What roopy says sounds good to me. We'll take that.

Trying to think what a Sandow/Gidley combination would look like.

Sandow loves a big play and is always looking to do something special.
Gidley is insanely fit and wants to do all the work.

Sandow is an awful defender who falls off tackles all the time.
Gidley will do at least 30 tackles and can take anyone down one on one.

I think it will work. Gidley will do the 99% perspiration, and Sandow will do the 1% inspiration and walk away with all the credit.

Roopy, would you say Gidley is a better full back than a half? Most of us aren't sure whether Smith will play Ratchford at Full Back and Gidley in the halves or play Gidley at the back and Ratchford at 6...?

fullback

Gidley FullBack
Ratch at 6
Matty on the wing
Rhys and Ryan in the Centres

Thanks Roopy,



That was pretty much my thinking too.

1. Gidley
2. Lineham
3. Evans
4. Atkins
5. Penny
6. Ratchford
7. Sandow
8. Hill
9. Clark
10. Simms
11. Hughes
12. Westwood
13. Westerman

14. Currie
15. Dodds
16. Bailey
17. Cox/Laithwaite/Dwyer

OR

1. Russell
2. Lineham
3. Ratchford
4. Atkins
5. Penny
6. Gidley
7. Sandow
8. Hill
9. Clark
10. Simms
11. Hughes
12. Westwood
13. Westerman

14. Currie
15. Dodds
16. Bailey
17. Cox/Laithwaite/Dwyer

No Ratchford at fullback this year as much as i like him as a player.

At fullback, Gidley can also do whole sets at dummy half in attack if you want too.
He actually got a 10/10 rating from RLW (one of only 2 players to ever get that) when he played a position Brian Smith called 'rover'. He basically played fullback in defence and hooker in attack for 80 minutes. He probably isn't fit enough to do that now - no one else is either.

Thanks for coming on the forum roopy. Just the sort of informed views we need.

Gidley himself says he plays best at fullback and I've always been of the opinion that he was signed to play there. Always has the option of being moved into the halves in the event that Ratchford is not available.

Absolutely Sandow to benefit. Gidley is a class act albeit one at the end of his career. When I heard you had signed Sandow I did laugh a bit because all accounts from the NRL point to him being more a burden than benefit.

The big question for me, if people are right in the assumption that Ratch wil play in the halves, is whether Ratch can provide the structure and tactical discipline that we need. Sandow and Ratch seem a bit too off-the-cuff as a partnership for me.

I may be wrong though and an extended period at halfback for Ratch may see this part of his game develop. Gidley can add some structure but his influence will be more limited from full back.

I think you'll find that he will get himself into dummy half and into the halves every chance he gets.
He isn't a fullback who stands around waiting for things to happen, and if he thinks someone needs to make something happen, he'll run in and call for the ball and try something.

I hope that's the case. Will be interesting to see how ot all comes together.

If Gidley can be as effective at fullback as Hodgson was then he will do for me. One thing for sure Ratch isn't a fullback.