I'd have no problem with O'Brien as a cheap utility cover, if Powell wants that. He's worth more than a Latu or Asotasi any day.

Do we need it though? We have fullback cover we have halfback cover. Just unnecessary cap space under current circumstances IMO.

Sculthorpe and Harris??

I’d be disappointed to lose Trueman - he’s a very young half with plenty of experience for his age.
But he’s by no means an international-level half-back yet. He might become one, but he might not.
At the moment, he looks great in some games, but anonymous in others. The trouble is that he doesn’t (yet) have many good games against top teams.
As a Cas supporter, if I was picking our best half-back combination, at the moment it would be Richardson and O’Brien.

Brad Dwyer is getting more game time at Leeds, and playing all the better for it

If Richardson is looking good at cas it proves what a good coach Powell is.

I like Dwyer, but it was best for him that he left. He was too good to be an understudy for Clark who can do 70 minutes on his worst days.

Paul bishop Billy McGinty Andy Gregory

As a Wire supporter, I’d be pretty pist off swapping Widdop and Austin/Ratchford for
Richardson and O’Brien!

Funny that, cos Powell hauled Richardson off yesterday. I cannot remember Richardson having a good game for us. Maybe pre covid against saints which feels like a lifetime ago.

After the years of Aussie coaches at the Wire & a club hierarchy believing that everything from Down under is best ,i am looking forward to seeing an English coach at the helm. Perhaps our younger players may start to get more game time & be encouraged to flourish instead of having to deal with the spectre of an import coming in to displace them.

And you would get a potential match winner.

Agree with most of your post except this. He had 1 good season at Saints then injuries and the emergence of Steve Prescott lost him his place.

I can't remember his transfer fee, but we definitely got his best years, albeit in a mostly mediocre side. Saints fans would probably have objectively seen his transfer as a waste of money and wages.

Fortunately we had an emerging Lee Penny to replace him.

I have seen Savelio play a few times this season and I have been impressed with him. He has nailed down a regular starting spot and appears to have matured. When he was with us it looked like he wanted to hand off every player on the pitch to show how strong he was. For a big bloke he covers a lot of ground. He applies a lot of pressure on kickers and he is always trying to get back to scramble to cover breaks or mop up kicks. His defence is pretty solid too.
I think if Hull FC keep progressing he might be one that we look at to say he was one that got away.

I thought he was good for us to be honest and was a bit disappointed we let him go.