You could say something similar for the reason to play Lomax at 6 to make room for Barba, isn't a portion of Lomaxs wages paid for by the RFL?

It was a bad call from Holbrook, however, I am more concerned with the poor start to the game, we need 100% completion rate for the first 15 minutes in future as seem to play better as the game goes on we just went so far behind due to not focussing on the basics in the early passages that we couldn't catch up.

He's swapping the combos about again this week he's said. Why experiment this time of the year? Utter madness

We werent that far off in the two previous games points wise even though we arent playing great attacking rugby, for me against Wigan I would have gone with

1 Lomax
6 Fages (along with Tommy and Roby in our top 3 this season by a country mile)
7 Smith
sub Barba

Keep the continuity, players used to each other in a big game, keep it tight early on, settle into the game and not panic trying to throw the ball about, get Barba on when the fatigue starts to set in and we hopefully would look a bit better in attack.

Instead as others have mentioned we disrupted a large chunk of the spine plus Lomax was poor away at Cas when we got beat at their place playing at 6 after not playing their in a long time. We just repeated the same with Lomax in a big game after him not playing at stand off in a while again and effectively said to him theirs the stand off position, go and perform! Not fair on the lad.

For me it was a bad call by Holbrook/coaching team to disrupt the team so much and leave Fages out in this big game but I think we had to include Barba in the 17. I am sure Holbrook will learn from this and I would like to see Richards back in now starting in the halves. My choices for the Wakefield game would now be

1 Lomax
6 Fages
7 Richardson
sub Barba

Nothing much wrong with that 1, 6 and 7 last time we played Wakefield and won. Barba again coming off the bench to use his attacking ability from fullback and getting used to the players plus match fitter, Lomax then available to cover in the halves, hooker etc if someone not on their game on the day.

I think Richardson should be given his place now until the end of the season and tell him to go out and play and play at pace, with Smith missing out unless injuries or loss of form......just IMO

COYSaints

He s on about changing the halves again and I feel Smith will make way this week. He was impressed with lomax and barba so I'd imagine Richardson will come in at 7 and fages will go on bench as Amor been axed.

It's the right thing to do this week but all this chopping and changes at crucial part of the season has cost us 4th spot..ws just got to hope we win and hull beat Wigan

I bet lomax is wondering how this guy has come and took his fullback spot without earning it.

Said it all along that barba should have been on bench and had to earn his spot