are we MAKING progress? - progress is on results in my opinion - so we will finish 5th or higher this season? NO CHANCE

Wow BOJ ever the optimist. To say we are still in contention when we've had the injury problems we have is definitely a positive. We have been without our 3 dream team players, and our first choice half backs. When we get some bodies back i'm sure we will fight for the top 5 right until the end.

As for Jowitt, i actually think his defense has improved massively, last year he made some great try saving tackles. However if your fullback needs to make a tackle the problem is elsewhere. A full back's role defensively should be to help organise the line and to field kicks, shouldn't be judging on their ability to make a tackle 1 on 1.

Some real knee jerk stuff on here. People forgetting the heroics of the previous month?

So we have an issue beating London. Wigan have an issue beating us yet seem to carry on winning trophies. Move on.

I think most of us do, considering Saturday's performance is nothing new for Trinity.



It is nice to bleed a bit first though.

Progress in my eyes is retaining players of the calibre of fifita tupou Johnstone hopefully Hampshire ..being competitive in most games with a horrendous injury list but most importantly re gaining ownership of OUR ground. That in my eyes is progress ...

You see it's just an observation I've made over the last 4 years & I've watched him very closely because of this but if I'm on my own that's fine, Chester brought him off on Boxing day for that exact reason instead of tackling he stuck a leg out & dived to make it look like he was attempting to tackle which left us without a fullback. He's Chesters backup if you like. But like I said he's a fabulous attacker & I've said this before so I'm not player bashing but he's the last line of defence & like the coach I think unless he improves his defence that's all he'll ever be. He needs some upper body strength that's plain to see & I think that's part of the problem

You could have fooled me.
I think you and I (plus several others) will have to disagree about this.

Absolute load of rubbish regarding Jowitt!

How on earth can you describe that Warrington game as a debacle? He tried taking Atkins, ball and all.. who bumped him off...in full flight Atkins has done that to bigger, stronger and better defenders than Jowitt time after time so why crucify him for it? If he goes low for the legs Atkins just tips the ball onto his winger for a stroll in try...Jowitt read the situation right but it didn't come off...

As others have said...if the full back is constantly having to make one on ones then maybe it's the fault of someone in front of him?

Jowitt is a natural full back who reads the game very well...I'd argue that had he played at London quite a few of their tries wouldn't have been scored...

I like Hampshire and I like Jowitt....I think CC made a blunder at the weekend in keeping Reynolds in and leaving Jowitt out...if we could mould the two together we'd probably have the best full back in the comp on our hands....long term though I see Jowitt as full back and Hampshire in the halves...maybe when Brough calls it a day...

How do you know that, unless you are CC

I can't see why people have to prove their point by bagging the other player.
Personally I prefer Hampshire at fullback because of his speed and his attacking flair.

I like Max too. I can't remember a fullback I was more confident under a high ball for quite a while.
He is not bad in defence, he just isn't Hardaker.

I do enjoy this process of putting a young player under a microscope and picking apart the minutiae of his game - arriving at the conclusion that because he's not perfect at everything, he must be crap; especially when it's peppered with faux-facts that suggest the poster knows exactly why Chester took him off in a pre-season warm-up game, that took place 6 months ago.

What a load of old $h1t - Max Jowitt is one of the best FB's we've had in recent years, and stands shoulder to shoulder alongside some of the best in SL this season - he's quick, brave, joins the attacking line really well and rarely fumbles a high ball; and his 1 on 1 defence has improved a lot - as has the team's ability to expose him to it less often. He's growing into a fine exponent of one of the most demanding positions in RL - and deserves support and credit for that.

Some genuine weirdos watch RL - I don't get it at all.

Aye men to the last bit.

Just a reminder to those bagging Jowitt...he didn't let any tries in on Saturday. We lost because the whole team defended poorly. .. but on the subject of plastic pitches I would ban them . They are an unfair advantage because most teams never get to train on them

I'll add something to this debate.

In just a few games we lost first in Tupou, TJ and Ashurst one of the best attacking edges in SL, either left or right. Then in just one horrific game we lost our 'brains' in Miller, Wood and Brough. It was like some dreadful computer crash. Yes there were back ups and they did ok but they were not the full application.

You tell me any team who could withstand that and who's playing performances would not drop! We ought to be grateful that we didn't go into meltdown and actually salvaged 4 points from the ordeal, most others would have. Even the mighty Saints would have felt what we have endured.

As many have pointed out its the quality not the quantity that has stuffed us. By quality I mean key players rather than workers, pivots as JK called them.

Now the brains at least are slowly returning and maybe some of the great left edge, so let's start judging what a more fully functional Trinity can do.

You say that like it's a bad thing, but I am very grateful he's not Hardaker!!

Personally I prefer Max at fullback, he's safe as houses and whilst not quite as quick or as creative he is certainly no slouch and he knows when to back up and come into the line.

Jowitt is a fine player. I get frustrated when he seems to be dropped as soon as we get back to full strength. He's definitely defensively the best full back. We need to work on the rest of his game. He needs more game time

For both max and Ben to show anywhere near their full potential they need game time ,they aren’t machines that produce said performance straight out of the box.Both players need the experience of first team rugby to develop their games ,this can’t be done by reading a book, it has to be done on the park . I’m sure both players will know their strengths and weaknesses without been put under the spotlightand bagged continually for mistakes
I can’t fault anyone for giving their all in a game and coming second best, that’s how you learn and evolve as a player, and so what if either never pulls a GB shirt on ,as long as they give their all for Trinity they’ll do for me .

Wow, we have only ever won 4 games @ magic weekend, we are bottom of the league for this event !
Come on up the Trin !