Quote: Phuzzy "I understand he generally plays with 8 or 10 on his back at club level (2nd row for Tonga). My point was more concerned with how he plays rather than where. He has a strong-running 2nd row approach with a good offload and reminds me of a BMM type rather than a metre making grafter like Walmsley. I'm not saying he isn't good, more that his game isn't suited to the Walmsley role which leaves you in a similar position to this year (especially with Woolfe still in charge). I think he and Walmsley could make a very effective partnership, as it goes.
As I said earlier, once you move past the starting 2, it becomes a lot less convincing that even your front row is 'better'. Lees is an unknown quantity. He has shown very little since his return. He may come good but it's not a given. Then we're into your 4th prop or, to put it another way, a prop that will play as often and for as many minutes as Walmsley and Paasi, and that, like it or not, is LMS or Amor. That's weak. If he was 5th/6th choice I'd take your point. However, he's essentially your Clubb; someone who will be playing far more than he should.
Roby has been a great. He's still excellent, but he's coming to the end of his career. End of next season, when the big games come around, he'll be a year older. As good as he is he's been no better than Powell this year (obviously you may disagree). Next year, who knows?
Where I would absolutely disagree though is on your contention that yours is better as a unit. You've had 'better' packs than us for years yet we've almost exclusively been able to bully you. We showed it again that, minus Walmsley, we were able to bully you. Next year we won't be starting with the same disadvantage as we have over the last decade or so. Even if you think you still shade it, I think you'd have to agree it's much closer than in recent seasons.
Add another top prop, which rumour suggests we are doing, and the balance would tip strongly in our favour.'"
I agree it's closer since we lost Thompson and you gained Singleton. But last year we beat you 4 times and all 4 times we absolutely destroyed your pack. In the semi final last year I think your starting props made less than 20m between them. I wouldn't be making a judgement based purely on our last meeting which a few people (not necessarily you) seem to be doing.