With Harrison moving up to prop, he is an ideal candidate for loose forward. It will give us an additional pivot in the middle of the field, his long passing game is excellent.

Let's see shall we. There is real challenge for the hooker spot and loose forward. Maybe you want him in the halves? He must be looking at our league table position and the likes of Grix, Higham, Monas, Harrisson et al and thinking where do I fit in as none deserve to be dropped.

I imagine he'll be starting at loose or on the bench. Probably before Vinnie, Mitchell, McCarthy when all are fit.

I'll nail my colours to the mast and say I prefer Grix at LF presently. He does not deserve to be dropped. But that is because I prefer LF's to be more like backs than forwards. It's a strategic choice I'll admit. Having said that I'd really be looking for an LF signing in the off-season which makes it a moot choice. Neither are utopian.

I'd agree I'd choose Grix at present. However, I might choose Clarke over Vinnie (or even Higham).

I'm struggling to see the 'Vinnie deserving to play for Warrington' argument now. He'll be gone 2011 he knows it, the players know it, we know it. I like Higham though and seemingly Smith does too. I can't see why Smith would want 3 players in the frame for hooker (and thus have one outside the 17, on a decent wedge, if all fit) so that makes Clarke as either superfluous to requirements (as I suspect) or in line for a LF role. I think TS is lumbered with him due to the rediculous 4 year extension given before his tenure. As I say I'd like to see someone at #13 who can match the calibre we have at #6,#7 and starting #9. We have already sorted #1 for next season.

Too old to have a "dual-registration" arrangement.

I think you have to be under 23.

Grix is playing some FAB stuff at loose at the moment, the more i see him there more i see him being a long term solution to that ongoing 13 issue. Clarkey, when he does comes back will have a few large obstacles to overcome:
1. To get match fit
2. Get into a winning side
3. Get used to our speed/style of play (as we are playing quite differently compared to 12/18months ago)

I think Smith's public comments about Clarke have all been supportive. I am not sure he is better for the current set up of our team than Grix, Monaghan, Higham, Louis, Westwood, Harrison (loose forward version) in their individual positions BUT he can cover ALL of those positions better than any other player in the squad.

Clarke's inclusion back in the side )at the moment) would allow us to keep the backline sorted, i know bridge had a great game at the weekend but clarke would have slipped in at 7 with minimal tinkering to the 3/4's.

whether we'd have played as well, thats another question.

Here's one for the clarke haters though, its testimonial time next year.

I'm not sure we're marking Clarke from the same marking scheme neither. Most of the squad have improved hugely under Smith and are head & shoulders to what they were under Cull & Lowes. Who's to say that Clarke won't come back and up his game a notch or two like Grix, Bridge, Harrison etc ...

I think with Harrison now used solely as a prop (keeping Cooper out), it's Grix & Clarke sharing LF when he's back. When I say sharing, I mean days like Sunday - Clarke would be on the bench able to occupy spells at 13 & 9.

He'll be slated for every little mistake he makes too.

Jon Clarke is the new Mike Wainwright.

Wainwright was the new Jon Clarke!

Looking at him he's slimmed down far too much to play 13 effectively. For me he'll replace Higham or whichever of our halves is injured (pretty sure we've played a lot more withuot our first choice halves than we have with them)