Ok this isn't a knee jerk I've had this concern for a while...
Evans and Russell are NOT wingers.
Evans comes off his wing to make tackles at the wrong time and also doesn't drop back properly during opposition kicks ( I saw Ratch rollock him a few times for this)... He needs to play at centre..!!

Russell has no confidence and over a long distance lacks the pace for a winger.. Wingers aren't there just to pick up yards at a play the ball. He needs to play full back (if anywhere).

Penny is out of favour and for the love of god I can't think why ?? Lineham has been a poor signing which has been discussed at length... I'm not sure what the answer is because I actually think we look in good shape in pretty much every other area ..
But I honesty believe this winger problem could be the difference between trophies or runners up..

Lineham, for all his weaknesses, scores that try tonight. Because that's what wingers do.

We're suffering because we're trying to make room for both Ratchford and Russell. Pick one and be done with it. Shoe horning Russell in on the wing because we can't find another place for Ratchford is stupid. But that I do say on the back of current performances. Just go back to whatever we had at the start of the season, don't know why we're messing with it now, trying to blood King more in the Super 8's, WHY? It's not the time.

Russell
Penny, Evans, Atkins, Lineham
Gidley, Sandow
Hill, Clark, Sims
Hughes, Westwood, Westerman

Should be our starting 13
The metres Russell makes from full back are way more valuable than anything Ratchford is giving us lately.
Whenever Westwood needs a rest, put Ratchford in at 13 if you want, but I don't think him and Russell in the backs works.

Just keep away from Solomona, we have provided two of your best players already.

im afraid our best winger is penny.. and smith hates him.

so we have no wingers of note.

our recruitment is appalling.

We could always take Clark back if you aren't happy with him.
Indeed, we'll have Ratchford, Gidley, Sandow, Hill, Sims, Westerman and Hughes if they are deemed to be poor recruits.

Penny isn't good enough to be a regular super league winger in a team looking to win trophies... I really don't know why so many fans seem to think otherwise, because he is a local lad?

Doesn't have great ball handling skills, doesn't make the tough yards, is a liability defensively at times, and it isn't like he scores long range tries.

Yes its debatable I guess whether he is better than Evans on the wing, but that's only because he looks hopeless there as well.

All signing you point at could have been signed by a blind man on a galloping horse... apart from Hill

i think the recruitment has been lazy, and for a side, with the biggest spending power... were coming up short again when it matters.

Clark, Gidley, Sandow, Hughes, Sims... didnt take much research did it?

our money got them, not our brilliant recruitment program.

with all these brilliant signings we should be much better than we are.

But aren't you in the cup final and likely to finish in the top 4?
Most clubs would happily swap places.

You would leave Currie out then.

Whatever Tony Smith's problem with Kevin Penny is has to be got over as soon as possible I'm afraid! If Penny is on the wing tonight he launches himself and scores the winning try. Russell and Evans are not wingers - Russell is a full back or hooker, Evans is a centre. The King brothers experiment works against lesser teams but not top 6 teams. What was the point of putting Wilde on the bench and not using him?

you're missing the point.... were not wakefield or widnes are we?

we spend massively on transfers and wages.. and on the clubs infrastructure.

but it ok to be second best, as loads of other clubs would also like to be second best....

As it been written somewhere that Smith hates him, was it not Smith that brought him back. I wish someone would come out and say what's going on with him, he looked in good spirit when the lads were celebrating in changing room after the Semi. I just find it really strange.

I'd still swap.

I bloody knew I was leaving someone out. Westwood to interchange then. Sack off Ratch

would you swap coaches?

Lol happens to the best of us.

while were on the subject of westwood... its also a sad state of affairs that a converted , on his last legs, is our only impact forward.

when the going gets tough, Hill has to go off and we get absolutely smashed silly up the middle of the pitch.... westwood is the only man we have to stand up.. often to a whole pack.

its ok though... we won a challenge cup back in 2012

I would definitely drop him next week. He was anonymous today except when he got a pass a knocked on.

I am pretty sure it's more to do with keeping Russell and Ratchford in the team, than not liking Penny.
Penny just doesn't fit in anywhere when those two play but I feel the same as others, we definitely need to bring him back. The wingers we are playing now are not in their most effective positions.

Sims has been quite a poor signing I think, considering the money he must be on... doesn't really offer anything in attack, too small.

i gave him the benefit of doubt last season... but he is bang average, makes no yards and offers very little... never a prop.... we used to have morley, carvell, wood and cooper... all 4 are way above him

We were completely toss out wide today hopeless shambolic and pathetic. ..and before we make excuses reel off that saints back line to yourself....in fact don't it had the calibre of peroux and owens. ...there wasn't a single decent opposition centre or winger up against us today and they ran round us and held us out at every opportunity. ....

Its this kind of arrogance from Smith that persists, and simply deflates all optimism from a semi final win. ...
Tony king finished two great tries last week in a one sided game. ..he was out of his depth tonight and believe me that depth wasn't deep. ...

Massively mickey'd off.....

this side wont win a grand final under the tenure of smith.

i will be happy to eat my words.... but i dont see it happening.

Anonymous?...He was our top tackler.