Moa and Lee. Next.

Any players coming back from injury should have to fight for their places.

Im starting to agree!

I'm sure that Craig will make a few errors at fullback this season but I'm also sure he'll score some blinding long range tries. He's young and only going to improve and I'd be gutted if anyone took his shirt at fullback.

true i cant see burnett getting back in the side if crocker gets the visa and with washy and whiting coming back

Gives us the option to loan players out to the likes of Salford and Celtic and NL1 clubs should they be interested, for some first team experience.

if crocker and lauaki get their visas washy and whiting will struggle to get a game!

think ur right but i personaly want to see us play a more expansive LF (ie washbrook or whiting) instead of radford there but with radford playing so well don't know whether that is in the best interests of the team

Great to see Hall taking his chance, when Motu does come back he will have to earn his place and lets face it Hall is the more longer term option of the two by some distance.

And, let's face it, less injury prone.

Can Motu play right centre?

Don't you start

Perhaps 'Hall v Tony' could be the new 'Briscoe v Tony'. We could have a thread on it every week where nobody agrees and each person can't for the life of them think why the other person doesn't agree with them.

Why do we need a new Briscoe vs Tony, the old one is still going strong

I know, but it's sooooooooooo last season.

An interesting point about the utility role.

Easy to forget that was Motu's role at the club before sharpe decided he should play at full-back. I would rather see Motu back as a utility player because he can cover almost all positions, including hooker where he's played for NZ. In his first couple of seasons, he played almost every game, but almost always in different position. Was a big miss not having him fit last year as he could have provided cover in so many important areas where we had injuries.

With Byrne certain to leave there would be a role for Tony as a utility player (although i still feel he is our best full back) also he is exempt from the quota isn't he? having arrived here before the new rules, or does that only last until the end of his present contract?

he seems to have matured abit too, seems to have cut out the the stupid off loads and fancy passes when theres no need to... happy times.

Couldn't agree more. Motu could be the new Motu! Coming off the bench with the ability to cover probably up to eight positions (all to a high standard) would be by far the best way to utilise (pardon the pun) his skill set.

Pleased for Craig that he is getting some gametime and credit for what he does. His talent and potential is not in doubt and the more i think about it the more incredible i find it that Agar was prepared to release him in the off season.

He wasnt prepared to, thats why he is still with us!

Depends which story you hear though, and where from, doesn't it?

As always.

either way i'm delighted hes stayed and taken his chance in the first team.

Indeed.

And I hope that he isn't immediately dropped when he makes a bad error or we lose a game