I agree Holdsworth needs to pull his finger out, but to be fair any set of halfbacks would find it difficult playing behind our pack...

Solution for Godwin's injury would be put smith at 9, bring Sean Long in at 7 and alternate Long's substitutions with Howarth reverting Smith back to 7.

simples.....

Bl00dy Hell DI that's once I've agreed with you and now you're agreeing with me - paranoia setting in soon!!

Ill never call you Mr though......

I'm not one for playing people out of position , Matty Smith has to stay put at 7 for me , the Smith / Holdsworth pairing has to be given more games to settle in before we start peeling Long's retirement slippers off for rugby boots!
Gareth Owen will have to step up , simple as, otherwise he should not be in the squad. Also Sneyd I think deputised at 9 a few games last season. Howarth if fit remains a really good bench utililty player, but not starting hooker.

Is he ready though, if he isn't, it could be the difference between winning and losing games, hooker has never been as demanding as it is nowadays..

I guess there's only one way we'll find out DI.. anyway he's only up against Roby

.

As we're back to 10 interchanges rather than 12, is it time to revert to 80 minute hookers anyway?

In the worst case scenario that the hooker then gets injured, we could then shuffle Smith to 9, move Moon to stand off, and put a back rower in the centres.

EDIT - just seen ave it's post on another thread. I'd say "great minds think alike", but I know ave it.

note t Howarth: keep your passes loso players can make momentum.

Having done my intercostals (or whatever they are called) twice and cartilege twice (insrance firms hate me), I send empathy and sympathy to Goodwin: ouch.

Get Owen in: we are not favourites next week so expose ideas and players: fail- no criticism, succeed- full praise.

I would put smith there and give moon a chance at 6

I reckon keep Smith and Holdsworth together for the time being, think they need a bit more time to gel properly. It could give Owen a real chance to shine, or we could stick to Howarth. If it starts going wrong then try Smith at 9 and something different with the halves, maybe Moon at 6 even.

Why are people saying that the Holdsworth/Smith partnership needs time to "bed in"? Didnt they play together almost all last season?

To be fair Smith spent a lot of last season also being our 2nd hooker. So you could (weakly) argue that they have n't really had a proper chance to gel