Well it certainly takes all parts of the team to function well to be a good side, and a good pair of halves will inevitably play better than a poor pair, and bring the best out of forwards (in a running sense), whether the pack is good or bad.

At a base level though, it is the pack which determines the outcome, simply because when they are on top, drawing defenders and off-loading or getting quick PTBs, they give the time (and just as importantly, the space) for the halves to direct things. If the pack [iisn't[/i on top, then the halves will most often have a tackler on them before they have time to look round and even the very best will struggle to have much influence.

Not an easy argument to make after the Wire game. I think Briggs has done OK at 7, grabbed a couple of tries against a poor Salford team and whilst no more than promising he's a far better prospect than Herbert who frequently takes the ball moving even slower than Deacs in his last season and cannot kick it farther than 20 metres straight to the opposition FB.

Absolutely.

Briggs offers more attacking threat than Herbert and has a far more potent kicking game. At this stage I have yet to see what Herbert brings to the side other than static-in-motion threat with ball in hand. "Defensively solid" should not be the primary attribute of a creative 7. Herbert may be an option at 13, since he is clearly offers more than Donaldson (who is in danger of being overly hyped) May be proven wrong but right now, Briggs by plenty.

There is only one game where i have actually seen herbert have a good game and that was Saints away, two quality kicks to set up tries (especially the kick behind foster for the ainscough try) but i think that is about it for me ??

From what I hear the coaching staff are a bit disappointed with Herbert and are hoping that Briggs will continue to work on his defence so he can be a regular.

Hardly surprising is it?

Really? That would make it all the stranger MP picked him above Briggs last week. What do they do this week? Pick Herbert who was anonymous at Quins or drop him after one game back from injury having previously dropped the kid who'd come in and done OK? If Herbert is poor against Sts on sunday it will be hard to defend Potter and if he picks Briggs his decision to drop him against Quins looks odder still. Not great for the confidence of either player as it looks like he's picking the 'least worst' rather than believing in either one.

Or option 3, Potter has targeted Saints as the 'top' team we may beat this year due to the Exiles etc. He may have played Herbert against Quins to see if he has learnt from past mistakes and testing his partnership with Jeffries. So if Potter brings Briggs in for Saints then he obviously favours Briggs/Jeffres to Herbert/Jeffreies after he has tried them both.

It was blatantly obvious from pre season that Briggs was the most skillful and dangerous of the two.

Got to be fair his passing and kicking has looked pretty crisp but he has also looked a little off the pace in terms of decision making and like he needed some actual studs putting in. I like him and a few more games and he will develop but I worried he got caught by the defence when taking too long. Still want it to be him and jeffries at the weekend