If you look at Roby then for most of the time he makes breaks when the opposition defence are in disarray, or at least are not properly set. He got those opportunities in the WC because we had a pack that provided plenty of go forward and who were capable of winning the ruck. Contrast that to our forwards last season and most of the time they were flat on their backs in the tackle, allowing the defence to brew a cup of tea before jogging over to their positions. Go forward was very poor (hence the need for Russell). So Clark looked very much like just another forward for most of the game. I am hoping we are going to see a very different set of tactics under Price and hence opportunities to exploit what Clark does best by making those lightening fast breaks from the ruck.

On a slightly different topic, why did Chris Hill improve over the course of the WC ? By the final he was looking much more like the player we know from previous seasons. It could be that he wasn't having to carry the pack (provide most of the go-forward). But he also seemed to get 20 minute stints on the field whereas under TS he had to do a lot longer than that in most games. Was he simply flogged to death last year ?

This is also true.

Hill didn’t get a decent pre-season last year I think (some operation wasn’t it?) so maybe he just didn’t get chance to catch up as all the workload for the yards fell to him. He also had the burden of being Captain in a poorly performing team and mentally he probably lost a little bit of that lift. He seemed to get easily rattled and spent more time arguing with opposition players and the referee. I wonder if there’s any other member of the team who’s got some decent leadership in them? Then Hill could get on with what he does best. Goodwin has plenty of games unde his belt but I’m not sure whether he’s ever led a team...

Isn't this Luis Johnson thread ?

Who's Luis Johnson?....
Every mighty oak has many branches.

Give it a little longer in the oven and it'll become a Matty Russel thread

The more money the richer clubs spend the more money the clubs at the level below have too and so on and so on. In a sport like ours where there’s a hint of just a bit of crisis if a few more clubs who are on the brink of bankruptcy go over that line, the clubs with money should be encouraged to spend as much as they can if it’s going down the ladder in this country.

Clark has been brilliant for us. I think he has progressed. He’s just been let down by a poor pack (and I include Hill in that) last year.

I don't blame Clark for the Clark we've had...I blame Smith...
However he's never been brilliant since he left Cas....that's why I blame Smith...let's see what he can do for Price.

Exactly. Fresh start next season. Starting match jerseys earned in the pre-season rather than Tony's 17.

I think he earned mos coming off the bench than from a start.

He generally played the last 20 mins of each half when he won MOS i think.

As the 2014 season went on I think Clark got more and more game time, of the four most important fixtures of the Castleford season that year (CC Semi, CC Final, 2x Play offs) Clark was only on the bench for one of them.

Hmmm...and how many of them did they win?!

Maybe Powell is just that far ahead in coaching ability, that no player looks the same when they leave. Really hope Price can get him back to his MoS form though.