I'm one of those who can only visualise Hardaker at FB and while I wouldn't claim there were many, if any, better at that position playing in SL I do acknowledge that some attacking aspects of his game are perhaps limited. It's unfortunate that our centres (and I don't include Ablett, BTW) share some of these deficiencies. These deficiencies are of course compounded by slow ball from the ruck area.

I don't think its the slow ball it that our half backs never attack the line and neither have the speed these days to break it. The opposition know what's coming so they can get prepared.

Would anyone trial Briscoe at Centre and move Moon to the Wing? Briscoe looked a good centre on Boxing Day. I know people will say "Look at Vickery" but it was against a strong looking Wakefield Side.

Super League Fullbacks

rlhttp://rugbyam.co.uk/top-5-full-backs-in-super-league/rl

Who is this Briscoe?

I thought it was Broscoe????

pathetic one-eyed leeds rhinos biased rubbish
didnt they see his terrible 'per carry' stats?
etc etc

I think if one of the centres is missing then I'd like to see Briscoe moved there with Handley coming in on the wing. Keinhorst did an alright job for Way on loan when he eventually got injury-free but I think a club that's going to find itself in that middle 8 is about his level. Either way as long as we've seen the last of the Ward/Sutcliffe selection at centre.

Can't really say I see Moon as a winger, especially when ours are expected to run it hard back at the start of sets to give our forwards a breather. And that for me is the problem with Moon, he's not a natural centre IMO, wouldn't be a natural winger and whilst he has some skills that could suit a halfback position, could he lead a team around a pitch? Have the kicking game etc? He's a good RL player yet he has no clear cut position where he looks fully suited to.

With the same ponderous halfbacks in 2013 Watkins went on to score 8 tries in 6 games AS A WINGER with Ablett as his centre......so it can be done. That spell of games was probably Watkins best run of form over several games in the few seasons and it wasn't as a centre.

In fact during McDermott's spell as coach, Watkins has played wing 12 times and scored 15 tries there.

I'm not sure where this obsession with fast halfbacks comes from. Speed comes from using the ball, unless you have real speed like Johnson. If speed were the best measure Cooper Cronk wouldn't even be playing first grade nowadays.

I agree. Many seem to forget that for a chunk of the 2nd half of the 2013 season we had Burrow and Sutcliffe starting in the halves for us and it wasn't like things were massively different.

i agree that half backs do not need to be lightning fast to be successful, but as i eluded to earlier we do lack a half back that can constantly attack and break the defensive line, that is why my choice at stand off would have been travis burns who has been very successful in this role and whilst playing in a mediocre hull kr side despite not being the quickest half back around.

time will tell how good he will be in this role in a top side like saints, but ill bet that their outside backs get a lot more running chances and against a broken first line of defense than our outside backs do this season

i would be happy to see sutty given the chance to play this type of role for us this season but i can't see it happening

You don't need to be lightning fast, but you need to be a threat to the line, and put defenders in two minds as to what you are going to do. At the moment it feels like defenders can ignore McGuire or SInfield running at the lines partly because its unlikely, and partly because when they do you can react to it. McGuire is a much better half back than he was 10 years ago, but I'm not sure that makes him more effective

Speed creates options - it gets the defence in two minds if you look at the two top half backs in the NRL Johnson and Thurston both have an ability to break the line or at least commit a defender. Neither of our half backs have that ability.

Cronk is a kicking machine who fits perfectly with Bellamy's ultra-controlling game plan. It is no surprise that without a creative half back they are now a team in decline.

That is two years ago - time has moved teams have strengthen and our players have aged - even his great fans have to agree Sinfield had a terrible 2014. Maybe the winter off will spark him back into action and his form of 2013 will return.

Agree Watkins is in danger of not fulfilling his potential - the coaches need to work on him to move him to the next level.

IMO there aren’t really any halfbacks out there that have the combination of pace, skill, playmaking ability, good kicking out of the hand and consistency apart from Johnathan Thurston. He has the lot and stands out above anyone else. Cronk is more of a dependable type who can move a side around a field without doing the flashy stuff very often. He is utterly dependable though.

Shaun Johnson has it all apart from the consistency.

Over here there’s nobody that comes close. I think Leeds have lots of options at halfback which puts them in a stronger position than most other SL teams. A lack of pace isn’t a great handicap.