Yeah I like Bullock. He had a strong game against Leeds.

While I suspect this is playing to the gallery, I’ll bite.

I commend the decision to make Vaughan start from the bench, but some of this is hyperbole. Vaughan has given away three penalties all year. Holroyd is our most penalised with 6.

For 119 tackles and 92 carries, 3 penalties isn’t too shabby. Yes, dangerous throw sees a suspension, but I think that in isolation we could forgive. The one against Saints last year was simply ridiculous. Nobody comes off well from that.

But if you compare Bullocks two penalties for 36 tackles and 16 carries (league stats only, not cup), Vaughan isn’t the ill disciplined rogue he’s being painted to be.

And he’s also the best prop in the league. Are there two better starting props than Harrison and Vaughan in the league?

I'm probably wide of the mark, but my guess is Burgess is simply making the point that we still have players to get the job done without Vaughan. No player is bigger than the team and all that.

Very shrewd man management on the part of Burgess.

In the absence of Vaughan, over the last two games, others have had to step up. The message is clear, you performed and therefore you keep your place. Vaughan is too good to be left out of the 17 but, if the starting 13 from last week continue to perform, then we can afford to play him from the bench (actually not a bad option tactically to start with Harrison / Philbin then rotate with Vaughan / Bullock).

Whoever misses out this week, I would expect either Wood or Holroyd (my money would be on Wood), can feel a little unlucky but I'm sure that Burgess will handle that equally as well.

Where are we at in terms of Burgess? We’ve had marriage proposals for Vaughan, Fitzgibbon wined and dined and Harrison taken on a romantic boat ride…..surely we’re pretty close to reach around territory for Sam?

He comes as a package with Gleeson and as I’m fairly houseproud…

Begs the question how/when Drinkwater gets back in?

I was surprised that we turned down the loan deal that Hull FC requested.

Maybe we wanted to loan him short term initially, but they wanted him for the rest of this season?

Was that when they were still in the market for a Director of Rugby, got to think he's as qualified as Myler

No.

Save that for if we actually win something under his tenure!

How? I don't know. When? I expect it to be fairly soon.

Burgess has said that he 'likes what Drinkwater has to offer'. Whether or not he truly believes that, if we have knocked back an offer from Hull FC (and why would we accept it unless we had the chance to make an immediate, high value, signing?), then we need to give Drinkwater game time and a chance to prove what he can do under Burgess / Gleeson. So far all we have seen this season is the opening round against Catalan and half a game against Hull where he was partnering Hayes.

Hayes is certainly the future, but his development needs to be managed.

Quote: "And he’s also the best prop in the league. Are there two better starting props than Harrison and Vaughan in the league?'" Good review on Harrison and a comparison of his stats. with Vaughan in this article:- https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/sa ... s-harrison

Quote: "And he’s also the best prop in the league. Are there two better starting props than Harrison and Vaughan in the league?'" Good review on Harrison and a comparison of his stats. with Vaughan in this article:- https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/sa ... s-harrison