You know what, looking at last night's team sheet seeing harrison 2nd row, I did wonder whether that's a thought for next year, with so many props to get a bigger body running out wide.

Looking at the highlights, currie and Holmes (and matautia AGAIN) were bobbins for a couple of tries

Is it me or is Matautia absolutely rubbish in all positions?

Also Harrison will be a good barometer of Powell. Powell has openly stated he was after Harrison for a while and sees him eventually as a Walmsley type player.

Personally I’ve not been impressed by Harrison yet, so far bang average but we will see.

I’m not convinced by him, but then I was against signing him so he would have to produce decent displays regularly to win me over. He hasn’t, but not many have.

Yes.

So is our captain!

Just to expand on this as it might not have been clear, in my opinion, we needed a coach that has seen success in a successful system, in order to replicate and effect similar professionalism and standards within the group, in doing so turn a competent group into a winning one. I can round off my point on this, as I voiced my concerns on this at the time of the appointment, some 18 months ago, that I was concerned that the clubs (I think it was labelled extensive and robust) recruitment process didn't seem to have a chest terms of reference, as the job was getting the club from 3 or 4 to 1 (overall, not in the weekly rounds table), however the successful candidate didn’t really have the credentials to evidence that they could deliver this.

We needed someone to ‘sell’ the benefits of getting on board with the new plan. However we have been left with a “my way or highway” approach, which with the benefit of hindsight has been a train wreck.

My concern now is that we should be in the “reap what you sow” phase of the plan. We’ve had the arguments, fire sale, recruitment campaign and period of bedding in, yet we still can’t work out what Plan A is.

The right side is a glowing example. We’ve had (working backwards)Minikin, Wrench, Wrench, Minikin, Minikin, Thewlis, Thewlis on the right wing since and including Magic. Until this week, all three have been available, all three are here next year, all three have had chance to play in that position since round 10/11, but we still don’t have any idea who is play A. We were told Charnley was being cut out to help with Wrench’s development, then he was dropped for Minikin, who was dropped for Thewlis, who was dropped for Minikin…

Right side half is a similar story, as is the second row. The only constant is Matautia, who I have some sympathy with defensively as the pattern is just a mess and the partnership’s aren’t there, but that said he hasn’t hit the standards needed from a senior player, doesn’t look dangerous on the ball and doesn’t create. We’re not “reaping what we have sown”, with only Bullock who you could point to and say is a better player now than what he was at the start of pre-season.

That right side defence was awful last year too under Price. Charnley, Mamo, Austin, Hughes...

Bit harsh on Austin given he was at Leeds!

For half the season.

Wherever he was, his defence was rubbish but shouldn't be a problem if your second row and centre are solid and you don't keep shooting out of the line ( or hesitating about what you want to do).

Continuing the blame game, do we actually know if all these team changes are all to do with Powell or is he just the hatchet man for the money men at the top? Just a mouthpiece under orders from above to ship certain players out?

He actually said publicly that he is solely responsible for recruitment and retention.

Last year we conceded 354 points over 21 games, around 17 per game. This year we’re at 593 over 24, almost 25 per game.

In the first 10 rounds we conceded 218, so it’s got worse since we made the ‘necessary’ changes of removing Charnley, the 14 games since is around 27 per game. I’m not suggesting for a second that Charnley is a defensive cornerstone, but 10 games back to back with the same centre, the same second row (baring injury/suspension) helps to build cohesion, since he was removed the merry go round has been at full speed.

The merits of mid season changes in players is either a) immediate improvement on what you have, to deliver better results (Dufty falls into this category, got us the win against Toulouse) or b) to start the gelling process to hit the ground running for the following season (Sandow, ordinary in 2015, but 2016 him, Currie, Atkins and Penny started like a house on fire).

For the vast majority of signings, the have been in and out. Even Makaele has come out to work on other combinations (But picked J Clark who is on the way out and won’t be a part of any combinations) Surely we should use the next few rounds to get combinations and cohesion building in order to get off to the best start of 2023?

Amazingly, J Clark has become a revelation in his last couple of games & Mulhearn is doing some big carries of late . Perhaps they are overjoyed that they will be free of the Wire in a couple of weeks.

They aren't attacks. I respond to his views of the on and off field stuff, with my view on the on and off field stuff. I don't believe I get personal to the guy himself. It just seems like ganging up because his views obviously stir up countering views that want to be voiced. It's a forum. What's the point without back and forth.

I’m sure Gazwire is more than capable than giving as good as he gets.

For what it’s worth, he has always acknowledged sound points that I have made, agreeing or not.

I think he’s wrong, let’s not confuse matters, but I desperately hope he’s right. I’d happily stand on the steps of the town hall with a placard saying “Powell is a RL Genius, and Karl Fitz is an iconic leader”

I won’t paint it just yet though

Totally agree, a halfback is not selected for his defence, but for his attacking prowess.

I wasn’t picking up anyone in particular , but the discussion does seem to have descended into a pile on. I’m far from convinced that Powell will lead us to the promised land but fair play to Gazwire for staying optimistic and we should all be praying that he is right.

Poor gazwire. He's the one who has called into question the intelligence of at least 3 posters who have had the audacity to disagree with his posts.

Absolutely. I don't remember anyone complaining that Sandow couldn't tackle when he was winning games for us single handedly.

I agree; most halves I’ve seen have been awful defenders.

That said, Andrew Johns could be the best ‘edge’ defender that I’ve ever saw live.

And Briers, with the right mindset, got the job done. See 2010 cup final. System + Motivation

It's not quite like that and you know it Moe syslak. I only respond with less than flattering posts if someone is having a personal pop, and not if someone has a differing opinion. For example, I had a pop at you yesterday because of the following sequence of posts. I'll let people be the the judge:














I'd much rather debate in a civil manner, but unfortunately some posts can lean on the personal side. I should perhaps ignore that aspect, but unfortunately the heart rules the head sometimes and I'll respond in kind. Any unsavoury personal comments I've directed at people will be as a direct response to an initial unsavoury post directed at me. If anyone disagrees with this, then please prove otherwise. I'm happy to be proven wrong, but I'm very certain this won't be the case for any barbs I've posted back.

....and once again, every thread descends to this.

Come on guys, it's what the IGNORE button is for.

Or the report function