We also have Darbyshire Jnr. and Thewlis Jnr. who are both specialist centres and will be looking to play 1st team games.

Yeah it's such a shame for Wrench as i think he would have been straight in at left centre if he hadn't been injured. I hope he makes a full recovery and it doesn't affect him.

Due to be announced this week along with the fixtures!

Several years back Ratchford had a bit of a run at centre. At the time I thought he was pretty clever at linking up with the full back. Since then he has only played the odd game there and not shone.
He has all the skills.

I wonder if we can get Drinkwater over the line in time for the shirt reveals and announce him at the same time?

I’d be a lot happier with Drinkwater in the halves and Ratchford at Centre than I would having a recognised Centre with Ratchford in the halves. In a salary capped sport you are going to have to accept compromise. With Wrench out until at least May, and then needing to regain form, we have to make do with what we have. Between Ratchford, Nicholsan and, assuming that he’s still here, Longstaff I think that we’ll manage.

I think we have enough temporary cover until Wrench returns, but it would have been nice to tap up a top centre like Wardle, ready for Mata’utia’s retirement.

Let’s not discount Currie for that centre spot. He was awful last year, but with a new role and a bit of motivation from Powell he may well find his mojo again.

Since his major knee surgery, Currie doesn`t seem to want to play the hard forward game and avoids collision, when he can.

It`s late in his career, to make the transition, to play centre, but he definitely has the skillset and is still fast enough to play there.

We do have Harrison who could turn-out to be a decent 2nd rower, now that we have so many specialists prop forwards who will be selected before him in our front row.

I’d forgotten about Longstaff. Given he played left centre for the Knights recently, this could be a good opportunity for him to get a chance for a run of games.

Didn't he struggle defensively at centre for Hull last season? Not knocking him, as I know he's got lots to learn.

I think he struggled defensively full stop to be fair. Difficult to pin what the cause was though, as the season prior he didn’t look like a weak link. Could be that he struggled to adjust to a new system, or that he just got found out.

Centre is the most difficult position to defend though, requires excellent communication and also trust of those either side of you, without that you’re in trouble. Could be a byproduct of being into the Hull set up late and being a relative unknown, probably short of confidence at the time too.

Maybe 5 years ago. His pace has gone now. I can't see him being an effective centre for a SL winning side.

The squad is unbalanced again - we have a prop forward and a second rower too many, and a centre and scrum half too few.

It looks highly likely that Drinkwater will be signed to take-up the scrumhalf role, but I agree with regards Ratchford and his lack of pace.

Don`t think we have the cap space left to sign a decent centre, so any recruitment we make for that position will be a stop gap signing.

If we hadn't have given Ratchford a new contract maybe we'd have enough cap space for a centre. Bewildering decision by the club.

Yes, if we had our eyes set on signing Dufty, there was no point in retaining Ratchford, especially with us having Thewlis to cover for when Dufty is unavailable.

Ben currie filled in at centre away at Salford once and provided some excellent passes for Gene Ormsby(remember him?!)to score a hat trick. Anyone who is capable of that certainly has the ability to play centre.

Unless there are injuries I can see us offloading a prop pretty quickly. Gone a bit mad.

So potentionally we are looking like this next year.

1. Matt Dufty
2. Josh Thewlis
3. Peter Mata'utia
4. Greg Minikin /Stef Ratchford
5. Matty Ashton
6. George Williams
7. Josh Drinkwater
8. Gil Dudson
9. Daryl Clark
10. Paul Vaughn
11. Ben Currie
12. Matty Nicholson
13. Josh McGuire

14. Danny Walker
15. Thomas Mikaele
16. Sam Kasiano
17. James Harrison

18. Joe Bullock
19. Joe Philbin
20. Ellis Longstaff
21. Connor wrench
22. Morgan Burgess
23. Riley Dean
24. Tom Whitehead
25. Leon Hayes

Not exact i know but just a rough look at our squad.

Lots of speculation that Bullock could be loaned-out owing to his salary, but Philbin for me, his form was terrible prior to his injury.

Whilst we don't know what version of Philbin we'll be getting back, salary 'management' aside, Bullock would be in my 17 based on last year's form ahead of Mikaele.

Yes me too.

not suggesting anything at all, but using our favourite ex second rowers instagram.

holmes is doing a lot of crossfit this last week, with jack hughes, josh charnley, joe bullock, and sam powell, might be someone else as well. its a little unusual.

Leigh are looking for another prop too I think and I think it will be difficult to loan out Philbin given his injury,

On Mikaele vs Bullock, I think Mikaele looked far better than Bullock when he first arrived, but his form did dip in the last month of the season - I assume he was carrying an injury he gets in ahead of bullock for me.

Philbin is contracted until the end of 2024. When he returns from injury he will have less than a season to earn another contract before the May 2024 "letters day".

Don't shoot the messenger but this French website suggesting that despite having signed for Warrington Kasiano wants to stay in France and intimates that he's been in contact with Elite 1 clubs https://treizemondial.fr/sam-kasiano-en ... -delite-1/

Don't shoot the messenger but this French website suggesting that despite having signed for Warrington Kasiano wants to stay in France and intimates that he's been in contact with Elite 1 clubs https://treizemondial.fr/sam-kasiano-en ... -delite-1/