Regarding the 13 postion for me a good 13 can help make a side.its part of a spine of the team. A good 13 should be able to be able to defend, run the ball in have good foot work a passing game and be able to read the game we can go on about say half back but you could have the best half back in the world but it makes no differenceif the pack are getting done over.granted some coaches tend to go for size and do in effect play a prop at 13 but i still like to see out n out 13s.(saying its a postion my lad played hell of alot of rugby in so bit bias)

A former task of a loose forward was to break quickly from the scrum and nail the attacking scrum half or stand off, but as the nature of the scrum has changed greatly, and disappeared totally last season, this role has diminished somewhat.
By the way, forgive my ignorance but is the forthcoming season also going to be scrumless. I don't recall seeing anything in writing re this.

The decision regarding scrums has been deferred until later this month.

Cheers phe. Just seen it announced as deferred until this month on BBC Sports page.

That unfortunately left the game when it was no longer required to push.
It meant the SR and 13 were already waiting for the 13 so a useless excercise.

I do like the 13 making the extra man though and picking and passing so the SH is further out. We need more scrum moves.

D Turner was the best at breaking from the scrums the number of times he smacked A Murphy and other great Scrum Halfs .Broke the star of This sporting Life nose ,after the director told Turned it did not look real enough, after a few takes.Do not know if it's true but after the last shot Turned said to the director is that ok for you .I do agree a loseforward role as changed big time .I would give Bachelor the 13 spot got a lot going for him

Batch doesn't have the power to go down the middle. He is far more useful as a rangy runner on the right.
Pitts has that spot but I don't mind Pitts doing 13.

Leaving Batch in one position will help him more.

Agreed.

Batch isn’t a “middle” he’s an edge in my opinion.

Leave him to take on the outside backs and halves and let someone like Pitt’s, Arona or Battye to take up that role. I’d probably say though Whitbread will get significant game time at loose in 2022.

Batch is very much a right SR. Tanginoa should start in his best position of left SR and Pitts in his best position of right SR. Batch/Ashurst for me fight out the bench spot interchange. Though I think Ashurst would make a better LF.

Tanginoa wasn’t as effective in right SR on Boxing Day. I do hope Willie doesn’t do a Chester and play Tangi in every position but his best at left SR (just to fit Ashurst in). Let’s hope lessons are learned there.

One thing I will say though. Aydin looks pretty much ready to be an interchange prop to me. That is a bonus and really does give us more depth in the front row. I look forward to seeing Aydin get plenty of games off the bench this year. And hopefully see how far Eseh is off being ready too.

Pitts is the best LF we have, for me Ashurst is not a LF in any sense, sorry.

I’ll make a bold prediction and accept the risk. If Pitts maintains his form and avoids injury and of course the team has a half decent season he will be the SL dream team LF at the end of the season.

Pitts and Kelepi in the second row for me, with Batch on the bench. Personally I’d go with Crowther at loose.

tbh, with Tash on a 2yr deal, can only see him used as a 2nd row with Kelepi on the other side and JP at 13.

Injuries permitting, I think you're probably right. But based on form at the wnd if last season that's what I go with.

What this debate/discussion has highlighted is that there is a massive number of options and as such competition for the back row positions which should keep everyone performing to their best with no option for complacency.

Well whatever Willie decides is fine but Tangi plays best at left SR and Pitts best position is Right SR. We have Crowther, Walker, Arona, Whitbread, Odonnovan, Adebeyi who can all play 13.

I’m a big believer in playing players in their best positions where possible. Seems like we are moving Tangi and Pitts from their most effective positions to accommodate Tash. It’s a risk that’s not needed as Tash and Batch should fight over the bench allowing players to play in most accustomed position imo.

I’m not a coach though so we will have to wait and see what Willie does.

In your opinion it’s Pitts best position but for many of us he moved beyond that last year. When he did play LF he was our best back rower by some imo, he’d be wasted in the SR now, especially as we have plenty of options.

None of those you’ve mentioned are LF’s as there best position, Crowther isn’t there yet, Walker is too slight, Arona is now far to slow, O’Donovan to young, Sid is utility and I know where you’ve got the idea that Whitbread is a LF, but he’s been signed as a prop, his best position to use your logic. I can’t find any evidence of him playing LF despite what wiki says.

If you don’t want to take my word for it that’s fine but you’re pushing it when it’s what the coaching staff think. No offence but if they say he’s a LF then he is, what you and I say is irrelevant.

I'm not sure they have said Pitts is a LF have they?
I really think Pitts would be good but a good SR doesn't just evolve into a good LF.
I think Bateman has been hindered by playing 13 as an example.

Pitts almost exclusively played right second row to my knowledge last year and the year before. I don’t see how performing as excellent as he did on the right SR why he would all of a sudden become wasted in that same position in 2022. I’m not saying he wouldn’t become a good LF but he’s already an excellent right SR as proved by his performances there last year.

As for those i mentioned for LF I agree they aren’t ready but they’re at an age where the only thing that will get them ready is game time. Crowther and Walker are the two I am looking at here. At their age they either start getting the game time or they will be quickly heading back to the lower leagues.

How do I know or you what the coaching staff think? I’m not privy to that and it’s just my opinion.

Pitts has barely if at all played at LF and has excelled last season at right SR. Tangi was largely ineffective most of the season at prop and right SR. Willie moved him to left SR and we had the Tanginoa playing out of his skin again. I just can’t see much sense in taking two players in their most experienced positions (where they have performed best) and moving them.

I hope I am proved wrong if Pitts is moved to 13 and Tangi to other side of the field I really do. I want the players and club to succeed and I will support them but I see these player movements (if they are to happen) as a risk.

I am sure I read somewhere that we were thinking of playing Lee Gaskell at LF.

Everything I've read from WP is that he's covering the backs, FB and So especially.
I'm sure he could cover LF but he isn't the season option.

Ideally for me, Tanginoa on the left, Pitts on the right and Willie teaches Crowther how to run with impact and he gets the 13. If Ashurst is coming back to his best I'm ok with him starting and Tanginoa coming on for impact.

Crowther lacks any perceivable passing game which a modern day LF needs.

I wouldn’t be against him playing there but maybe not from the start of the games, but moving into 13 as the initial heat has gone out of the game.

I did suggest this would be the plan behind signing him, but when Milky was linked with a move away I thought he would be a direct replacement for him but obviously that never happened.

I think the intensity at the start of a match would be too much for him however once the game opens up I can see him moving there to play as the extra pivot as the game opens up.

I think he is an astute signing who probably due to his ability to play in so many positions across the backline and as the ball handling 13 now he is reaching the matter end of his career.

I think it was mentioned by one of the former coaches that he could slip in there.

To be fair the game is very different now to how it used to be played; forwards were forwards and backs were back -rarely did you see a SR forward on the field not packing down. That;s not the case now though, we see FB's packing down and sometimes it seems the first six there pack down! The LF of spends as much time it seems, out of the pack as in it!

Tough season to come can we finish above Toulouse Huddersfield Hull KR Salford?
Salford have recruited well as have Hull KR.
No doubt we will upset one or two of the big boys but to survive wins have to come v these four.
10th is my bet.

Depending on who stays fit i will go with 8th but would love 7th improvement over last few seasons.