re Houghton I think it's more that Hull play significantly better when he is in the side. His tackle count/workrate is outstanding and he adds a quick PTB to speed up the attack but just seems to galvanize how we play. Better than Roby? - difficult as 2 very different players in the same position but overall I'd prefer DH in the Hull side than Roby, as good as he is. And not sure using international appearances as a yardstick is totally meaningful as England have hardly been successful with some bizarre player choices recently!

Saints/Hull games are usually v entertaining and I hope this one proves to be. I think someone else said its a freehit - if we win it's a bonus and if we lose to (so far) the best team in the league its hardly a disaster (unless we play like vs Salford in which case it'll be a 30+ margin!). Hull have been inconsistent so far, but not having key spine players has disrupted us, all be it at the positive of letting some of the youngsters get invaluable experience. And lets not forget that the Watts (hothead and sadly eventually a liability as much as I liked his appropriate aggression) affair must have damaged squad preparation.

BTW what has happened to the Saints board - is that why we are being invaded!?

Your living in the past, over the last 4 seasons Houghton as been far better than Roby, 2 CC medals , MOS. Its been an absolute disgrace him not been picked for England. And once again tomorrow night , you will see Roby go missing after been dominated by Houghton

Everybody knows Saints are currently the best team this year, and that Barba and Roby are 2 outstanding players. So why their fans (well, mainly just the game moron on this thread) feel the need to try and shove it down people's throats is beyond me.

Important game this. wire, cas, leeds and wigan will all likely win this week and a loss for us would leave us with only a 50% win ratio and losses against all of our main top 4 rivals. 8 points behind saints and already having to play catch up.

I still think the oz trip was a poor decision for our league position this year and can see us finishing 5th or 6th. Losing watts to one of our rivals has compounded it

I don’t like the prospect of this Saints trip
I have the feeling we could be beaten by 14 -20
See where we are after 9 games and said earlier we could finish 8th more than we could finish 4th

I am not saying or claiming anything.

Just showing the flaws in the arguments you use and how confused you seem.

I follow Cronulla in Australia and am well aware of Barba's achievements and skills.

But you claimed Roby is miles better than Houghton which is just plain daft and use international caps to back your argument.

Their are many very good players that didn't or don't get the caps they deserve due to competition for places and coaches choice.

Barba being a good example.

Roby, Barba and Houghton are all very good players that are a joy to watch.

But you are so biased that you come on here and diss our players. Many of whom have just won back to back Challenge cups.

we didn't "lose" Watts, we sold him because he was a problem...

@AS108
When has Barba even been second choice at FB for the kangeroos, how often has he even being in the squad, he's good in fits and starts but clearly you don't even understand what world class means!

It means top one or two in the world in your position, Barba is and never has been anywhere near, his lack of a single cap proves that. A world class player gets picked and utilised, sometimes at the expense of others, Barba doesn't on either score because he isn't.

As for Houghton, narrow minded failed coached can't understand what Houghton could have brought to an England side. Yes Roby is a world class player on his day but taking the pressure off the forwards with his defence makes a huge difference no other hooker in the world can do. We'll never know now seeing as successive coaches have ignored him for plodders/error strewn types like Hodgson and Clarke who have failed miserably at the top level.

Utter nonsense yet again.

Clearly Ben Barba is World Class. He's currently the best player in the SL. If he's not World Class, then our entire competition is devoid of World Class players. Which is a ridiculous thing to believe. So what he's been behind Slater in the pecking order? That means nothing. In your even more moronic third paragraph, you contradict your own argument saying that it's only because of an error in selection that Houghton didn't play. How is that any different to Barba not getting selected?

And as for Hodgson being a "plodder/error strewn type", words fails me. You constantly reach unsurpassed heights of stupidity.

Roby proved yet again that he was the best hooker in our competition as far as I'm concerned. I think it's only partisan, blinkered support that could claim otherwise. Which we've always been guilty of to be honest. I think we have some great professionals that compliment our overseas players, but I don't think we have an English player that is the best in his position.

Bookies give us 10 start

St's on Friday is a tough game as its away and the 3rd game in 7 days over the Easter period which makes it even tougher. The pitch at St's is still bloody awful (can't believe that it hasn't been sorted as it was poor last season) and will certainly take the juice out the players.

The fact that St's are playing the same squad as Monday could be where its won/lost if we have fully fit Danny, Shaul, Carlos & Sika back in the 17 and also Lane who's been impressive. o

Do think we have a chance but only if we cut out the stupid penalties we are giving away of late and the basic poor errors.

For me it is a lottery due to the 3rd game in 7 days.

