How will we line up next year?

My 17 /subs/

FBDorn
SH: Orr
Prop: LMS
Prop: Ward
Hooker: Chad Randall
Second Row: Tamata/Golden/Mbu/
Second Row: Wilkes/Esders/
LF: Purdham

So, we are short at least 2 props and I for one would love to see the club sign a couple of Mongrels...players that attract tacklers and are nasty b'stards to boot. I would also love to see Dorn in the reserves and a decent playmaker to sit with Orr, but I can't see it happening.
I don't see the outside backs as being weak, I just think that the coach has to stick with Clubb as a centre to partner Howell and not bounce him into the forwards every time we have a crisis. Get them together at the start of the season and keep them together.......continuity.
Curtis was signed as a GB full back, so play him there.
I would have O'Callaghan in ahead of Wells and wells on the Bench. If we sign 2 mongrel props, then we may well have the strongest second row in the reserve league next year, because god nows we have enough of them.

As the old saying goes, games aren't played on paper, but to be honest, there is easily enough talent in the above (with 2 props and a SO) to make the 8 with ease and possibly the 6 next year.
Problem is, healing the rift (if there is one) and get the team playing for each other again.

As alluded to by other posters, if we hit a run of injuries/suspensions next year, I would rather see the reserve team players used in their correct positions rather than have players played out of position. These reserves are, in a lot of cases, products of our set up and if they are continually overlooked, they may well drift away.

Is the rumour 'no more recruitment for next season', a rumour or is it true ??? We surely cannot go into next season without adding 2 props to the squad, unless we are going to promote from the reserves ???

As you have stated we definitely need 2 more props with Hecks and Haggs going (although Haggs apparently indicated he will stay if he can't get a club up north). Hecks and Haggs were both well below par this season especially Haggs who was not a patch on the player he was last season, I think he never fully recovered from the World Cup. So if we were to replace these two with two fit props then that would be a start.

I appreciate what you and others say about Dorn and I believe it would be good if we could find someone in the Hill class, but that will be difficult with finances etc. It may help Dorn's game if we played more on the offensive with a dominant pack so for 1. he could show what he is good at getting on the end of moves and scoring tries and 2. with a dominant pack he should have to do less defending !!!!!

I really do hope it is a rumour that we have completed our recruitment.

I assume Williamson and Robinson are contracted for 2010 ?

Temata will be played as a prop, Wilkes probably will be to.
It was hard for Haggerty this season, he had what 11 weeks out injured, you can't expect him to come back from that all guns blaring, he wasn't fit enough to come back anyway, you could see he had gained weight when he first came back from injury, and on sunday you could see he's lost alot of it again.
IMO, Melling is so inconsistent. You say he was signed as a GB full back, was he? Didn't he earn his GB call up while he was at our club? He's not quick enough imo. He's good defensively, he can occasionally be a liablity when the balls in the air as he occasionaly doesn't jump high enough when in contention, imo, doesn't read the game as well as alot of other full backs in the league, you can tell Dorn can read a game, he's there alot when it comes to interceptions, he can anticipate the pass/kick. That's why he should be there, he's also quick so he can catch the ball and begin the attack, when Melling catchs the ball its hardly beginning the attack. He made a few good supporting runs on sunday, but imo isn't quick enough.

Robinson is.....not sure about williamson

Have you been watching the same Chris Melling as me? Because if you have I suggest you either buy or clean your glasses. Coming out of our 20 he almosts always beats the first man. In a poor second half of the season I'd have to say he has been our player of the year.

I think Melling has had a good year.

Whilst I agree (and sharp has been our best back imo apart from a couple of brain farts), it is the bit in bold that worries me. The back 3 need to take first receprion of the ball when it is kicked into our 20, but then we need some bigger players to make the next 40 yrds before the kick back/break of line.

Melling probably the best of our back three throughout the whole year.

Wells is feeling the effects of years of attritional Super League, Sharp looks to be suffering from doing as many hit-ups as prop forwards as well as a clear lack of confidence. Melling is the best of frankly an underperforming back three.

Clubb has come in, but clearly wants to play in the second-row. His pace, or lack of has been clear for all to see when coming in as a centre or on the wing.

Jamie O'Callaghan in my opinion deserves a shot, if not at full-back, then on the wing. Pace, creativity, agility and strength; he is the one to watch for 2010.

1. Melling
2. O'Callaghan
5. Sharp

Or move Sharp into the centres if we fail to recruit anyone to replace Matt Gafa.

He is a wing, leave him there.
Don't agree with the lack of pace, I just think he has been coached badly. He was good enough for England at Centre, so get him back training like one. All this swapping around is bad for a young players development.

Agreed. Not only has he been switched from centre to backrow, he's been switched from right to left this year.

Put him at right centre so that he knows what is expected of him from one game to the next. Clubb 3, Howell 4 worked well at the end of 2008.

yes.....and if we get injuries/suspensions, play the 34 average second/back row forwards we have in the pack.

i'd have clubb as a forward

Why?
Seriously, have you seen the number of back/second row forwards we have on our books? Clubb won his cap as a centre and just because Mac feels he may make a loose forward or second row isn't a reason to mess with a lad who one a cap at centre.
He has also owned Gleeson & Matt King and kept Senior very very very quiet and they are three of the most experienced centres in SL.
Centre for me......we have a need for props, not second/back rowers.

I agree that Clubb may have more potential as an attacking second-row, but I disagree that he has a lack of pace for a centre, he's plenty quick enough for centre. The problem he has as a second-row is that BM seems to have a thing for grafting second-row forwards with limited attacking potential.