O'Loughlin is an excellent player.

Sorry your wrong Play offs, finals and CC games are really all that matters now. SL rounds are just foreplay until the the big show. As for Mcilorum in every major final or play off game he plays he goes up a level. In the Grand final last season he was by far the best player on the pitch. Put Higham and Monaghan in his pocket. Same for 2010 when he put Roby and Cunningham in the other pocket. Same in the 2 CC finals. Week in week out really counts for nothing now. When the pressure goes up so does Mcilorum. When has Clark ever played under pressure its easy to look good during the rounds but it really counts for nothing if you fail in the play offs.

If Clark does well in the CC game or the play offs this season excpect Warrington to come in and buy him off you.

This is more of an indictment of where SL is now more than anything else. Leeds and Wigan have realised that hence why one of them will again win the Grand Final. There lies the problem in the game as a whole most teams have decent 1-13 but both Leeds and especially Wigan atm have massive strength in depth that after achieving top 4 this season Wane will again rest as many as he can and still be competitive in games.

Not sure Wigan have particular strength in depth this season and a few key injuries in September and they may struggle (not sure for example Jordan James, Ryan Hampshire etc playing in a Grand Final will strike fear into many if the wrong players get injured).

IMO you are more than capable of winning the CC this season,the very best of luck against the Pie Eaters in the quarter final,I will be having a few quid on you.

With that statement you have just described at least half of professional RL players.

SOL is one of the best players in SL and i have no doubt he would be a massive success in the NRL. You only need to listen to opposition coaches if you need to be convinced of that.

To get back on topic the QF it has the potential to be a good, even great game. We have proven we have the ability to turn up and perform when it matters. You have been in good form this year and look a well organised and well coached side. Whether you have enough to challenge the top teams when it really matters only time will tell, from our point of view i'm glad it's 5 weeks away as we are missing quite a few due to injury at the moment, it will hopefully give us time to get some bodies back.

Good luck (but not too much)

O'Loughlin's a terrific player. I think to some extent it's the nature of the type of player he is that his won players and fans will appreciate the more subtle and often less glamorous work that he does more than opposition fans who don't see him every week. As a Leeds fan I will admit that it took me a while to get it, but he'd always be one of the first names on my England teamsheet.

As for the Clark/McIlorum debate, it's trcky because, for reasons not really of his making, Clark hasn't been exposed to the same big occasions as McIlorum has. Does that make him a worse player? No. Does it make it hard to tell whether he's better? Yes, I think it does.

The way Cas are going this season, I suspect those chances may not be too far away.

If not, I'm sure Leeds would happly take him off your hands.