Pretty unfair in my opinion. I'd rather we had an injury to our front row than anywhere else... except maybe the coach

The successful ones do.

And Wire.

Cleary..

I think most clubs can point to [isome[/i impact from the bench. They might not be in the same bracket at the players I mentioned earlier, but they at least have the potential to change things a bit.

Manu, Moa and Luauki all would add impact. About time we gave Moa another shot to help bring balance to the props. Thacks adds impact imo when used off the bench and King does at times too.

Manu would add impact if the coaching staff used him correctly. Lauaki ought to add some if he ever arrives. Moa has the potential to, but he's very much unproven.

I would disagree that anyone else in our current squad adds the kind of impact required to change a game. Our forwards are all too similar. We have loads of steady, up the middle type players (some of whom have the odd game where they make a little more impact) and no one who consistently punches holes in the opposition defence.

I'd agree with all that TBH.

Thacks adds some impact, but he's not the kind of forward who bursts through tackles and hurts the opposition. King is just to small to be an impact prop in today's game IMO, although he occasionally puts in a good hit up.

We need Lauaki badly, and we also need either someone similar or Moa to achieve his potential.

Thacks is a second rower

Watch Thacks against Wire and he was certainly busting through tackles and taking us forward. He lacks consistency but he does add impact.

i agree,
i'd love to be able to see him running out a bit wider.

That's why I said the players we have occasionally have games where they add more impact. He was very good in his first spell against Wire (less so in his second one), but doesn't do it on a weekly basis.

None of our props or back rowers offer much in attack for me. I doubt any of them would be pursued by the top 6 teams in SL if we released them

Manu?

Would many of the top six be interested in players like Kirke, Ablett etc?

Every club has stand out and squad players and we are no different.

Who are our stand out forwards?

I think Kirke would be our stand out forward if he was at Hull.

Berrigan, Manu, Washbrook. I would not call our props standouts but the likes of Dowes and Cusack's contributions are often underrated.

Eh

Stand out forward? Can someone give me a definition because I’m yet to see any of our forwards (or backs for that matter) ‘stand out’ this season. Reading through some of the stuff on this forum I would recommend blinkers to be removed.

Manu is the only forward that would attract the attentions of the top SL clubs and he would probably be fantastic in a good team.

Horne and Briscoe are probably the only two backs that would be pursued.

That says a lot about our current squad whish has so few "stand out players" a too many that "do a job".

too many average players + average coaches = average team

I think most teams would want Dowes.

Raynor and Yeaman would be snapped up and used correctley.

Raynor would be aswell but Yeaman would have to take a big wage cut if he is currently being paid the "GB international salary" at Hull. Nobody would pay him as much as we do.

As for Dowes ???

another "does a job" forward. You're not syaing that Leeds, Saints, Bradford, Wire, Cats etc.. would want him are you ???

He's an ok forward who works hard and is certainly worth his place in our squad but he is the epitome of a hull forward. Works hard and offers nothing in attack. We have a pack full of those.

All teams need/have a workhorse

He is would get into Leeds and Saints 17 IMO, he is better than Bailey and Hargreaves.

Also put some of our average players into Saints or Leeds teams they would look like world beaters.

Of course all teams need a workhorse but we have a pack full of them.

Dowes is a decent workhorse but if you think that Leeds, Saints etc.. would want to snap him up if he were to become available, your opinion of him is way too high.

In Dowes, Cusack, Radford, Tickle, King we have such an ordinary workhorse pack and it is the biggest reason (along with playing without a SH) that we are as poor as we are.

Dowes would be a better forward if most of those other forwards were replaced with more quality.