Edited for accuracy.

‘Marmomite’ Bombed an opportunity with a poor pass to Widdop in the second half when he broke through & knocked on when chasing the game, in which Johnstone picked it up and went half the length of the field to score. Jury’s out.

Gelling will return to training this week.
No criminal updates expected until mid-March at the least.
Probably won't be in contention until at least then.

Mamo is never a centre. FB or winger only.

Play a centre at centre. The players around him need to step up. We shouldn't be shufing players around to fit.

Ratch to centre according to this https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... n-toronto/

Ratch to centre according to this https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... n-toronto/

He can do the job and it'll work vs Toronto, but that is a formality and won't be an indication of what difference of spine options will be restricted.
Ratchford isn't a Hardaker...he's so much more than that.

Ratchford at centre feels like the type of thing that will get brought up in a few weeks time as a reason for us losing games but it is going to be a red herring.

With some players you see them move into a different position and have a big drop off in their performance or effectiveness but I've never really seen that with Ratchford. The difference in moving him from fullback to centre to stand off is marginal at most.

Bear in mind as well that for most of this lost-10-from-the-last-12-in-Super-League run that we are on, Ratchford has been playing fullback. We haven't been losing [ibecause[/i Ratchford was at fullback, but we can't turn round in a few weeks time and say why is Ratchford playing centre if only he was back at fullback we'd be beating teams.

It's just a red herring debate when it comes to Ratchford, same as I wouldn't have wasted time arguing that whether it made a big difference playing Jonathan Davies at fullback/stand-off rather than centre, or Simon Grix at centre/loose forward.

Also if you start from the position that Gareth Widdop and Matty Ashton should have a place in the starting line up then it's hard to come up with a different solution than Ratchford to centre, unless we shove Ashton or Widdop out to the wing (or Austin? England did it?) and drop one of Charnley or Lineham. But that feels more disruptive than Ratchford to centre.

Finally, I reckon Ratchford will be a better centre for us than Mamo or Brand, same as I think he would have have been a better halfback in the post-Briers era than any of GO'B, Gidley, Patton, Roberts or Brown.

Agree with this, ratchford is our best player IMO. We have a spine that should trouble anyone, ratchford is the most likely to be moved around out of him, Ashton, Austin and widdop because he can play anywhere in the back line, such is his understanding and reading of the game.

I like Ratchford... But ive never liked him at FB.....He is too exposed there and i dont think the position suits his skillset.... Defensively he is massively vulnerable in that position .. if an opposition player breaks the line, they usually run past him with ease.... he also offers very little yards when returning the ball. His lack of pace means that the opposition close up on him very quickly... Deeps kicks often result in us pinned near own own line... if they can kick over his head and make him turn around, we are under the cosh... A tactic used alot against him.

Ashton on the other hand, from what little we have seen is the complete opposite... he can tackle, he cant be outpaced and run around the outside of, he is a threat when returning the ball and will cause uncertainty... having someone that can return the ball at speed and cause uncertainty in the defensive line can, as we have seen, can give impetus to an attack right at the very start of a set... which is MASSIVE.

Ashton gave us that threat... that go forward... We built momentum well on the back of the confidence his running gave the team..... Price made an error by dropping/roating/resting him.. I would be surprised to see him make that mistake again.

With everyone fit...... and with Austin, Widdop at 6 & 7.....Ratchford has to play centre, which is more suited to his game anyway than FB..... I just dont see any other feasible solution... he certainly isnt a LF.

I'd have Ratchford at hb above Austin and Widdop... but in agreement with CW8...neither of the said 2 could play any position better than Ratchford.

Matty Ashton is the most exciting/dynamic player I have seen in P&B since Jonathan Davies

I have reservations with moving Ratchford at Centre, he is an excellent distributor and at this point, for all the threat he poses, Ashton doesn't have that skill set at full back. Our link up play to get the ball wide is clunky at best as it is, my concern is that if we lose Ratchford providing that link this will deteriorate further. With Clark and Ashton our sole focus could well be to attack teams through the middle with quick play the balls and offloads which is easily countered by a team who dominates us around the ruck or if we encounter a referee that isn't strict enough in that area.

All that said, removing Ratchford from the role could free us up a little and Toronto is as good an opportunity as any to try out a new system. Ashton doesn't really deserve to be dropped, but then I worry with Ratchford away from Full Back. Its a tough call for Price I think.

Our attack has been clunky since hodgson left. The role of the fullback is massively important in every teams attack in this day and age. If Ashton was going to miss out against Wakefield I would've left ratchford in the halves and played widdop at full back. I'm happy with ratchford in the centre though, he wasn't too shabby there for Salford or for us in both finals in 2012.

Obviously not something you want to do with your marquee player in his first game, but i would have swapped Ratchford & Widdop about for the 2nd half at Wakey.