The sight of Tommy Johnstone under his own posts trying to run the ball out against 3 Wigan forwards is criminal. The number of times Lee Kershaw runs the ball out against opposition forwards, if he ever gets a chance to run the touchline I would imagine he'd be too knackered to do what he's there for. We have 6 forwards plus 4 on the bench, wouldn't you think 10 forwards to see through 80 minutes should be enough. With what Tommy has gone through over the last couple of year's he needs to be protected or managed better to get the most out of your main asset . Tommy's job is to use his pace to make and score tries, seeing him drive the ball out of defence like he is doing is as I have said, criminal.

Most teams use there backs to get them away from there own line it is to give there forwards a bit of a breather and cos back are quicker and can sometimes make more yards like cockaynne and fox did.no matter how many forwards you have in your squad still can only have a 17 match day squad

Don't forget that out of those 10 forwards 2 of them are hookers, and you can only count 5 forwards on the field as the others are sat on the bench and are destined to come on at pre scheduled times, and not just when we are trying to get off our own line, so at times somebody has to help out, and it's not as though Johnstone, Lyne, Arundel and Kershaw are lightweights as against Woody.

It's standard practise. Every team does it.

If you don't your forwards will be more tired than the opposition. It's pretty simple.

Any kick return is a direct result of the forwards tacking and then having to chase back.

There is a technique to it that some need to learn but to be honest Kershaw is excellent at it. If you take that away, faster players will take his place.

You keep saying this and I don't agree - other teams may utilise it but not to the degree we do imo. And also it's not utilised as much when they are completely on the back foot in their own 10, you simply must have you forwards driving it out then or you just get completely dominated in sets. Often it's backs scooting when there has been a quick play the ball, we have the wingers running on to the ball 5 yards out getting hammered it's absolutely crazy

Think you have to see the game situation when any team are coming away from there own line it goes without saying the big guys are wanted to make the big hard yards but this isnt always possible so the backs have to help..of a team just defended 3 sets on there own line its generally the forwards doing most of the defence so come getting hands on ball forwards a shattered through all defence they done and need the backs to take on the extra work

Yes and I do, it's nothing to do with the game situation it's just a matter of course pretty much every set. We do some sets where we are getting hammered and yet on the 3rd tackle in our own 15/20 we still have a back running onto the ball, often Johnstone. And then do we try and get our best player the ball in space where he should be getting it, on his wing? No! that would be madness!
I'm not saying that backs sholdn't return the ball, of course they should. Especially after the opposition have kicked deep and we can get a quick play the ball for them to scoot and eat up some quick metres. But not like we do where we do it against teams who are completely set and for 3 sometimes 4 tackles in our own 20.

I didn’t feel TJ was removed from the field quickly enough

Quote DanielPe="DanielPe"Tommy has gone through over the last couple of year's he needs to be protected or managed better to get the most https://nicelocal.com/new-york-city/bea ... _piercing/'" I don't think eyebrow piecing will make him any less susceptible to injuries.

Quote DanielPe="DanielPe"Tommy has gone through over the last couple of year's he needs to be protected or managed better to get the most https://nicelocal.com/new-york-city/bea ... _piercing/'" I don't think eyebrow piecing will make him any less susceptible to injuries.

I don't mind TJ being used at times to help the forwards, as has been said, all teams use their wingers to do this.
What is criminal is that we still cannot unlock Tommy's pace, as we should - we get glimpses of it as we did against Wigan when Max lobbed the pass to him, seeing he was unmarked and the try followed.
I know he's a marked man but, particularly on the wide BV pitch we should be finding ways to get the ball to him - perhaps sometimes using the long kick as we used to do years ago for the likes of Andy Mason?

Was it against Widnes??? when they hit the post from a pen, Finny kicked it almost straight away TJ chased it and scored......
Simples! :

Think you may be thinking of the catalans one.if its the one where finn kicked it fromm just in front of the sticks at changing room end..he didnt kick it too far but enough to give tj the chance which he tool