I did, it's in the middle of your sermon

Like I did say, Hampshire was going along well at halfback before CC brought Brough to the club, apart from Fifita he was our best last season, and if he doesn't get selected in the halves, that's not his fault is it? He needs to be given a long run at 7, but that's up to the coach is it not......

We could finish anywhere from 3-12 IMO. Really tough to call as we and others have strengthened. There's lots of good teams and no easy games.
The bulk of the squad have shown what they're capable of in top 5 finishes and at the beginning of last season. So here's hoping

Tbh when you watch Andrew, he plays so similar to Dave it's hard not to, the way he goes to the line, then steps and runs across looking for that gap before trying to bust the line is uncanny even for twins, to also the way he how quick he gets up and plays the ball. Leaving the twins thing to one side, Dave plays in a fair bit less structured way than Andrew, who imo is much more of a traditional prop if you like. for example how many times have you seen Andrew making a bid for fame up the wing, or making a try for himself with a little kick through. As you rightly say, he's allowed to play his own game in SL under CC and maybe it's why he's succeeded here and less so in the NRL, where it's all about structure. I also thinks he's developed greatly in the time he's been with us, in a way he's been a late bloomer and thrived because he's got out of his brothers shadow. Personally along with Thompson and Watts he's the best prop in the league. As you also say hopefully he comes back hungry to get back to where he was pre injury last season, or dominate even more all season, if that's possible.

On Tom, as others have said I'll be looking away when he first stretches his legs, or goes for a flying finish. I've had the same injury as him many years ago and it's one thing to recover and go through all the hard yards in the gym and the mind, gradually learning to trust it more and more as you go through all the hours and days of pain. To have it happen to you again though is a massive test of your body and especially mind. As a player all he can do is stay positive, be around positive people and just get his head down and do what the trainers tell you, then it's all about trusting the knee again when you're on the field and that's the key, just as long as as his operation went well, as it appears to have and his ligaments have fully mended, it's all a bit of a head test. When it happened to me, for a month or so after I came back, if I felt any twinge anywhere, or had to get the foot down, it was there in the back of my mind, like a little voice. I found myself consciously not really going for it the way I knew I could, often looking for the pass rather than taking players on, but eventually after I got a number of games into me, it starts to slip out of your mind. I wouldn't be surprised if Tom's the same, it may take him a few games or even more to truly get confident again, but the main thing is he hopefully he does. Ateotd he's still so young and got such a long career ahead of him and from what we've seen of him so far in his career, he's shown mental toughness, so fingers crossed.

As for the team, we just need to keep most of our best players on the field, playing like we know they can and not get hit with loads of long term injuries again and i think everything else will look after itself & we'll do OK, top half of the table.

AS every year make or break season for the CLUB not to finish 12th.OH and the stadium

I would seriously be not playing any of our main players in anymore of the pointless trails - we can already not afford anymore injuries ,3 of top squad players already out with long term injuries before round 1

Jordan hopefully 6 weeks and George again I think maybe 8 weeks , you’ll always pick injuries unfortunately wether playing or training. A quick and full recovery to you Ben.

Is that 6 and 8 weeks from now, or 6 to 8 weeks into the season? Hope your lad is recovering well.

Hopefully with Jordan’s type of injury he can keep his fitness/stamina levels up so when he gets the all clear he will hit the ground running , should think a lot harder for George but I’m no expert on these matters

Had his op today so approximately 6 weeks from today if all goes well, didn’t need plating wether that makes it quicker I’m not sure.

Good to hear. Hope he recovers well.

Should be quicker BLM than being plated.
All the best to Jordan for a speedy recovery!
I've seen the op done lots of times - usually following on from a Barnsley Saturday Gentleman's night out......


As for TJ, I would expect his repair to make it as strong or stronger than it was before - the techniques have improved immensely in the last
5yrs or so.

Some of the Barnsley lasses can pack a punch as well

That last para is reassuring!

For me, the one with the need to prove himself,is Danny Brough.

It could well have been the injuries to him and the other players that made him and Miller look average at times last year.

A bit harsh on saying Rocky needs to prove himself. Not easy when your getting shunted into different positions to cover injuries. In the latter part of the 2018 season, he and Miller were starting to look the real deal in the halves.

Ever heard of positive thinking and how it affects those around you? If you think the worst it will find you that's a promise.

So let's make it clear once and for all BOJ most of us support Trinity in the belief that we will succeed, THAT'S THE POINT! So when I said 'make or break' it was a positive statement, not a negative as you've just made it.

