I put McShane in the rugby player class. He’s not particularly athletic but he knows rugby.
Powell could play that role if he had the nuts to do so.
He’s been permanently shackled by Wane and Lam.

I 100% agree with this.

Bateman needs to be kept as right second row where has has played his whole career to a high level. I see no benefit in him playing as 13. He doesn't have the ball skills, he will be running into brick walls, he will have to tackle more. I am actually astonished people suggest it to be honest.

Do we find ourselves next year with too many youngsters on these "market value" contracts the club talks of?

Havard, Partington, Byrne - Front row
Smithies, Shorrocks, KPP - Second row

Experienced players - Singleton, Mago, Ellis, Isa, Farrell, Bateman

We are losing Clubb (Confirmed), Bullock (Rumoured / Expected) and Clarke (Expected) but also gaining Isa back into the pack in theory as he has played most of the season as Centre.

I worry we now have too many of these youngsters tied down who may not necessarily make the cut or get enough game time?

Chris Hills numbers do not lie. Head and shoulders above all of our forwards and the majority of the league and he has been considered this year and last as under performing...

Is it not is own doing?

He has the option of playing Bullock and Clarke more than he does.

He could move Isa back into the pack and pick Hanley or Halsall more often.

Fully agree but even if he does that, I’m not convinced it’s good enough and that’s why I say it’s not all his own doing but he takes a huge portion of blame for me.

The points you make about Clark, Bullock, Isa and his lack of trust in young backs is bob on. If I picked a side when all three are available, they’d all be in my 17 and they’d all be playing in the pack.

I've mentioned his a couple of times before about Lam saying player X pulled out last minute etc. When I knew day before wor earlier

Same thing again for Gildart, was told he wasn't playing, then when named we were astonished, and then obviously not astonished when he didn't play.

For Lam to not have a plan etc for that scenario when he knew Gildart was a massive risk is astonishing, never mind if he didn't know the rules

When you factor in he has played so many players out of position (Some when he needed to and some when he didn't), the reluctance to re-shuffle and start Bullock is baffling.

Hanley and Halsall on wing when they are Full back and Centre
Hastings at Full back and Hooker
Shorrocks at Hooker
Isa at Centre

To name a few

With a full season's hindsight it's pretty obvious Lam's Plan A was give it to French and hope he could work his magic
No French = No Plan

I have no real issue with Hanley and Halsall playing wing. There's history of young backs being blooded on the wing regardless of where their natural position in the back line is. What I doing have an issue with is Lam happily flogging the young lads in the middle of the pitch, but he's been reluctant to play the young backs. Instead taking the option to move our better second row players into the centres. Also playing every Tom, Dick or Harry at fullback instead of Hanley.

Agreed, i think for the most part Hanley and Halsall have covered wing pretty well when given the chance. Hanley second stint in the team not early season i mean.

I can’t help but feel your young forwards are being flogged to death and are likely to burn out. They don’t have the bulk to play against mature forwards week in week out. Clubs owe a duty of care to their players and I’m not sure that is evident here.
On a different note I saw a comparison on here between what happened to Fielden and how Bateman is at present. I certainly hope the blip is temporary (wearing my England hat) and not Fielden like!

Spot on, shame the guy picking the team can't see it

It is sadly true.

We have lost Flower & George Burgess. Clubb has been banned/injured most of the season, Bullock is either not selected or gets 10-20 minutes per game and Clarke never plays.

We are therefore down to one senior player, minimal support from Clubb/Bullock/Clarke and the reliance of Havard, Partington & Byrne in the front row.

Its a joke.

And then when Hanley played there and had a great game he was dropped the following week.

Or refusing to pick Clarke for months on end, he eventually has to at Wakefield then drips him next game

Plays him 3 games or so later hudds at home and was going to drop him next game at Hudds away only to play him last min when Powell pulled out. Plays him for the next 3-4 games and even gets praised by Lam in press, only to not play again since then.

Baffling

PS
As you and I know
Gildart wasn't playing late Saturday/early Sunday (I certainly knew he wasn't supposed to Be playing then). For him to be named was confusing at best, to then make out that he pulled out late and it caused all kinds of confusion is misleading everyone and just embarrassing.