Ratchford has loose forward written all over him. It's up to him to bulk up, and TS allow him that opportunity. It's Ratchford's best chance of a international call up. He sure as hell ain't going to get called up at positions 1-3/4-6-7.

Last season at Cas, Clark was given more of a free role, often coming off the bench, to run at tiring defences.
This year, he has been asked to play a more structured game, and when Dwyer comes on, is often asked to play second row.
He is more than capable of doing these duties (even though he has been carrying injuries for most of the year), but it isn't utilising his talents to the optimum.

+1

frustrates the hell out of me... i just dont get the hype at all.

It's a +1 from me, too
I remember when the rumours were rife that we were signing him, and Salford were playing at the HJ a week or so later. I kept an eye on him all game, and he barely broke sweat, and I came away none the wiser.

Don't get me wrong, I'm nowhere near a disliker of him. I've just thought that he's
50% good to great games
50% emperor's new clothes

imo, if he's your cast iron full back in your side, you've got problems. Average under a high ball, at times he's turnstile-like in defence, but pretty good in returning a ball. For me, that's not as good as Stuart Reardon.
He's not got the pace of a winger. As a stand off, he's a poor man's Johnny Woods. Bang a couple of stones on him, and play him as an "old fashioned" loose forward. We don't HAVE TO conform to current trends, and have an extra prop @ LF.
Our play since MMonaghan/Briers/Hodgson retired is predictable, and at times, pedestrian. Get him further up the pitch, where he can be more affective.

Good sound reasoning, a few games the semi final in particular with the team unable to raise their game with a final at stake had all the hallmarks of a busted team, my reasoning is it's down to Tony Smith and his staff from coaching/tactics to fitness and conditioning.

Hopefully the latter will be corrected with Smith saying there is to be a major overhaul including back room staff.

Has he said this or are you hoping he will say this ?

There was an article on the Guardian website the other day saying so.

As GaryHulsefan said it's in the WA Guardian, quite a lot of changes.

No I'm saying he is a DIFFERENT type of player, not better not worse. As for hypocrisy, your opinions change with the wind. It's said if you put a hundred monkeys in a room for a hundred years with a typewriter they may eventually produce a Shakespeare play...I suspect it would take 100 Rubber Duckies a lot longer.

Interestingly this is a genuine mathematical scenario (the infinite monkey theorem), although the 'monkey' is a metaphor for random chance. Sadly, we would need a lot more monkeys though to even have a very low probability of producing a couple of pages of Shakespeare. Even worse, they would need trillions of times the length of the universe.

A funny post mind you.

Does this mean that if you keep giving Atkins the ball eventually he will pass it to Penny?

I think the theory W/O portrays is that we need a universe full of Penny's and an infinite number of Akins passes to him over the course of forever, and yes eventually a pass, better still perfect pass that gives Penny half a yard start, will be made....
That is unless the defence meets with the same criteria, then we'll still be playing until forever and Atkins pass to Penny will never happen.

Ratchford shouldn't be near a warrington shirt never mind an international one!

His route to an international call up isn't via loose forward but finding a serbian grandparent....he'd get on their bench I reckon

A bit harsh from you and Moe IMO.

Ratchford certainly deserved the shirt when keeping Hodgson out of the team not many complaints then apart from Mr and Mrs H. He has had better years than this no doubt, but, so has the team in general and not to have a position to call your own must be unsettling? I'd have him at Centre next season when everyone is available

There does seem to be a lot of "throwing the baby out with the bath water" going on. Test is were you anxious when it was rumoured he was going to Wigan...I was certainly concerned!

Fair point as you can tell the worth of a player if you'd worry if he signed for someone else. I wouldn't bat an eyelid if ratchford left. I don't think he's a bad player by any stretch just overrated, frustrating and not having a position is his own doing.

Barring injury elsewhere I can't see Ratchford anywhere other than centre next season. A fit Russell or Gidley is surely going to be picked ahead of him at fullback, and on the basis that Russell can't play anywhere else other than the wing, I suspect that Gidley will partner Sandow in the halves. The return of Grix will prevent him getting in at loose even if he was to 'bulk up'. Probably not his best position, and probably not the centre we need, but he's too good to be wasted on the bench so there is nowhere else for him.

Each to their own on whether you think he's worth a place but not having a position is his own doing?

I know that you may be possibly be alluding to Ratchford being a 'Jack of all trades...' but, really given the disruption to the squad this year with injuries, form and suspensions, having a guy with a 6 on his back that has played anywhere, but, isn't his own doing surely? As a start, perhaps having a fit Russell and or Grix in addition to Rhys Evans and Bridge, even now and again might have limited TS's, sorry Ratchford's choices to interchange prop?

I fancy his best position may be centre. In he way that JD played centre. Obviously I am not comparing the two.

Well if Ratchford was a class act at stand off he'd be there permanently and others would fill in in other positions. Unfortunately for him he is average in all positions so he covers. I'd also play him at centre.

I would rather have Ratch in the centres than Evans any day of the week. I just don't see what makes Evans worth of a 1st team place.

Would that be right or left centre. As Joel will take one of them.

I've often thought the same yet so many apparently better judges than me still seem to talk about him as if he's the next big thing. He's nearly 23, most backs who are to become 'big things' are already big by that age.

Unfortunately,Rhys Evans seems to be on the same bus as Grix,Russell &Wheeler when it comes to being injury prone. Maybe it's a good job we have a utility player like Ratchford.