I want and hope to see players make their true potential and by doing so make the club a success - thus I'm not really interested in avoiding twelfth, if that happens then it happens. What I and what any real supporter should desire and be interested in is whether we finish top 5 and or win a cup, you getting it now?



As for your last comment regarding injuries and trial games do you realise how daft you sound? One is inevitable and doesn't just affect Trinity (note Leeds also lost a player in the Boxing day game). Two is a vital preparation tool, or should we ignore the fixtures and just play games we can win when the suns shining and the pitches are mildly moist, say 10 games a season, that should avoid the bottom slot

For what it's worth my opinion on Rocky is:

In terms of creativity he is very good at creating chances for himself out of nothing, as far as creating chances for others (which is what I'd like to see from a halfback) he still has a way to go. It's not that I believe he can't do it, just that we haven't seen it as often as some of his plaudits seem to believe. I invariably see him running the ball into a corner and leaving the wing/centre with few options.
I suspect that with the illness that BJB is suffering from he may find himself covering wing again to start the season, which I would have no problem with.

You know what they say about opinions, they're like a***holes, everyone has one - this is just mine.

Harsh.


But fair.

rocky is a runner not a playmaker . we can t have him running the attack - he needs to be just running and taking on the defense not setting up plays ,to be fair the only one we have that could do that is Danny -but is he past it?

No, we don't. Josh Wood, Miller and Hampshire can all potentially run a game, however we chose to let Danny do it because for nearly 20 years he's been better at it than almost anybody. If he's 'past it' then the others get their chance in due course, that's how team building works.

How crazy does that sound now, almost 20 years!

'Can all potentially' doesn't mean, ready to go in Super League unfortunately.
If Brough doesn't play our organisation is going to be reduced significantly. Miller and Hampshire are good players but this skill is not their best.
If we lost Brough for a significant time I think we'd need to bring a loan signing in if we wanted to maintain our top 5 wish.

Quite right, Broughy's legs might not be as quick as they used to be, but his brain still is.

I'm not sure what Broughy has to prove to anyone in RL, let alone you; he's been one of the best HB's of his generation, and has played at the top level of the domestic game for almost 20 years. He isn't as quick as he once was - but who is?

For me, CC and the club have a job of work now, to transition him out of the role he currently plays, into one that better suits the fact that whilst the mind and spirit are willing, the flesh is weak(er); and that means deciding who will pick up the role of playmaker, and gradually easing them in, so that Broughy can be eased out. I'm not sure either Rocky or Miller have that skillset - they're both runners for me - but that's another issue.

I'd be getting Broughy at 2nd receiver more than he was last year. Get someone to take it to the line, find Broughy and let him pick out a marauding forward hitting the edges.

Hes obviously lost a yard of pace, but watching the SL Super Tries thing that was on, we were on it quite a bit and Brough did some great tracking runs.

I agree that he has been one of the best halves halves around in the past 10 years or so.

However, I did state in my earlier point Bren, that it could well have been his injury last year, or the injuries to others, but at times he didn't look anything like what hes capable of.

It may well be, that if he and others around him stay fit, them we might just see that class.

I also said that prior to him coming back, that in the latter half of 2018, Rocky and Hampshire looked to be working well together.

It also didn't help, with the thoughts on Broughie of sin binning in the two opening rounds of the season

danny Brough as been an half decent player over the years, no one can take that away from him and maybe if his temperament had been better a top club would of taken him and he would of had an even better career.
My take on him now is that his legs have gone, the right side was more or less blunt in attack the stats show this, lynn 6T, DB 2T tang 1T and bishop 8 with rocky setting up some of these. It’s not bagging him it’s just age that he can’t do what he could, he receives the ball the opposition know he’s not going to run with it so they just hold and it’s easy to defend. Brough still as a good brain and if you play him we must get him into the areas he can do damage in the 20 where he can be crafty with his kicks. His last season at shudds they seem to keep Brough and Gaskell out of it till the 30 then moved it through the hands at pace not off a prop round the back where he’s getting slower ball. As for organising the game Is so robotic it’s run to that blade of grass to get to that I think the hooker as more organising these days.

Moving on to rocky if your playing Brough and miller at half then rocky has to play at 1 he has too much pace to leave out and was our most potent attacker along with toupo before he got injured. If the team can create him the space hel run them in, inside balls little chips to break it up it might not always work but it creates space out wide then. If he plays half then I’d let the other half organise and let Ryan play wider and use his pace quite simply he can cause damage.
We’ve got some quality backs and I think if they’re used properly and not like battering rams we might get more product, interesting how TJ and BT come back.
I think if the forwards stick their hands up have a big dig and not come off after 20 mins we could go ok add to this a change of style of play to suit us and who knows.