4. Powell got him mixed up with some 36 year old aussie from wagga wagga called Dean Riley, who retired 5 years ago when his left leg fell off but who fancies a shot at SL

So young and yet so cynical.

Just happy we've re-signed him

Can Powell stop this ratchford at 6 nonsense then? Dean should be playing every game he is fit for between now and the end of the season.

This, gve him a taste now rather than play Mata'utia in the halves. I want mata'utia back at centre personally and somebody with an actual kicking game in the halves. Dean and ratchford I would be happy with if Williams isn't fit. There won't be a better chance to give Riley Dean a run of games than in a season which is well and truly written off. Dean will be far better for it in the long run.

Good..now play the lad this Weekend...along with players that deserve to be in the squad

He might even surprise a few people. He has a good bag of tricks, and he’s an unknown quantity to opposition teams.

Thing is - whether it's going back to GO'B, Declan Patton, Harvey Livett or whoever - we've never really developed that many great youngsters - yes, they all tried hard etc, and gone off to other clubs, and had reasonable careers, but maybe Powell has seen through the veneer of them being 'good enough' and wants a wholesale overhaul of youth development.

So just chucking Longstaff or Dean into the 1st Team won't likely develop them (as we're talking about breaking the previous culture here) - but giving them a bit of time & space to develop (elsewhere) might.

Is he really the future, or another decent youngster that will go on to have a decent career?

Obviously my heart says I’d love him to become the real deal but my brain says maybe not

You may be right BUT I'd say that O'Brien and Patton particularly had plenty of game time with us AND in teams with a bit more form than this lot are showing.

Exactly, if we lose we lose. We are losing anyway.

Exactly. Patton had 108 games for Warrington including in a side that made the Grand Final.

That's sort of the point - did all that 1st Team experience, surrounded as you say by better players than we've got now, actually help either GOB or Dec Pat develop into the players they could/should have been ?

Is a bit more nurture, outside the current environment, maybe going to allow Dean & Longstaff time to improve in the way Powell wants them too for 2023 and beyond.

Whatever Dean goes on to be he is currently a better option than Ratchford the same goes for Longstaff over Holmes/Currie

Fair enough. Personally I can't see how playing for Hull FC with new teammates and structures is more beneficial than playing for his home town team.

I suspect the issue is that Powell cannot be seen to drop another of his signings to make way.