I guess they will likely line up with Gildart on the left and Bateman on the right so everything will be coming to our right regardless I think?

Totally agree regards to the fact that their focus probably be on our right flank, but with Russell now out of the 19 man squad, there will be different tactics now.

Why tell Wigan he is not playing, at this stage when their game plan would have been based around his defensive frailties & lack of aerial/try scoring threat in attack.

IMO Clark is one of the only players who never had a bad game and has not been backed up by a good enough replacement hooker and a poor pack. Played 80mins this season which worries me a bit as when Roby did that for a few years his level dropped! But for me Clark and Currie are our stand-out players, I don’t know why Clark doesn’t get more plaudits. It’s like players are forgotten about when a team drops down the league table, he’s been as good as ever.

He wants his England shirt back and good on him. Playing well. Top of the SL tackle count and with a > 10m average gain. www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... ayer_stats

He wants his England shirt back and good on him. Playing well. Top of the SL tackle count and with a > 10m average gain. www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... ayer_stats

Maybe Price wanted to use this opportunity to reward a player by including them in the squad whilst sending a very clear message to the players that no-one is undroppable and he selects on form.

Oh good, Russell isn’t playing so the usual suspects clap themselves on their backs as though Price was in some way influenced by them, deluded doesn’t even come close.

Here we go again. I'll explain so you can understand.

Nobody is saying that Price was influenced by the forum posts. Just that the forum posters view has been vindicated as clearly Price feels the same way.

So now do you understand that nobody, to my knowledge, has attempted to draw a causal link between the two events.

Who are the usual suspects by the way? Those who see things coming rather than have to wait for them to unfold?

Let me make this clear. You start with an assumption that it isn’t due to injury. Then leap to that being a vindication. Then you laud Price for dropping him when your starting point was you don’t know if he was dropped due to injury.
So to answer your question you are definitely one of the usual suspects, but you knew that.
(Just to make it even clearer your use of the word “vindication” was the back clapping I was referring to).
Karetakers reference to continuing to bleat until change takes place (I’m paraphrasing) was the deluded part. (Obviously suspect 2).
If anyone else wants clarification as to whether or not they fall into usual suspect category feel free to ask.
Ps if you can find a post where I suggest that Russell is a good winger, fill your boots.

So just so I understand, you want me to make an opinion just once regarding any player I don’t think is good enough to be in the team so I’m not classed as bleating?

Back clapping that’s interesting do you really think I get off on someone’s demise if it’s that what it is. I have an opinion you have an opinion everyone as opinions and people will sometimes disagree, so what’s your beef with what me or anyone else post and how often, as I said it’s my opinion.

I think over my time here I’ve called out many players even the team as a whole when they have been very poor, it’s not my intention to go out and single anyone person but for me it’s very obvious he as been poor for a long time, I guess that’s were your bleating comes in. Guess you miss that I’ve mentioned Westwood a few times.

Well I’m not going to change my ways because it upsets some people,I’m entitled to my say, there is always the ignore button if it bothers you.

Brown
Lineham
Goodwin
Atkins
Akoula

Ratchford
Brown

Hill
Clarke
Cooper
Currie
Hughes
Bmm

Crosby
Westwood
Philbin or King
Roberts
.
Is an alternative team that could line up?

If we had a pack that didnt need his aggression akoula on the wing for me problem sorted

Wow i wouldn't want to be facing him on the wing lol.

Steady on chaps.
Ratty Muscle looks to have been dropped. He only has himself to answer for that and we cannot pass fault on anyone else.
I may be guilty myself of saying he won't get good service but to fumble such an easy take was shameful.
However in some defence of him, my opinion, he hasn't been responsible for a loss.

we've not influenced anything. Price has just proved us to be right all along, that RUSSELL ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. why on earth would us 'usual suspects' think that we had any influence on this? Get over yourself, Price has seen 3 games and realized what normal people realised 4 years ago.

