Similar to the London and Soward situation, would have preferred Soward though.

The way we at the moment I'd prefer any SL combination except Londons

I'm a fan of Dobbo.
Better than GOB and Myler.

But why put more bricks on a wall when it's built on sand?
The quality and quantity of bricks won't stop that wall from sinking.
The footing is weak. It's a cement foundation that needs attention.

Yes wire111 I'll say it pal because it's right.

Short term stop gap until September, October if we get lucky. Win win.

I more surprised with Yed than anyone.

Can we not need both a prop and a halfback? I've watched us a few times this year and we've had plenty of position without any threat. A prop doesn't create the majority of your plays. I get that we're a bit lightweight, but our backs just haven't performed this year, a halfback can make that happen more than a prop can. And I get that props lay foundations, but quality halfbacks are going to be a bigger rarity in SL than props, so you prioritise that.

But we have at least 4 halfbacks now, plus Monaghan and Grix....that gives us 6! And then Dobson!
We've got halfbacks coming out of our ears.

The reason Bridge and Ratchford did the business is because they are big guys and balanced out the real issue.
Yes Wire111 pal....props

We have only Hill who is playing at a class level.

We got Asotasi who isn't playing at class level.

We got England who isn't class and more like made of glass and totally not fit enough for this level. He blows after 10 mins.

We got Wood who is class but also glass.

D.Bridge is is good and has improvement.

Riley needs a spell at Bradford like Bridge did.

The others are 2nd rowers.

Isn't it obvious now where we lack.

We could get Thurston and Cronk and we'd still have a pee poor front row in terms of depth.

Hello echo echo echo!

I'll stick a poll on this get a feel for opinion.

The poll isn't right.
It ought to be buy a halve v buy a prop.
I'd have Dobson in a heart beat.

It's like which is more important here.
We buy Dobson and put Bridge in the centre
We buy say Matt Scott and move out Riley or Asotasi.

I cannot believe I am the only person on here who believes a halfback now is more important than a quality prop.

Look at Newcastle Knights, Dobson can't get a game behind Jarrod Mullen and Kurt Gidley, they likes of who either one of them could walk straight into a position at any balanced SL club.

Yet Knights are getting beat week after week because of their huge injury list in the forwards.
They can't buy a win. They off load a halfback on the salary cap, do you think they will go out and buy Thurston to play halfback? ...of course not, they'll be out there trying to bring in a prop.

With a quality pack Dobson can kick us up to prominent positions but with a weak pack he'll be resorted to exhaustive defending and kicks under pressure like GOB and Myler faced.

At the start of this post you'll notice I said balanced...well that is the key. Wire are not. The front row is weak and the presence of big halfbacks are helping us.

Dear rubber duckie
You don't seem to have got the hang of the forum. Users should be able to discuss what they want and they have a "subject heading" to focus debate.Can you start a new thread or just stop posting on this one.

duckie I agree with you on the front row, we are lightweight but it's unlikely that there will be a good prop available mid season. There might be an average prop around in someones fringes who would give us more depth but we are OK for average props.

The best chance of getting a top quality prop will be in the off season.

If Dobson is available then he's worth looking at....not signing Dobson is not going to increase our chances of bringing over Burgess or Graham etc. Although we don't know if he is available this is just based on forum speculation.

I'm surprised there's so much general support for Dobson though as I would have expected more views for going with GO'B at least till the end of the season....?

Well where is your view on the subject instead of criticism of someone who has an opinion. I notice the thread is about Dobson perhaps you misread.

I'd have Dobson like a shot. He's class. I don't care how many so called half-backs we have got ... they will have to move position or leave. It's a tough business and they have had long enough to show what they can do.

Would be a great signing, said when it was mentioned a few weeks ago that he would not only bring his good kicking game but would also give the whole club a lift!

I fully agree SC.
I'm trying to get the point across the buying Dobson is unlikely to improve our current situation. I would say weekend in the same way as it would if Myler or GOB returned with the exception of a smarter kicking game if Dobson was able to do so under pressure from a more dominant pack.

It's not that Bridge or Ratchford are better than Dobson just bigger and stronger and that is a fact.

we are in desperate need of a decent HB with a kicking game.

Signing Dobson is an absolute no brainer if he is available and the price is right.

Only an absolute screwball would suggest otherwise.

If your refer I don't agree MD you are mistaken.

There is too much being made of prop forwards. The teams that are succeeding have better half backs than us and more pace in the back line. They also score more trys from distance than we do and are more able to break through from 10 to 20 metres out - something we have struggled to do for many years.
Maybe if players stood up a little bit more then we might get somewhere

You never hear the Aussies saying we won because we had the best forwards, It's because they have Slater, Inglis, Cronk, Thurston, Hodges, Boyd, Jennings etc etc None of which were prop forwards when I last looked

Have a look at what Newcastle knights are saying then.

I disagree, to an extent.

Soooooo many times this season we have made good yards up the field only to look clueless in the opposition 10/20yds. We've knocked on, chose the wrong kick option, been pulled up from crossing, thrown a forward pass, thrown the wrong pass, etc etc. There has been so much said already about our lack of idea, lack of creativity, lack of killer instinct when attacking the oppositions line.

These can be rectified by a half back who can read the game instinctively, like Briers did. World class props will not get us that final few yards to cross the try line.

I think what would benefit us just as much as Dobson ,who is a very good SL standard half back ,would be a few more hours on the training field each week brushing up on basic handling skills & for the coaches to bin the modern obsession with the flat attack which accounts for many handling errors. The team are coughing up too much cheap possession to opponents who are only too grateful to cash in on it ,& although it is the way we play ,trying to score off every move, i feel a more structured & composed approach would help at this time of top class player shortage.

Agree with this, so many times this year we have been near the oppo try line and fluffed it completely!

I've got to agree with you Paullie and think that Dobson would do a good job for us and if he's available for half a season then what's to lose? RD's love affair with Bridge at 6 and constant calls for a new prop on any discussion are a bit of a red herring on this issue IMO. Will he improve us? I think he will. Is he available? If yes then try and get him.

We are down to the bare bones in the pack, but, when Wood, Grix Westwood return Harrison has some game time and Roy gets over his homesickness then we will be alright. Are there any decent props out there anyway?

Although Bridge is doing a good job in the halves, & i have always been one of his biggest fans, i think he is even better at centre but i can honestly see his time at half back being interrupted by one of his periodic injuries that he is prone to. It would be even more disruptive to have Bridge there long term & build a game round him only for injury to pull the rug from under the plan.

Michael Dobson is absolute quality and would be a perfect signing for us. The interesting thing would be who would partner him if we did sign him, Myler? And Ratchford at centre? Or would we give Myler a go at hooker where Smith has tried him a couple of times