Where do people see French fitting in this year? I think he's too talented to leave out, but I thought the same about Hampshire and Escare before him, and the three share a lot of attributes IMO. If you agree the three are similar; what does French/the club need to do differently so he works out where they didn't?

Fullback for me. I think we need more pace in that position. Hardaker being our player of the season in pretty much every vote knocking about was a sign of how poor the year was overall IMO. Don’t get me wrong he had a solid year but that’s all it was. He’s lost a lot of pace but he’s as solid as ever defensively and I’d be happy to see him and Manfredi form a partnership over on that right side. They’re two big athletes and teams would get very little change out of them.

As for French, he looks like he’s capable of lighting the league up this year if we can get his hands on the ball enough. I’d like to see him roaming on both sides of the field from fullback, following the half’s around and sniffing out half breaks. If we get him in space there’s not many who’ll catch him.

It would be crazy to leave him out of the team or on the bench when he offers so much speed and attacking threat.

Saw an article somewhere this week where lam said he’s still not decided on where to play him yet which I’m not really sure what to make of.

Don’t know if it’s more or lam being indecisive and not wanting to upset certain individuals by french taking their place or he just genuinely doesn’t know what his best side is...

A good test of Lams decision making this one and a lot more pressure on the coach this season when you consider the new additions to the squad.

I'm definitely a fan of French as a player, but I'm still baffled by him as a signing for us. No doubt he's exciting and he's a talent, but where does he fit?

Threads like this kinda prove that he doesn't have a ready made slot to fill. In a cap based sport, I can't help but feel that we've kinda bought a luxury that we didn't need.

Having said that I hope he smashes it for us next year.

French could light up the league next season and we need him involved as much as we can. He needs to get his hands on the ball and be given the freedom to play what’s in front of him.
I’m hoping he’ll start alongside Hastings in the halves, as long as we are more fortunate with injuries. Hastings can guide us around the park and take responsibility for most of the kicking. He can then choose to launch an attack out of the back or to give French the ball in a gap. With his pace, French’s presence in the middle will hold defenders inside and Hastings can exploit any space out wide through the centres or FB. If defences slide, he can feed it to French who can go straight at the gaps. Either way, we need our forwards to lay a platform and if they do so, we should be in for a decent season.

The problem with that is that teams would just shut down Hastings and all we would be left with is off the cuff RL as we would have no other organisers in the team. we cant just throw French in and hope he makes a break, he has to be able to at least do some directing and organising.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

If Lam and KR/IL don't know where to play him they should never have signed him.
Personally in the brief highlights we have seen of him he looks the most exciting player we've signed in donkeys years and if his defence is decent then FB maybe his position.
To be frank to be talking about what position he should play is pretty embarrassing from a club perspective but then again Lam seems totally indesive so I shouldn't be too surprised.
He won't see Hastings until 2020 so talk of HB is in the land of fairy tales he's either gonna play FB or wing

Play him in his best position, which appears to be full back. Zak used to play centre, so put him there.

It still leaves us without a quality HB. Tommy is too slow these days.

6 for me.

Hastings is very different to George. Where George would play solely on the left, Hastings roams the full field left and right always on the ball. Does the majority of the kicking.

This will leave French to just play second receiver and be a strike weapon

French seems to play his best rugby with ball in hand and in a bit of space.

That lends itself to full back or wing.

I have to say having seen him try play in the halves a couple of times last year I’m nervous at the thought of him playing 6.

Not saying he can’t adapt his game, but it will be a massive credit to him and the coaches if they can make a success of him as a half.

Which is exactly why he’ll play 6

Hastings and TL I think will be the starting HBs.

I hope Tommy isn’t a starting HB. For me he’s run his course there and should be switched to hooker with Powell

No one has picked up on my comparisons with Hampshire and Escare. Do we have a trend of signing agile guys who aren't quite full backs and aren't quite halves and not being able to make them work? FWIW I'd use him at full back whilst he's so good in space, but they're higher in Hardaker than I am, so don't think they will move him.

I think giving French the number 6 shirt is a massive indication of where he’ll be playing; or at least starting.

However...I think as good as Zak is as a defensive FB he’s gone as an attacking threat. Sorry but let’s take an honest look at Zak in 2019. Quality in defence; non-existent in attack. Lost his pace and movement during his ban. It’s the elephant in the room. Zak is no longer any good in attack.