Utter rubbish. Not sure anybody said he had had a good game; only that the good things he did were completely ignored.

You can drop a player or change a team around without castigating and exiling the dropped player. I think Brown will do some things better than Russell, like being more solid in the tackle and less likely to be outjumped by his opposite number. But he will also make fewer metres and be less of a threat running at the line. The coach has decided that he wants to see what Brown can do and that is completely fair enough.

Ratchford
Brown
Atkins
Goodwin
Lineham
Brown
Roberts
Hill
Clark
Cooper
Currie
BMM
Hughes

Crosby
Akuola
Philbin
Smith

I wasn't meaning Clark who ,hopefully ,is getting back to form. I was thinking of the 18 year old we signed round Christmas ,3/4 or forward. Is his name Jordan ? Supposed to be a great prospect.

Luis Johnson I think. Definitely a prospect but I've only seen him play 20 minutes or so. Tall lad and will fill out more in next couple of years. Probably just on the fringes of our 19 at the moment.

Luis Johnson.

He's a decent prospect but he's still only young, 18 I think - so needs time.

I'm guessing he'll spend some time at Rochdale this season, assuming Currie / Hughes / BMM stay fit.

He's essentially a replacement for Julien, who played more gametime than expected due to Currie's injury.

Hopefully will get a run out if we get a kind tie in the Challenge Cup...

I'm not sure you can point a finger at any other one player and say they are responsible for a loss, loads of things in a game can happen differently in a game that could potentially change the outcome, a fumble with the line open in front is obvious but there are a lot more subtle things too. Russel has made some errors, yes he has carried pretty well but I think the most damming thing for him is that he hasn't been responsible for a try, no scores or assists in 3 games and as a winger that's probably why he has been dropped (assuming he isn't injured which is entirely possible). I really hope that the team looks more balanced with mitch brown, if not I am not sure what other options we have in the squad, maybe Matty will come back stronger who knows, I haven't seen anything of Taylor Prell so can't say if he would be worth a go. Only other option could be Atkins on the wing? We are so short of backs.

I don't consider myself to be in any particular camp as far as Russell is concerned. However, our attack has been so left focused so far, I'm not surprised he hasn't come within a sniff of a try scoring opportunity.

Had Roberts been fully fit I think our attack would have been more balanced and we would see Russell in more try scoring situations - he hasn't had that shot yet in 2018.

He's averaging 135m per game ball in hand - which shouldn't be ignored, however, he's made far too many errors and cost us tries or put the opposition in strong areas due to his errors, it's a constant issue with his game, and needs resolving (amongst other things) if he wants to be in a good side.

I'm looking for Brown to come in and offer an aerial threat, be a safe pair of hands and be a good defender. He wont make the yards Russell does, so work will have to be made elsewhere, and he's hardly Martin Offiah, so he's not adding any extra pace.

I'm sure there are wingers out there that offer what Russell does without the issues he brings with him, and a club with grand final aspirations should probably be looking for better on the wing. He's under contract till Nov 2019, so this year is a big one for him, we've shown before we're happy to pay off contracts for under performing players, or to make room for new players coming in.

I like the fact Price has dropped him, sends a good message and hopefully he can come back in at some point as a stronger player - if he has it in him.

Does anyone have any news on Jack Johnson is he injured or just out of the 19? I think he's a better proposition than Russell on the wing and certainly at FB and must be ahead of Taylor Prell in the pecking order?

Agree with almost all of that but 2 of our 3 tries were scored on the right last week by Atkins and Russell should have scored another. We have attacked that side enough for him to get over and he hasn't. If it turns out that he's our best option after we have tried a few other combination then fair enough he should be back in.

UR, yes I have liked Jack Johnson when we have seen him at fullback especially, he's another player worth a go.

Didn't you watch the game vs Widnes. Our attack went up the middle and down the right.

Kicked right, through the hands to the left.

It's where the points came from.
The best chance down the left was fumbled by Bryson.