needed strength/go forward in the pack, you could quite visibly see at FC that Rauhihi just cant hack the pace any longer and he defiantly is'nt a starting prop for when Morley is out. So id like a forward to replace Rauhihi and a younger British forward that Smith could mould into a quality player for when Morley leaves.

hes the worst 9 in the comp ,what does he do ,had a realy good run if you ask me .never been any comp at leeds at hooker before buderus came .

Not wanting to give fuel to the "Briers is the anti-Christ" brigade but surely it was him who missed the tackle on Tickle for the try. He was never Bridge's man.

Indeed it was Mr Briers that missed that tackle, to be honest he put in four good kicks in the 2nd half on Saturday, three of which forced drop-outs but even the biggest Briers fan must admit that his kicking game is a bit hit and miss at times and he doesn't deserve a contract based on the reason that his kicking game is good every now and then.

I personally see Briers and Myler almost on a par, regarding kicking game, influence on a team, attacking ability and even defence although watching a few Salford games the reds have left Myler out to dry on some occasions regarding his defence. The difference is Myler is only 19 and under the right coach (TS) is only going to get better.

I think Rob is pretty much spot on with his observations. We could do with two new half backs, we definetly need to replace Monaghan, his passing is shocking.
We need a prop to replace Rauhihi.
Hopefully King will want away at the end of the season, coupled with johnson leaving, we will need a couple of new faces in the backline.
Chris Bridge better or worse than Gleeson? I'd say both. He's a far better individual threat but is guilty of sloopy defending at times.
Not overly worried about the hooking situation but a strong running second rower would be good.

Your one eyed crusade to 'prove' points is tedious. You seem to have completely forgotten the fact that in a game breaking moment on Saturday, Bridge made a difficult try saving tackle.
No credit for that then?

you have got to be taking the pi$$....................


for about 12 months solid Sensible Wire fans have said this about a certain Wire player and you chose not to get involved in any discussion about the technicalities of defence...... but here you are talking about a Non wire player being left out to dry by his co defenders......


the mind still boggles after all this time............

Rob, you don't remember it, because it didn't happen, they weren't behind Hicks, or King or anyone else.

As for the 'defence' of Bridge, I knew you'd hide behind that angle because you looked foolish making a daft point. You're criticising a bloke for his work he did filling in on the wing (which our head coach has acknowledged & praised since in a press release), and you're passing this off as criticism of him from his work at centre, when he's been excellent when he's performed there.

I'll defend any player on here, if folk are making daft statements about their performances, like I do with Briers for example, just ask LWF.

So far this season if you analysed Bridge, you'd have to say :

Stand Off : Poor, very poor at times. Any good work he's done from there was playing in the centre channel.

Right Centre : Excellent, Huddersfield home & Bradford away he was very good, especially Hudds at home when he was Gleeson-esque.

Left Centre : The team was playing badly, he was one of our better players, at Wakefield away, he was solid, when the rest of the team was leaking like a sponge.

Wing : Did his best, in an unfamiliar position.

Is he the answer at right centre ? I'd like to see more of him before making an informed assesment. The signs were that the could well be, he has all the attributes.

Its alright coming up with an idealistic wish list, but player ability, transfer fees and salary cap will all interfere with that. Also, as sally cinnamon says, we should be working to bring players through the lower ranks. Bridge may not be as good as Gleeson ( at his best ) but he does look promising at No 3 ( and has done some good things already - so its not all for the future) and, we already have him, so let's leave him be.

I'd give Briers another year, but if Barrow offer him a 3 year deal on good money he'd be sensible to take it as he'll never get offered 3 more years here. As for King and Monaghan, NRL players going home early are few and far between so they'd probably still be here next year. Gasnier is probably earning more that we can pay in France owing to French RU's lack of salary cap.

As for other forwards, unless we can find a real star I'd keep bringing the youngsters through. Rah will definitely retire this year but we've plenty of good young props on the books.

I'd pretty much agree with all of that.

Rauhihi you'd think will retire, I think there's half a case for Cooper being in the side in his place now anyhow, not every week granted, but I did feel a little for Coopero n Saturday that he found himself out of the side having been excellent of late for me.

The Bridge thing for me, is simply, what doesn't he do that Gleeson did ? In the couple of quick glances i've had of him at right centre, he's tackled strongly, he's put Hicks in with a flick pass, he's drawn a winger and put Hicks in, he's stepped and gone himself, he's pretty much done everything that Gleeson did, so I'm not sure he's any sort of 'poor mans' version as I don't see what he can't do.

Gasnier's deal was reported in the Press as one million dollars (Aus) per year. I appreciate the ridiculous speculation in the Press is usually way off the mark, but, the cash being thrown about in French RU is mind blowing. Just take a look at the players heading over there in their dozens, be it RL or RU players.

I can't see how we could remotely compete with them.

Effort commitment and drive to play for the Wire. Which in my eyes makes him a better player than Gleeson.

Scrum Half - Orford / Myler
Stand Off - Craig Wing or similar
Prop - Fielden? (Will get shot down here but still think he has something)
Right Centre - Shenton (I know - he's currently playing left)
Loose Forward - Sinfield (If rumours are true)

In that order

Full back - we are fine here with Mathers. Hopefully he will continue to prove the doubters wrong. Riley and Hicks can provide backup.

Wing - An embarrasment of riches in this position, with Hicks, King (his best position), Riley plus Penny and Williams from the reserves.

Centre - I would give Bridge a new contract and play him at right centre, and sign a specialist left centre, ideally Michael Shenton. Grix should also get a new deal and along with King provide cover for this position.

Halves - If Briers and Monaghan leave we need two new halves. Myler / Orford for the SH, but a new stand off is a more difficult one. Ideally Briers will stay another year or two and play alongside our new scrum half. Have to wait and see what happens with Monas as he is contracted until 2011.

Hooker - Higham isn't bad as an impact hooker, but would prefer a different starting number 9 to Clarke. As he is tied up until 2011 though, I can't see any changes in this area at the end of the season.

Props - With Rauhihi set to leave, I reckon one more prop as a direct replacement, possibly from overseas. Pickersgill should go, and we should retain Mike Cooper as he is the better prospect.

Second Row - Honestly don't feel we need anyone in this position, with Mitchell, Blythe, Harrison, McCarthy to support the first choice pairing of Westwood and Louis Anderson. Paul Johnson should not be given another contract.

Loose Forward - A definate priority. I reckon Vinnie Anderson might go, and Harrison is more suited to the second row. Sinfield would be ideal, either that or a big offer should be tabled for Joe Westerman.

How is this ideal



Briers isn't fit to lace the boots of many Half-back's going round today, there are quality halves all around and if we want to progress we need one of them.