There we go! Bang on!

The only variable from the last half of last season (when we were actually playing some decent stuff) is that Hohaia has been introduced to the 'spine' of the team.

Hohaia (mostly) is the problem here as Lomax was doing well in the #7 shirt last season.

I have to say that I only partly agree with this. Lance cannot be blamed for the lack of half back options for the first part of the season, Gaskell was his partner then. Lomax started playing better when Hohaia was moved to stand off for the Leeds game. We started to see the best of him while Lance was first moved to stand off. Maybe that is as much to do with ' A change is as good as a rest '. What has happened is that Lance hasn't got any better at stand off with more games as many would have expected. The Initial change effect has worn off and Lomax is finding that he has to do most of the organising and playmaking ( Not his natural game ). What is the answer? I think it may work if we swap Wellens and Lance around. Wello was a junior grade Stand off and unfortunately his diminishing lack of pace can no longer be covered by his excellent positioning and defence. I also think Lance needs the playmaking and kicking responsibilities taken away so he can concentrate on finding some form.

Only a thought!

I didn't say it was all his fault

I don't think moving Wellens is the answer tbh: for me Wellens either plays at FB or not at all.

To be honest, Wellens lack of pace isn't what concerns me. He can still tailor his game to get the best out of himself by playing clever around the ruck in attck and looks nice and solid again under the high ball.

My bugbear is that when it gets to him at 2nd pivot in attack, the play dies. That's as much to do with his handling not being as slick as, say, Brett Hodgson's as it is to do with lack of pace. [iIf[/i he had electric pace, it would go away to making up for this deficiency, but he hasn't.

I think Makinson, Wheeler, Gaskell, Hohaia and Lomax would all deliver more in that attacking position out wide imo.

I think we're all agreed that Lomax and Hohaia in the halve is too limited and we should bring Gaskell in. I'd play one of Lomax and Hohaia at 1st receiver and one at full back.

I'm still of the opinion that playing Lance as an impact hooker is where we'll get the most out of him, with Robes moving to LF whilst he's on the pitch (or even getting a well earned rest, heaven forbid!)

I'd go with that(I like Lomax at #7 - I think he can do a great job in the right partnership), but I'd still change out the fullback.
Whether it be going with Makinson for pace or someone like Wheeler for craft and evasion.

I'm not convinced we need to replace Wello at FB, he has lots of good points. We just need to tweak out predictable backs moves to involve him at an earlier point rather than at the strike end.

If we did bite the bullet and replace him, my only concern would be at right centre, where a decision would have to be made, a a choice between Clough/Magennis on the bench:

Makinson
Gardner
Shenton/Jones/Flannery/Wellens (my personal preference would be Jones, then Shenton)
Wheeler
Meli
Gaskell
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Laffranchi
Soliola
Flanagan
Wilkin

LMS
TP
Clough/Magennis
Lance

Signing Lance Hohaia was a huge mistake. I just didn't see the sense in it. It reminds me of when we signed Darrell Trindall.

I'll say it one last time cos I'm bleating on. If we don't sign a scrum half for next season then it'll be the same again.

Our main failing in tge halves is a lack of kicking game, hohaias kicking is poor, wellens is non existent. Moving him to the halfs makes the kicking problem worse, not better.

You may be right.

If you go back to the Leeds game. Have a look at the try Wheeler scores. At that point, Roby had gone of, Lance was at hooker and Wilkin (now at #6) throws the killer pass. It was slick as an oil spill.
Why can't we recreate that sort of thing more often?
Not a hard choice for me. I reckon Clough's been one of our best performers over that last few weeks and I'm yet to see a game wheree Magennis has impressed me as a physical presence in the pack.

That's what Simmons was doing with Scott Moore and Robes last year wasn't he?

This post is full of common sense.

Seriously? Wello is really only useful coming into the line when we're about ten to twenty metres out because the opposition knows that they can focus on his outside runners due to the lack of pace he has. Compare him to somebody with pace and look how indecisive a defence is when faced with the threat of a full back who, if you give them a yard, is gone through the gap. A fast, attacking full back has been a necessity at the very top of RL since Anthony Minichiello won the golden boot which was over seven years ago. I don't know of any NRL teams which could operate without one now. Seven years ago that wasn't a major issue because those other qualities were strong enough to compensate for any pace differentials, now they are not.

Spot on