Stats comparison Currie: 568 tackles, 1727 metres, 9 clean breaks, 17 errors and 12 tries. Hughes: 718 tackles, 1881 metres, 8 clean breaks, 15 errors and 4 tries. So apart from crossing the whitewash Hughes seems a strong signing particularly in defence where his work-rate is excellent (although Currie missed three games because of his ban).

Funny how a lot of people have been talking about Currie but Hughes has gone under the radar...must be because he is at Huddersfield.

Currie 10 try assists, Hughes 2 try assists. They are different players, currie is far more skillfull and dangerous with the ball in hand, I also think he would be fairly close tackle wise if you add in games missed.

I think hughes is a good signing for us, for the reasons you mention. Will give us threats on both sides of the field given quality ball.

Unless smith changes the way he likes to play, I think it's more likely that Grix and Westwood would swap places in the above. Definitely need that new number 16 though.

it's more than very unlikely to see Westwood at loose forward next year.

Is it really that unlikely? He played the role early this season if memory serves, and that was when we were a man down in the 2nd row.

If he moves to bench prop we get 30-40 mins from him, at loose we get 50+ mins from him. He's still one of our best forwards, I'd like him on the field as much as possible.

Unless of course we have another option coming in at 13....

He age is becoming the hinderance, he is more often seen hands on waist, gulping at oxygen this season more than ever, it is inevitable it will play a greater problem for him over the next 2 seasons or more.

Westwood has been a legend for us, but he isn't an 80min player anymore, so he isn't going to be playing a position of pivotal importance, it'll be a position of spelling.
Wether it's 12, 13 or 14 on his shirt back, it makes no difference, it has to be as a prop. 13 isn't often a loose forward in a TS side anyway.

When I talk of playing him at 13 I mean as that third prop. I think he still has more than 40 mins per game in him, so I think 13 rather than bench prop would be better personally. It's not so much for fitness reasons I want him playing more centrally, more so he's less of a threat running out wide now and is better suited to smashing whoever runs at him in the middle if the field.

I'm trying to understand what you mean A7

Are you trying to say you want Westwood to play 80 mins as a prop, and having 13 on his back is what is required for this measure?
If so, I'm sure you are not forgetting he is our oldest player and also not a recognised as a prop.
I'm puzzled because you seem to indicate you want him to do more work than any other front rower.

My personal view is he should play 13, in the same way Harrison has played 13 for the past few years, I.e act as a 3rd prop. That way he's on for the start and can put us on the front foot.

In no way would I ever expect Westwood to play 80mins in that position, Harrison doesn't so neither would Westwood. I'd expect him to do 50 mins to 55 mins split over two stints, older or not, he's always had a great engine. I think using him as a bench prop we would only get 40 mins out of him - I think he can do more than that.

I wouldn't mind seeing Sims from the bench (16) and us bring in a big proper prop to start with Hill.

I don't think Westwood has the impact to make a massive difference as a prop at his current weight as he doesn't have the same impact as a second rower. I think it's either loose forward to move Ben Harrison to prop or he bangs on weight in the off season to move to prop himself,which would diminish his engine and I couldn't see him being anything other then a bench prop next year.