He has certainly failed the Hair comb over job!


How long does it take for him to cover that forehead with his comb overs?

Tend to agree though I do worry that they'll put in a performance against us, much like wire did when Smith was seen by many as drinking in the last chance saloon.

Think Huddersfield's woes also show you should be careful when thinking Aussie coaches will be the solution. For every Michael Maguire or Nathan Brown you can get a Craig Sandercock or Rick Stone.

You say that, but Stone's track record was terrible. He got a chance at Newcastle, another team that was in need of a rebuild, and did just as bad leading them to the wooden spoon.

I refer telling a mate of mine who's a Hudds fan at the time they wouldn't get anywhere with him.

I do wonder whether Davey would go through it again if Hudds do get relegated which would be a shame because they have come miles from where they were and i think it would be undone pretty quickly in the championship. I think HKR are at danger of that too, fans have stuck with them this year but i dont think they will next year and the year after.

Saying that, Hudds havent been that bad. Todays result is a bit of an embarrassment but they only lost by 2 v wire, 7 v Les Catalans, drew with Saints, drew with Wigan. Well capable of turning it round.

I disagree. only 1/2 quality players and the rest are bang average

Two of their better ones in Cudjoe and Taai are rumoured to be out injured for a while too as well as one of their Aussie recruits Tom Symonds.

If they are in SL in 2018 I think they should consider moving on Brough at the end of this year and finding someone else to partner Gaskell (who has sounded like he's done ok there). Brough will be 35 before the 2018 season starts and his petulance continues as he has less impact on games. Move him on and start a fresh.

If Gaskell has been playing stand off, then for me thats the reason why they are where they are. Much the same as us last season, playing the Gaskell clone in the halfs. It doesn't work, neither are halfs.

Good teams, teams challenging at the top have good halfs working consistently. We changed our fortunes by our change to the halfs. Cas have good halfs, Wigan have good halfs. Warrington have changed their season around on bringing Patton back in the side. Saints struggle because they have no stand off and are playing the out of position Wilkin there too much.

Teams need to realise how important it is not to put square pegs in round holes. Players may well be decent players, but they can not just slot into any position and hope the team works with it.

He only moved started playing at HB since the Wigan away game that they drew, and also managed a draw away to Saints. In losses at home to ourselves and Catalans his HB partner got himself sinbinned in both at crucial times. The latter seems more the problem than former.

Like playing a centre in the halves?

No, playing someone capable of the postion.

In our case, it's been a massive plus, as capable.

yes coz no centre ever switched to stand off successfully did they, (schofield lauire Daley, Brad Fittler and the rest)

True enough. Though while there's clearly been coaching issues, Hudd's demise can be traced back almost directly to that Ryan Hall try. Until then they were still a top side.

Wonder where they'd be now had they won/drawn that game?

I agree with you and also with your previous comment about the challenging teams consistently having a decent half back. Last season other sides suffered with injuries but being able to play an organiser at half back was often the difference between a win or a lose for them which we were unable to replicate. Gale at Cas makes average players look outstanding and without him they are nothing like as good.

Moon may not be the complete halfback but he is such a good all round player and has been our most effective centre for some time and is currently our best 6. He has been a major factor in a dramatic improvement in our attack which has turned our season around. He has assisted a return to form for both McGuire and Watkins by creating space and putting defences in two minds.

Quite why anyone wants to risk moving him I do not understand.

I'd be loath to moving him, so hopefully we get some backs returning this week like Golding, Sutcliffe & Briscoe otherwise it's hard not to return him to centre otherwise.

Like you said he's not the complete HB, far from it actually. But he's unpredictable and that's difficult for an opposition to plan for and suits how we like to play.