Quote: Ovavoo "Joel was a fairly poor centre. Definitely didn't have nous for that position. Atkins, despite all the years he's played at centre still isn't very good. He's a big, strong fast bloke but not blessed with too much skill. Bridge is a good un and Hughes isn't at his level yet but from his performances so far, he deserves the chance to make centre position his own.'"
I agree in terms of JT, I think people have rose tinted glasses in terms of Joel's tenure at centre - he has a bit more pace than most backrowers, but his defensive positioning, awareness and decision making in the centre postion left a lot to be desired. I also think people over-emphasise his attacking skill set - he took the wrong option in attack far too often and his final passes were wayward on many occasions.
So far I've been more impressed in terms of Hughes transition to the centre position. His attacking game may be a work in progress with potential, however defensively he looks solid and that is the important basis for any decent centre which assists the confidence in his winger.
As far as Atkins is concerned I disagree - he is developing into a real threat in attack and his defence has improved significantly since his initial turnstile days at Wakefield.
