Who would have thought that it would be us telling other clubs fans this now.

I remember Hull fans saying this about Toa Kohe-Love how his career would really kick on after leaving Warrington because he would get better coaching there.

Not really. We get a few people wanting to make up / spread rumours about him and delight in doing so everytime he's out injured but I'd say the majority of fans appreciate what a great player he has been / still is.

At the end of the day we just post opinions, it doesn't mean anyone is 100% correct.

Any player that pulls on a Wire shirt i'm 101% behind them when they play for us, it doesn't matter if i don't rate them as a player because at the end of the day they are playing for the club we support and they are wearing the primrose, yellow and blue. (Eddie irony)

I still believe that Steffan Ratchford's best position for us would be in the halves, play Briers at 7 for his organisational skills and kicking game and partner Ratchford with him. Briers could control the games from 7 with Ratchford being our attacking flair that looks to break the line on a regular basis and having a decent amount of pace to take us well up field or it resulting in a try.

I wonder whether there is mileage in having another ball player in the centres. It's a popular trend in union to have a 'second stand off' playing at outside centre, Jonny Wilkinson has played at centre a lot, Iestyn Harris and Henry Paul played there.

Can't think of it happening too often in league but it was done in Australia for a period with Canberra and Penrith playing a second stand-off in the centres, Canberra used Laurie Daley at centre with Chris O'Sullivan (later to join Wire) at 6; Penrith had Brad Fittler at centre with Steve Carter 6. Also I could be wrong on this but I think Matt Gidley used to play stand-off in junior grades at Newcastle Knights but he was played as an extra playmaker in the centres.

That will happen in the NRL a lot due to the amount of talent that they produce in Australia, using Laurie Daley as one of your examples, the only way that they could accomodate Chris O'Sullivan in the side was to drop Laurie daley back in at centre. Its pretty easy to slot a stand off in at centre as their a ball playing back, its the same the other way round where the natural progression for a very creative centre is to be tried at stand off.

Ratchford seems to be a jack of all trades but not really a master at any, yeh you would say he's an accomplised stand off just like you would say he's an accomplished centre but would you say he's the next Tony Myler or John Woods at stand off ? Or the next Alan Bateman or Jonathon Davies at centre ? I'd say clearly not on the evidence of what we've seen so far. I won't comment on his fullback potential given his apparent weak looking defence which has been confirmed on here by a Salford fan.

I remember when Paul Sykes in his early days was touted as being similar to what Ratchford is, a classy back that can play either fullback, centre or stand off ...... The rest is history, i aint saying that Ratchord will turn out to be the next Paul Sykes but i'd like to have seen us sign someone with a more proven pedigree as he won't be on peanuts given that we signed Salford's best player who was being tracked by a lot of other clubs including Wigan. Our offer must have been a very good one.

At the end of the day we have to give the lad a chance, don't forget when Mr Smith signed Solo we all said it was a waste of time how wrong we were. I went to Leigh last week and while Stephan made a few mistakes at fullback he also did some good things. He has said since he signed he will have to up his game, playing with better players will also help.

Don't forget Hodgson will also help along with Mr Smith and the backroom teams coaching give the lad a chance.

IN SMITH WE TRUST

Of the players that were available who would you have gone for?

Everyone is available at the right price.

Personally i'd like to see us have gone for Rangi Chase, he was coming to the end of his contract with Cas before he re-signed a new deal. Riley is good cover for Hodgson, we don't need a new full back as yet. Rhys Evans will be good cover for the centres and wings this year, Gareth O'Brien didn't look out of place on his debut so their is plenty of optimism with the cover at scrum half.

A combination of Chase at 6 and Briers at 7 would have been seriously X factor, Briers with his organisational skills, kicking and passing game complimented by Chase with his ability to open up any defence, a similar style to Benji Marshall where both do things that don't look possible.

Its just my own opinion but i don't think Ratchford is a player we desperately needed to sign.

Why makes you think that we need to replace Myler? I think he had a great seaosn last season and towards the end he really started to dictate play on a more regular basis.

Really, i didn't notice him in the Leeds game up and till he was caught offisde at the end. In the challenge cup quarter final against Wigan he had a big chance to to take control and lead us around the field due to us having Lee Briers missing through injury, again he was low key in that game.

They were our 2 biggest games of the season and he failed to show up in both.

If you like him as a player then thats fair enough, its a game of opinions. I know a half back pairing of Chase/Briers would be far more destructive than a halfback pairing of Briers/Myler.

How many others went missing against Leeds and Wigan as well? Monaghan was anonymous in these games and nobody brings that up.

Michael Monaghan wasn't fully fit against Leeds, he was basically playing with one good arm. I think it was the Hull game where he picked up the injury.

The likes of Lee Briers and Michael Monaghan (Lance Todd Trophy winners) have nothing to prove in big games, they are proven performers on the big stage with silverware at stake. Lee Briers and Michael Monaghan can't carry us all the time, what happens when one or both are missing ?

Correct it will need Richie Myler to step up and lead us around the pitch, he's failed to do that twice now when it really mattered both against Leeds inn the play offs and Wigan in the cup.

At home to Wigan he had a brilliant game. Pretty big game that. Seeing that nobody has agreed with you, says to me that you're the minority on this point. Like you say it's all about opinions though pal.

There are some short memories on here. Anyone remember when Alan Langer was here and people were saying that Lee Briers wasn't consistant enough? There were several players brought in during the DVDV era with a view to replacing Briers because of an alleged lack of consistancy. I'm quite happy with Myler, no-one really performed in the Wigan Cup match and we didn't buy a centre to play at scrum half.

You are a bit out of line there, rob.

Wigan we were twenty points down before most of the team woke up and that leeds game was filled with people making very uncharacteristic errors (grix's pass to hall being a stinker)

You only seem to notice (or not notice) myler when it is convenient. He was leading in some of our biggest wins (wigan away being a great example) myler had a great season, will improve and certainly, doesn't need dropping!