Surely the fact that every leaving playing was videoed thanking the fans ans answering question, but the only player who didn't have a video done was Hodgson, isn't that an indication that he left on bad terms?

Smith has previous for isolating big name players at the end of their career. Some years ago just after Smith took over at Warrington a well known ex Leeds prop didn't have an awful lot of nice things to say about smith for leaving him out of a Challenge cup final. I think it may have been the same final that Senior played on one leg.
I don't have a problem with the decision to leave Hodgson out of the squad. I don't think Fergie will be getting a Christmas card from a lot of ex Man Utd players.

I'm very much of the opinion if you turn up for 80 minutes a week and put a top notch shift in, that'll do.

As long as you're not a complete and utter disruptive nob that is.

If we were a part time club, I would agree with you. But the fact is Super League players are full time professionals and part of that is fulfilling various community and media commitments. Lets be honest, from the players I know they have an awful lot of spare time on their hands.

Cannot reiterate enough though that Hodgson is one of my favourite players to wear the primrose and blue, I hope we are completely wrong on this. Can only wish him all the best for the future and remember the many good memories he gave us at our club and elsewhere.

totally agree..and bert did and when the opportunity arose to meet him and the rest of the squad he was fantastic...i wish him all the best for the future

Perhaps its nothing devious and the club wants to free up an overseas spot??

Saying that, we still have one overseas spots free now, solomonas from last season and now Hodgsons has been given away as we've only brought in Big Roy...unless there's another signing that hasn't been announced?

Solomona didn't count towards the quota.

Better than Brian Johnson??.... Not a chance, Johnson was a fantastic all round full back and but for Australia having 2 truly world class number 1's in Garry Jack and Gary Belcher, would have been an Aussie regular at a time when their side was really a great one.

I concur about Johnson but didn't wanna say.

Hesford best kicker we have ever had
Johnson and whitehead two best fullbacks
Don't think Hodgson would get in top six imo

No probs with your alternative points of view.

I did say ''the best full back we've had since Hesford and Whitehead IMO and I'm not sure then who would come out on top.''

Stats can give an indication (these taken from Wikipedia and other sources so could be slightly out)
Whitehead 1969–79 274 17 713 21 1516
Hesford 1980-86 ? 17 508 18 1092
Johnson 1985-88 ? 48 0 0 192
Hodgson 2011–13 74 39 311 2 792
Hodgson compares favourably here

But it doesn't take into account the defensive effectiveness or the differences in playing in a winning team verses a mediocre one.
Also it doesn't show the guidance given to the rest of the team from this position.

I did raise my eyes when Padders said Hodgson wouldn't get in the top 6 though ! Can't really think of another 3 ahead of Brett since '69.

I would agree that Hesford is the best kicker and I'd take any one of those three at their prime as fullback now.
Johnson was very very good and I'd have him up there too.
I think Hodgson's organizational ability was the best. (Man of Steel before he came to us but still at the top of his game with us).

Onward and upward.
Ratch looks like he's going to be given a half back role, so our 'new boy' at 1 has a lot to live up to.

Hodgson was a World Class full back who played state of origin.

He was a world class goal kicker as was Hesford, Johno wasn't

He was world class at taking high balls as was Hesford, Johno was good but prone to the odd error

He was world Class at joining the attacking line and creating overlaps and tries for himself or other players. Hesford and Johnno were not creative fullbacks maybe unfair as it wasnt their job back then
Brian Johnson was world class at joining the line at full pace and creating breaks and tries for himself.

Hesford and Johno were two of my favourite ever players, but Hodgson was the best I've seen by some distance.

I also Liked Dave Lyon and Paul Ford ( who kept Johno on the bench in the 86 final) but not in the memory of man are those two better than Hodgson. So I'm at a loss to think of six better than Hodgson.

I think the role of a full-back changed significantly from when Johno (a personal favourite) played to when Brett (and the likes of Lockyer) have risen to eminence.

The modern day FB is like a third half-back and joins the line much more frequently so it's not exactly a like for like comparison. Both wonderful players, excelling at different facets of the game who gave huge enjoyment.

Mention of Dave Lyon reminds me of the tactic we employed whereby he'd receive the ball on the first tackle and immediately kick downfield. He had a huge kick on him and the tactic was to play the percentages and trap the opposition in their 25, and it often worked.

I recall the purists on the terraces being unhappy about it, but it was pretty much ahead of it's time, and I seem to recall the idea came from Johno's time as coach. One of the players at the time once told me he (Johno) had some brilliant ideas but some of the players struggled to put them into practice. I guess this was borne out by the fact he rose to be one of the leading development coaches in Australia.