Stefan Ratchford is now a luxury player that we can no longer afford to have. This post is bob on for everything that is wrong with him. He is an individual and not a team player. Everything that goes through him hits a brick wall. Everytime he gets in the line for the extra man he cuts inside and brings the play to a halt. He has to many brain farts in defence. He cost us 6 last night through trying to be too clever and not getting the speculative kick out of play. He carries the ball too loosely and knocks on far to much. He needs a couple of weeks out of the team to get his head right because at the moment he is to much of a liability. Not sure what Wayne Bennett sees in him.

Perhaps a 3/4 line of Lineham, Goodwin ,Brown & Atkins with Ratch at half back & try Mitch Brown at fullback.

You picking mitch brown twice there?

Goodwin, Atkins, Johnson, M Brown, lineham

Maybe try Taylor Prell soon and see what he has to offer. I know there will be mistakes with an inexperienced player but save lineham and goodwin our back 5 has been full of mistakes anyway.

Not a fan of Ratchford AT ALL - but with our current squad predicaments i would be playing him off the bench. However, with Roberts injured i'd be moving Ratch into the halves and Mitch Brown to FB as as much as I don't rate Ratchford he offers much more than Patton who is a Championship player at best.

Be very interesting to see our next matchday squad and how we respond.

No. Kev Brown in to 3/4s ,Ratch & Roberts in the halves i was thinking. Kev was originally a centre i believe. Atkins on the wing.

Best post on this thread.

Brown will be far too slow at centre both in attack and defence.

Ratchford is not a half, every time I’ve seen him play there he a brought nothing to it, only position I’ve seen him play well was centre. Just my opinion.

I don't like the idea of K Brown in the centres, could be an option though. If Roberts in out for a while then maybe brown and ratchford in the halves, or maybe ratchford spelling clark at 9. He gives us lots of options on the bench, or on the pitch so has to be involves. Personally I would try him in the halves again.

The last player we had who brought anything to the halves was sandow, I've not give up on Roberts, I think he will be massive for us when he is fit, or at least a massive improvement.

it really isn't.

I agree that one wasn't.

The above reasons would see a full back at any club dropped or indeed not at full back. Our club and a lot of fans are stuck on the "we must find him a position" band wagon. If the club thought he was a centre we probably wouldn't have signed Goodwin if was a half back we probably wouldn't have signed Brown (previously) and Roberts this year. He is certainly not a forward for me. So where does this leave him, for me he is a luxury we do not need given the playing staff we have. However, I can see that letting him go and someone giving him a position he would flourish. We do not appear willing to do that other than at full back, which clearly does not suit him.

So what is it about Ratchford that makes him a good RL player? He's pretty elusive but is hardly breaking the line with regularity, his defence is below average at best, his pace is average, he's not really got a ruthless eye for the line in the opposition 10 despite having the footwork to do just that, his passing is average and his kicking is below average....but he can scoop a ball up one handed, run with it one handed (in a horrible homage to the legend John Woods) and amble about as if he's the cleverest, most talented player on the field. I'm not singling him out for our current woes but i believe he's a very well paid luxury and I cannot fathom why.

Saints fan myself but whenever I’ve watched Ratchford play for Warrington I’ve rarely been impressed. He’s a utility player who can fill in at a few different positions but there isn’t one position where’s he good enough to play regularly. Whilst your problems obviously aren’t all down to Ratchford you definitely need an out and out fullback. It’s such an important position and when you look at the difference Barba has made (so far) for us, a world class fullback would make a huge difference for Warrington.