very true. faiumu also very highly respected by the players, vice captain not too long ago

Just been looking through some old examiner reports - Ta'ai was originally reported to be joining the club end of November- anyone heard any news on when he's coming? Hope the visa is sorted!

He's spending Christmas with his family back in oz due after Christmas.He is in full training with the Warriors.

As if often the case there is a visa problem,but not serious enough to jeopardize things in the long run.(so they say)

Why not go back to positional numbers on game day ie 1-17 they can still have their club numbers if needed for the RL for id purposes.

Probably doesn't matter to you or I, but many, particularly kids want a favourite players shirt, a budding little Eorl probably loves his Crabtree 8 shirt, not so good if Eorl is on interchange with 15

a reason for squad number is also that players have fitted shirts now, compared to the old days where everyone wore the shirts and it did not matter if they looked like short dresses.

If Eorl was number 15 one week and the following week Luke was rotational hooker, it would look really silly. Either Eorl would be wearing a crop top, or Robinson would be wearing a belt, or a sumo suit underneath

Think there would be more than one set with different size options (especially the interchange ones) and this problem does not appear to crop up in Championship/Championship 1 but it is certainly a marketing tool pinched from football (and American Sports before that) and I guess as a way of identifying players it works be they our players or probably more useful the opposition.

They manage in the NRL.

id scrap numbers correlating to positions and just put all the numbers in a hat, when a new player comes to the club/ a youth earns a squad number, they pick a number out of the hat, and thats the number they have for there entire stay at the giants. no arguments, no pride gained or lost, no tantrums because their squad number isnt 1- 13

But this is sport, and there should always be an element of competition, 1-13 are the starting shirts, and every player will, or should be striving to get one.

But there could be the opposite argument mate --"Ive got the comfort zone of being, (despite a drop in form ), the first choice in that position"

Competition should be to get on that team sheet by someone else losing form or being injured --and keeping that place as lomg as possible by consistently performing ---not by a "first 13" shirt number IMO