You can't have a scav like Ratch in such a position. He will not pass the ball, he's a one man band and anything he creates is for himself, that's not a 6, imo.

He is a hb all the way. He has great hands, is dynamic and carries a presence that you cannot get from Patton, Myler and GOB unless they are sat on each other's shoulders.

The days of crafty halfbacks running through and around big bellied immobile props are well gone.
The new breed of halfback ought to be 5ft11 plus and 14.5 - 15 stone like Widdop and Cherry-Evans. It's all relative, nowadays a regular prop is a 6ft plus and 17 - 17.5 stone athlete.

He's erratic! He runs around like a blue ars fly and creates mayhem. But I don't think he's a ball player, he's a runner out and out. Currie is a ball player and big enough to hold his own as a 6 ala Sutcliffe.

I didn't say he's a ball player..?
Forwards are ball players but yes he is a footballer.
You can call his running style erratic, I call it illusive and it creates confusion in defences.

He is our best player and ought to be in a position that's nearest to where he can get his hands on the ball more often. The more he has the the ball, the greater threat is our attack.

Currie however is quite rightly a ball player, good hands during a discipline move but that doesn't make him a play creator or acting half that you can put Currie at over Ratchford, assuming that is what you mean as a "ball player"?!

I think we have different definitions of ball player. Forwards are hardly ball players.... I see 6/7's are ball players, sending players through holes and making assists. Forwards at best pass on in a move, generally known for running into people rather than spaces.

I think you could make an argument that if you move Ratchford up, it stops the space he has running around the back. You push him up and suddenly defences are on him a lot quicker. I think Currie would make a good 6. personally, maybe not great, but he's good at putting people in space and big enough to handle a crack running at the line.

Well Wilkin out played Myler as a 6 so there is a case for a forward.
However Bridge is the ideal candidate for that position.
There is some footballing in Currie but he's no hb, I dare say he could give it a go though.

Then we should have had Brett Hodgson at 6 and Lee Briers at 7.

Sam Tomkins should never play full back again and neither should Zac Hardaker as they are dynamic, have great hands and are the main attacking threat for their respective teams (I'm assuming the Wigan Sam Tomkins rather than the Warriors Sam Tomkins).

We are crying out for quality, not size. Every one of us would have the Briers 2009 - 2014 vintage back in a shot. It doesn't matter how big he is, its how he bosses the game that counts.

I think you may get your wish next year, I think we'll see Gidley at full back and Ratch at Stand off. TS hasn't come out and said it outright but its the feeling I get. Personally I thing Ratch struggles with the rigidity of half back and is far, far more suited to the freedom full back allows him. Full Back can be the most attacking position on the pitch, its an old school stand off position given halfs find themselves specialising in right or left sides nowadays,. Half back requires structure, I'm not sure Ratch has that in his locker....

Oh and as an aside, Dec Patton is a mere 1cm and 2 kg's smaller than Cherry-Evans, and is 6 years younger. He might never get that extra cm, but i'm sure he will get the extra 2kg's. Ratchford and Patton are the same weight. Richie Myler is heavier & taller than Danny Brough & Luke Walsh, Again, I'm not sure why that should matter in a half back?

My point isn't about what we don't have but about what we have available now.....!

I say our front row and it's depth in quality is the worst it has been under Smiths reign. To make up for its short comings we can bolster the presence with the biggest hb combo in our team, not only are they the biggest but they are also the best with ball in hand.

We have a round hole and a square peg, hit it hard with weight and it goes in!

I think we all need a reality check,,, the team is what it is a 4-8 placing at best, we need at least 4 new players, prop, halfback, etc right through the centre of the team we are weak at times,,
Our irratic displays show if the players can be bothered we are as good as anyone, for example Leeds game, however that is worrying as it tells me the group players/training staff are not happy with each other,,
Higham gone, woody tail end last year, myler not given new contract, our best players starting to get unsettled by our rivals,, ie ratch to pies,, and our organise kaos on the pitch when we dominate the oppositions line 2 metres out is comical,,

This side is no different from last years, ie great youth, adding of Clark, but since agar arrived the whole team has gone backwards,, he maybe TS squash partner but his coach etc sucks,, and the whole team is suffering from there bad direction!!!

I noticed yesterday you had Wakey, Cas and Saints fans all joining up to sing that 'it's always your year' song at you.

And didn't they do well!

I've always enjoyed a good sing song. I especially like that old folk song about Winky Warrington.

Keep it up lads....and incidentally, when was it Wakefield's year?

1968, which is more recent than Warrington's last league title.

Seriously? I thought Warrington won it a few times in the 70s and early 80s? Weren't they good in the Mike Gregory days?

From a lofty position of least being "Champions" in the 1948, 1954 and 1955 seasons, Wires fans can, at least, comfortably mock Castleford supporters.

During the recent 5 trophy less St Helens years I enjoyed this board... 1 Grand Final win later the trolls are back trying to start their Willy measuring contests..

Mods maybe it's time to bring back a trolling thread after certain games..

He has and on camera.

i also dont think Ratchford will make it as a 6.. As the season goes on, its looking more and more like he isnt a FB either.... as good as he is at running in a broken field, he is a bit jack of all trades, master of none... a victim of his own success in a way.

if he is to play 6 next year, he will need a good organsing HB with a kicking game next to him, because he certainly wont be bringing those qualities to the table.

'It's always your year' song sung by the Wakey, Cas and saints fans on Sunday and over recent years can't possibly be take as it's been more our year over the past 4/5 seasons than those 3 sides combined trophy-wise! Surely we're being paranoid as it's a song sung to recognise and reflect our success, so thanks guys- rugby league fans once again showing great comradeship and respect.

You get the odd saints fan trying to troll, even though it's their first trophy in 7 years. But we all know that the general profile of a typical saints fan is an ignorant mutant Imbecile; inbred within the borders of that embarrassing $hithole called St Helens.

Fair enough. If seen an interview where he mentioned he could either play him in the halfs, or push Ratch up to 6 and play Gidley at full back.

Hadn't seen as interview with him coming out with a definitive position for him. Cheers for that.

Wire fans singing "it's always our year" is one of the most cringeworthy things in sport.

I can't remember many times it's been sung. The last time I can remember was during the playoff semi-final at St Helens. Saints fans started singing 'it's always your year' after going 14-0 up. We stormed back and absolutely steamrolled them so we responded with 'it's always our year'. Some justified banter on that occasion.

I really can't remember it being sung many times. Only in response to opposing fans singing.

At least is doesn't bother you!

As for Warrington, the problem with Warrington is that you don't seem to know your best half back combination. Last year and this, Smith kept chopping and changing. You've never replaced Briers. We had the same problem when Long left. If you're to get back to where you were, I think you'll need to go out and spend big on a half back from the NRL, or possibly move Ratchford to 6, who is quality in a number of positions.

It does bother me. I feel really sorry for St Helens folk.

The more I see of Ratchford, the more convinced I am we should bulk him up and go with him at loose forward next year, with Currie & Grix in the 2nd row and Ben H interchanging at prop.

Whatever Stef's failings, he is STILL the only wildcard player we have (possible exception of Clark when he puts his mind to it) who can introduce doubt into opposition defences, make breaks from nothing and scatter the opposition. Without him our attacking threat would be limited to kicks to the corner for Joel.