Looks like out for the rest of the season, that,s a big blow. One of our leading scorers and goalkicker out for the probable middle eight survival nightmare.I hate the middle eights, because we are always in the flaming thing having to justify our right to be in SL.
Now is not the time to be losing players, and as Vai Vai is unlikely to start this weekend that,s three first choice centres missing, and one first choice winger.
I hope we can cover any missing players for the tasks ahead, but we need some good luck with injuries for a change as all teams will be seriously up for the survival fight.
Still think we need another centre as we are short in that spot and will have to rely on Salter, and either Blair or Tomkins to fill in.
Hopefully we will be ok, but starting to get twitchy about these horrible eights again.

I don’t think we’ll miss shaw that much good as he’s been we do have plenty of cover on the wings plus tickle and Atkin can kick goals

It's a shame. I think Shaw is fantastic for us. Who can forget the length of the field intercept try last season! He's our favourite Rovers player, my son has named his new Guinea Pig after him and always pretends to be him when we play in the garden.



I saw some people had reacted on Facebook post that it's no big deal which I can't understand, unless I'm not noticing something other supporters are seeing…?

I think for me he lacks strength. He can finish but when it comes to the hard stuff on our exit sets he doesn't make any ground. Will Oakes and Elliot Wallis are better at that side of the game imo.

Take his goal kicking away and he’s been lucky to keep his place on the team this long for me. Weak on exit sets and defensively he can easily be found out. I don’t think he will be missed at all. Having said that, he is a good finisher, but that’s not enough in the modern game.

Fair enough. Good insights, I'm fairly new to the game and don't often see what other hardened fans see. I've never noticed him not making ground before but I now you come to mention it...
He's still my lads favourite player for his finishing and kicking.

It’s all about opinions mate, yours is just as valid as anyone elses’s.

Your not his Dad are you?

The position has changed massively over the last ten years.
It's no longer enough to have a bit of pace and a side step, wingers typically used to be about 75 kg's, now they're 100 plus.

Morgan was the first to introduce wingers getting involved in exit sets and therefore allowing the pack a breather, watch the 2006 Challenge Cup game against Warrington, we killed them with Steel and Ford's dummy half runs.

I don't think defensively it's changed a whole lot but I do think tackling technique has and probably to the detriment. Players now go for the "ball and all" method as oppose to going for the hips and sliding down the legs, personally in a one on one, unless you're close to your own try line I think the latter is more likely to be effective. The biggest mistake wingers have always made is not holding their line and jumping in. Lastly, I do think someone needs to come up with an effective defense against these flying through the air finishes that we see. Prior to the corner flag being counted as in touch it was easy to simply push your opponent into touch. I think that an aerial upper (apologies, I'm about to make a really poor description) grab of the body so that the player can't ground the ball might work, but I'm not going to be attempting it so I'm not sure it's even possible!

Edits for correcting awful spelling.

You could catch them in mid air and carry them over the dead ball line how about that as a solution Sandra

I mean, Black Panther might be able to pull that off (and for the record, that is a shizzle fillem) but I don't think mortals can.
I have hilariously seen people caught in touch in goal and carried out the back a couple of times.

You could see they felt right silly sausages. I'm sure I can remember someone trying to get nearer the sticks and getting caught and carried out, super.

Is anyone else really hating people who reckon all of a sudden to like sport beacuse of the World Cup?

Fwark off with your knackerjimasandpliers back seat analysis.