TS on guardian says we have 9 out. Who?

Rhys Evans
Ben Evans
Simon Grix
Matt Russell

Who are the other five he is referring to?

Forgot biscuit Wheeler. Other 4 then?

Weak excuse for me. No one in that list would make a blind bit of difference to the side. Grix I can stomach but the rest are also rans tbh.

I think there was talk about Penny having an injury. Toby King and Joe Philbin are as well I think. That leaves Patton, which would also explain why GOB has come back into the team.

And maybe counting Westwood's suspension.

Only Westwood and a fit Grix would have a case to walk straight into the team.
So two not nine.

TS has been waving the injury flag for at least the last fortnight in all interview and press releases.
A sign of pressure if you ask me.

I just seen an England RFU ad on this site...!

I was having a laugh to myself about these comments at the game yesterday, sounds to me like Smith was getting his excuses in early to take the pressure off the players. We actually look like a team that has had injuries and our half backs are out injured so we are making do with what we've got. Alarmingly and unfortunately, apart from Grix and Westwood and maybe Russell, yesterday's team is as good as it gets for 2015

I reckon TS still counts Briers as being out injured, hence why we haven't bothered with getting another half back.

Maybe we should ask Hull KR to try and find us a half back, they certainly haven't had any problems bringing them in over the last few years. Dobson, Green, Burns, Campese, Kelly. Just a shame they can't keep hold of them.

How many trophies have Hull KR won with that array of half back talent?

Not really the point CW is it? The point is that we have a decent team all round bar our half backs and 1/2 props, yet we are told there is an issue because it is challenging finding talent at 6/7

Dobson, Green, Campese, and Burns are far far far better than anything we have had since Briers. Even with Briers we lacked a good 7.

I disagree Wirefan, Briers was in effect our 7 with 6 on his shirt back. The shirt no change was based entirely on the signing of Alfie Langer.

Every one of those players would have made our team but for some reason we don't seem confident enough to bring a half back in. I hope the club have had a plan in place and somebody big in mind to put into the halves next season otherwise the club will have a lot to answer for

Saints were missing 7 vs Wigan with Roby only half fit and still managed to compete. It seems like Tony's fire has gone out these days, always making excuses, poor body language

Always liked him as a coach though so hopefully things will turn around (from a Saints fan)

maybe the club can't afford it for whatever reason?
i think every club would want to go out and bag a world class half back, there aren't many of them around, fortunately we have one of them but he is coming to the end of his career in the next year or two and we still haven't found a partner for him.
it's all very well fans saying to just go out and buy someone etc , although the marquee ruling thing might help, you can't just go and buy top players without making room on the salary cap for them ( unless you employ certain players wives in a role at the club )although im sure no club has ever done that.