I’ve not used international caps to say Roby is world class, I’ve used them to say he’s considered to be better than Houghton by the England coaches seen as he gets chosen over him. How hard is that to understand. As I said earlier if you are going to use international caps to say a player is world class then Matty Smith and LMS would be world class when clearly they aren’t. It’s also like saying Ratchford or Lomax are world class because they start for England but Barba isn’t because he doesn’t start for Australia, completely illogical. Also, you wouldn’t say Barba is one of the best fullbacks in the world? Funny how all the Cronulla fans would love him back.

That last paragraph really is worrying. You say that Houghton takes the pressure off the forwards with his defence. Roby averages 48 tackles a game so far (not including the Widnes game because he was rested for the last half hour) which is just as much as, if not more than Houghton does and Roby is 32. That statement about no other Hooker being able to do that is therefore a lie. Also how can anyone call Daryl Clarke and Josh Hodgson error strewed or plodders? One is a man of steel winner who’s been in good form this season and the other has more than established himself in the NRL. To say either have failed at the top level is just a blatant lie.

What on earth does challenge cup wins have to do with which player is better? Hull won the challenge cup not Houghton so comparing team achievments is illogical. And one MOS definitely doesn’t prove that Houghton has been better for the last 4 years. I also like how you don’t compare the two for the years before. And we are clearly forgetting the 45-0 game at the Magic last year as well.



So, when Houghton has the chance to step up to a higher level but doesn’t he’s loyal but Roby doesn’t have the ‘bottle’ when it comes to him?

Whilst Roby has been world class in his career to say he is today is stretching it a little, that said he is still a very good player. Danny Houghton for me is up there with Roby in terms of ability and although they play at 9 they are still different types of players but go about their roles very well. For you to say Houghton is no where near Roby shows you to be very blinkered and little knowledge of Houghton.
As for international honours adding weight to your argument that's another non starter as successive coaches for the national side (even the great Wayne Bennett himself) have continually picked the same old faces and from same clubs rather than truly going on form (regardless of club they play for) otherwise Kevin Brown must be world class

by your thought process.

this time last season and for 75% of it this saints squad minus Barba was the worst in livung memory according to most saints fans on their board last year, including with the likes of roby!

now they have arguably the best player in the comp playing week in week out they are now the benchmark! as for our friend from saints who posts on here, i'll expect he will disappear again next season once Barba goes back to the NRL as he wasnt around last year much irrc

I disagree, he still is. Near on 50 tackles and 100 metres every game for someone who’s only got a few years left is phenomenal. Houghton is a good player, very good at times but every pro/ex-pro is only complimentary of Roby. Michael Shelton said he was the best players he’s ever played with and called him a machine. Houghton definitely has never been at the level of Roby. Also I wouldn’t say they are that different, they both play 80 mins most of the time, they both put in 40+ tackles a game. If anything I’d say they’re quite similar.

As for the part in bold, for the last time, I am not saying Roby is world class based on him being chosen, obviously if that was the case then every player at the World Cup would be. I am saying he’s world class based on what I’ve seen throughout his career. Also, I’m saying that the fact that he gets chosen over Houghton regularly shows how he’s seen as better than him. That is literally a fact. His performances at the World Cup showed he’s still world class, he outshone Hodgson and was one of our best players. Roby is a considerable amount better than Houghton and that’s not me saying Houghton isn’t a quality player because he is.

... can we cancel our home game against saints, I don't think I can cope with any more of AS108's ramblings.

John Bateman is a better left centre than Mark Percival. Surely you agree?

I'll second that, we have enough of "our own" posting tripe without AS108 spouting ruccish too.

So what the are you going on about it for????

Wayne Bennett and his assistants obviously thought so, I personally would disagree but at least Percival did get in the squad and play.

And you do realise that a lot of Hull fans would also "personally disagree" that Roby is better than Houghton?

Exactly, Hull fans would. If you were to go and ask every neutral in the country who’s better then at least 85% would say Roby. Percival did actually get in the England squad yet Houghton didn’t and two players did before him. It’s genuinely concerning that Houghton vs Roby is even a debate. Both have played in quite poor sides, Roby has always stood out, Houghton only in the last few years where Hull have been better as a team. Not to mention Roby has 5 dream team appearances and a Harry Sunderland trophy.

yawn, we get it, a St's fan prefers a St's player

IN YOUR opinion he's world class, he isn't the best FB in SL over the last 5 years, he's not the best player in SL this season either.
YOU said there were no world class players, i haven't.
My third paragraph doesn't contradict as i haven't said Houghton is world class.
Clearly your rant is far more moronic given you can't read nor work out a basic concept or three


Hodgson nor Clarke have done anything of note in an England shirt, massively off top interational level.
Get back under your bridge, you're clueless sonshine