Agreed

Agreed....so we need to get an extra 20% out of him to fit into that category.
I'd say this season he is 50% of what he was.

And the latest rumour Hock will be his partner next season

Please let it be just a rumour, the guy only plays half a season and is just a thug!

I fell for his bs last year I won't this time.

For many seasons now we have had more than one forward able and willing to play the enforcer. Benny IMO has hitherto been Morley's 2iC. I think, this season, too much has been put onto Benny's shoulders which has caused his form to suffer.
Hopefully with our new signings next year we will see that burden spread around and we will see the best of Benny again.

I hope so wireone.
Nobody shouted louder than I did that there were questions about Big Roy and that we are a decent prop short this season.
It panned out that I was unfortunately correct.
It's fortunate this season has been poor across the board.
Hopefully Sims will put pressure on the props to up their form and allow the lighter forwards to be more mobile.

Who will captain us next season?

MMonas is retiring leaving Westwood but he isn't a vocal leader, which is what we need.

Will one of our new signings be captain or will it fall to someone like Higham?

I think J Monaghan has been a real leader for us this season. Him and Westwood/Higham possibly?

Quite. Can't believe what I'm reading here. Westwood's had one or two poor games this year but he's still the player whose presence lifts the whole side. He dragged us back into that Huddersfield game the other week.

Replacing Morley with Asotasi was bound to affect morale in the pack and, as I said, too much onus was placed on Benny. Our young forwards who have stepped up to the plate will be that much wiser next term and the new signings should alleviate some of the burden.
If he is staying, I hope Asotasi will only be playing a cameo role next year with the odd sub appearance when we are really stuck because, if I had to play with him, it would do my head in he is so off the pace of the game.

He was up to it last week wireone.
I am more than willing to put behind me his earlier effort for more of the same and I would be very happy to have him for next season playing like he did against saints, he was very effective and I'd dare to say probably our best forward with the exception of Monas.

Spot on about Joel Monaghan, very comfortable and very vocal in our team plenty to say for himself under the posts. I think all round, this is his best season for us and has taken a step up as a Senior player responsibility wise, whether playing at Centre has helped in this regard?

As far as Ben Westwood is concerned, I think he's dropped from his standards, but, they were so high and he's carried us so much in the past I think that it is fatigue more than a lack of effort, desire or ability. Maybe the captaincy hasn't helped but with Sims coming, Laithwaite, Evans and Currie progressing and Harrison in top form, perhaps we need to be smarter with Westwood all things being equal on the injury front?

Do you think so RD. Like another poster on this board I thought he had an alright game but alright is so much better than he has been, it flattered to deceive. You may dare to say that he was our best forward but I doubt many will agree. I think it is a bit of an insult to Hill and Harrison to mention just two. Don't get me wrong, I would be delighted if he came to and produced some consistently good displays but he is taking his time over it and he will never be a Morley. You and I have been saying all season that we need a prop with a bit of the mongrel in him. I thought Asotasi was signed to play that roll and to lead the pack but, instead of a mongrel, he has been a bit of a pussycat.

I'm with you wireone, whilst asotasi put in his best display for us last week he wasn't of the standard of hill and Harrison and wasn't as good as laithwaite either.

Each of us has an opinion and I welcome yours.
To expand on mine, there wasn't an awful lot between the big men and I could quite easily say anyone of them shaded the other, so much as to make little difference.
However Monas was clearly the best forward regardless how many of us love Hilly.

Anyone who has watched Asotasi over the last 3/4 years would have known that he is not a mongrel player, he is not one to go in fists flying. He is a quiet go forward player. I, like most, am disapointed by his performance , but a big problem is that a lot of people assumed his playing personality and expected a bash em up prop that would mix it up in the middle and become an enforcer, this is not what he has ever been really. Its like asking Chris Hill to sign for an NRL club and turn into a Morley and knock everyones head off.

I just want Big Roy to do what he did v Saints each week and he'll win me back over.

Thank you for that information. My knowledge of NRL players is very superficial and I did not know anything of Asotasi before he signed for us. Being that we had lost Morley and looking at our remaining personnel, it was reasonable to assume that we would look for a player of a similar ilk as that is what we needed. Obviously I was wrong in that assumption but, personality and style apart, Asotasi has not cut the mustard at all and has been stealing money.
I am not suggesting that we sign someone who goes looking for fights or to knock peoples heads off but someone who the opposition appreciate that, if they want to take cheap shots, then there will be consequences.
IMO we were bullied out of the Grand Final last year and the cup semi this year. Sometimes you have fight fire with fire and have the people to do it.

Ashton Sims

I hope I dont jinx us but i cant wait for Sims to come over, having watched him in the WC he looks no nonsense and definitely a mongrel type of forward that we are missing. Hill and Sims should be great together.