Identifying a half-back is one thing. Signing them is a whole different proposition.

Four points over Easter will change everything again! We need a big effort Thursday and hopefully Leeds will soften Cas up on Friday, ready for Monday.

Brough bossed the game last Friday and it was disappointing to see as player for player, we are a better side than Fartown, but it just shows how a top half back is key!

Our half backs are still quite young (except Bridge who I do not think is fully fit yet) so they will learn and mature each game. It's a big season for Gareth O'Brien but as a Warrington lad, I would love to see him go on and be our 7 for years to come. I was as disappointed as anyone Friday but sometimes, upon reflection, which is a great thing afterwards, patience is needed and it is a long season.

I've got no doubt we will be in the mix come play-off time and to be honest, looking at Saints and Wigan, there isn't much difference between the top teams.

There were still some noticeable major issues in the game against Leeds, which I can't see being solved this year. Any team will have a few big wins- look at Wakefield last year beating us, Leeds and Wigan. As a club we had moved on from beating Leeds being a big occasion, if we want to be the 'big club' we claim we are them there is a hell of a lot of work to do.

When I watched our tries from the Huddersfield game I was surprised by positive the contribution of Bridge. The forum comments seemed to imply that he wasn't on the pitch. He was definitely there and made at the least two important passes.

It seems to me that everything has to be black or white on this forum, with the preference for black.

We've got a very good 6 in the shape of Stefan Ratchford. The problem is TS seems set on playing him at fb.

As a bridge at SO 'criticizer'(if you will) i have no problem saying that he did very well for those two moments, however the rest of the game, he was a passenger, including the 4 sets in the first half that we were camped on their line.

These are all the more memorable due to his abscence and invisibility for the rest of the game.


I myself, try not to be black or white in opinion, i'm not one of the 'throwing my hands in the air' brigade who have to criticize wire players "cos they're e, get rid of them" even during my disputes with the duck, i've tried to remain respectfuly in my opinions of bridge, because he is a bloody bloody good centre, but never ever a stand off.

As for ratch, he may be a stand off, from his time here i've not been overly impressed with his play in the halves and i've never quite worked out what it is, till recently, he reminds me of Iestyn harris (bear with me) in his early years at stand off, Ratch has this stepping, wobbling head back and forth style that he uses and harris used to do that a lot as well although he also at times had the ability to actually beat and go round a man, which you don't see ratch do off his own back.

This is why i see his best position in the team at full back, he can utilise his strengths best there, chiming in and also occasionally picking up at DH when the time is right, not when we're spamming the place out with DH runs.

That said, i think he's still learning his defensive positioning at fb, as he was at fault i think for at least two trys on friday, the Ellis one and also the one in the NE corner that everyone had a pop at penny about, he should have been on his way over to cover that, penny had to be up in the line.

That's why I thought he was given the No 6 shirts more fool me

You said it.

I happen to think that Ratchford is a better fullback than Russell, certainly from a joining in the attacking line POV, where he has more space suited to his running style. Admittedly, Russell looks busy on kick returns, so I've not totally written him off playing in a position that matches his shirt number, just think he needs to be a bit smarter.

I was disappointed with Ratchford last week, although he's not alone on that score and he's one of my current favourites. I wasn't in my usual SW40 spec but over in the NE and thought that one of their try's was a misread at best, but, at worst he looked like he bottled it. Admittedly the bounce wasn't kind, but, from looking like he should have got there first, to a dead heat, he stood off and the rest is history.

IMO there was no need for Penny to jump in the line for the other kick to the corner so I'm not pinning that one on Ratchford FMC.

Onwards and hopefully upwards NTW

Ratchford full back or centre for me he doesn't seem to make enough room at half but that's the same for others at the moment, is it the forwards they are good in the wrestle and usually solid but rarely break the line as Philbin did at Cats to put the opposition on the back foot.

Still need a bit of perspective do we?

Oh yes mate .. The Garbage served up in front of us and the fact we are the laughing stock of Super League should just be ignored apparently ..!