Personally I’d start with Zak at 1, French at 6. But I think it’ll be only a matter of time before we’re crying out to play French at 1.

For many years now the recruitment has been off. We STILL need a quality half. A playmaker. Sammut has proven to be the wrong signing. We needed someone to partner Williams and now we need someone to partner Hastings.

I’ll say it now. I don’t rate Lam and will be gobsmacked if we win anything with him as a head coach. Hopefully I’m wrong. But I don’t think he knows what he’s doing.

Is it a case of us not playing in a style to suit Zak or having the players that can work in that kind of system rather than Zak losing his attacking prowess? I think it’s probably a bit of both.

I think your bang on with French starting at 6. If he wasn’t going to play there he wouldn’t have been given the shirt. I also don’t think he’ll be moved to FB but Lam will stick it out with him at 6. I am concerned at him playing 6, I wasn’t convinced at all last season when he played there but equally we have to remember he didn’t know our style or set up too well. Jury is still out for me on French at HB.

Regards to Lam, I don’t agree nor disagree at the moment. Last season I was on the “Lam out” bandwagon. I’ve climbed off for the time being just because I’m intrigued to see where this team goes next season. The players are there to win things IMO, it comes down to coaching and tactics now.

I can't see Lam not starting with TL and Powell.
Hastings won't be back until Jan 2020 so no time to develop a partnership with an inexperienced HB in French.
We may see French at FB but probably more than likely he will start on the bench.

Depends on whether we play split halves or use the halfbacks as a pair. Nothing I have seen from French indicates he has the organisational skills to play in a split halves system but he could be very dangerous running off Hastings as part of a pair. In my opinion this is how we should have used GW and Rocky as they were devastating at u15/16 level as a pair but less so when playing split halves at Academy level and even worse with Rocky at FB.

Zak barely broke the line all season. I think he’s body shape and general speed has changed. He’s not the same as he used to be. He was a great broken play runner; even when he had opportunities from broken play he didn’t show what he used to have.

This isn’t uncommon. Players lose their pace and movement. Especially with absences etc. I think it’s happened to Zak.

Lam seems to have signed French without a plan or designated position for him; which isn’t good; especially when there’s still holes in the team which need players; namely a play making half.

We have Hardaker at fb. I’ve pointed out my concerns with Zak, but he’s our FB.
The idea of playing French at 6 running off Hastings could work. But let’s be honest it’s a massive risk to take. Especially when Lam already confirmed he doesn’t know where to play French which suggests the idea of pairing French off Hastings wasn’t his plan from the get-go.

French was tried at 6 as a playmaker at the end of last season; it didn’t work at all. Furthermore it doesn’t play to French’s strengths as a player; another flag regarding Lams coaching.

I honestly don’t think Lam knows what he’s doing. Nothing from last season or what I’ve heard about his plans for 2020 make me think otherwise.

I think with a full preseason with the team and hb partner Hastings, he could be our number 6.

We can't use the 1 or 2 games we saw him chucked in to cover at half back as a fair judgement.

Leave Hastings at first receiver, and play French on the outside with a bit of space. He's so quick I think we'll see him leave many defenders flat footed whether it be through a step and a dart through a gap or fainting to do so and playing in our centres/sr's.

Wherever he plays, he's exciting to watch and love that he's at the club.

Big ask though to be realistic. Essentially you’re expecting French to play 6 in a brand new system with a brand new 7. And of course with Lam admitting he doesn’t know where to play French; such adjustments weren’t planned.

On one hand I’m excited by the players coming in. But I can’t ignore how part of me sees an iceberg coming.

Why?
I’ve watched George Burgess play last season. I don’t know if we’re getting the monster we expect.
Mitch Clark didn’t stand out at all in a lower league.
We’re expecting French to play 6 in a brand new ‘halves playing together’ system; alongside a new signing. The team hasn’t played that system since I can remember.
Our halves we’re very dependent on a FB who’s a second receiver. We don’t have that in Zak.
Zaks attack has gone. I’m sorry. But it has. It’s the elephant in the room.
I don’t think Lam has a clue.

I don't think it's fair to write him off at 6, he was being asked to lead an underperforming team around after being at the club for a matter of weeks.

Although I to share your doubts of Lam. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt as I feel he was somewhat dealt a dud hand. However my takes from post game interviews and his general ora is not one of a true leader. Prove me wrong Lammy.