It’s probably the way I’d start as well. The first change I would make is French to fullback and then the rest take care of themselves and fight it out over the 2-5 shirts. I’ve been reasonably impressed with Hardaker this season but we need more pace out the back IMO. Hardaker got three awards at the clubs end of season do last night and he deserves them but I think it says a lot about how the team has gone that his pretty good year has been enough to walk away with those.

I still have a game on VHS somewhere of Offiah being interviewed after a game, it was when Connolly was playing inside him, he said Connolly was every bit as good. It's easy to forget how good a young Connolly was, most memories come from him with knackered knees and lacking a few yards of pace.

For me it really does depend on how we play, with the missing ingredient being Jackson Hastings. Jackson isn't structured at Salford, he may start off the left and defend on the left but he's one of the few halves who's allowed to move around the park and create on both flanks and either side of the ruck. Zak could very well benefit from this style of play.

However if we're going to with a left and right pivot I'd go with French at 1, as a second pivot linking out the back door.

I say try them both at 1, see what works best.

Hardaker could have a field day working off the back of Hastings, as Evalds has done at Salford but I just worry he’s not got the pace to make the most of those chances anymore. There’s 25 try’s waiting for a fullback who’s got the pace and fitness to take them playing with Hastings. Maybe a big pre season for Hardaker will do the trick. It’s great problems to have mind. To have two players like Hardaker and French in the squad can only be a good thing.

Loved Connolly. From a young 17 year old FB at saints destroyed in the 1989 CC by Wigan in a 0-27 to one of the best centres (and FBs) we've had at Wigan in the past 30 years.

I rate the likes of Gilly, but my god he's some way off some of the centres we've seen at the club from the links of, Gleeson, Carmont, Miles, Connolly, Bell etc. I guess he's still only young and will develop and improve.

Personally I do sadly think Zak has lost some of his pace and acceleration, his broken play running was one of his main weapons at Cas and Leeds. It's almost like he lost a step during his time out of the game. If I remember rightly he did put on some timber during his time off, maybe he never will find his lost step.

I really rate Zak, I'd always find a place foe him in my Wigan 13, even if it's not at FB.

He did pile weight on and whilst he’s trimmed down he still looks a bit heavier then he was in that last season at Cas. That gives me hope he can get half a yard back if he loses some bulk but we’ll see. He’d do a great job at centre anyway IMO but I’m not sure he’d be too happy with a move from fullback.

Hardaker is a full back and his main strengths as a player are those of a good fullback end of. Simply just fitting him in the team at centre because he can cover there is stupid.

I have yet to see anything in French that tells me he would be this extra 3rd pivot that everybody talks of. His passing game seems poor which immediately creates a problem for somebody wanting to play as a 3rd pivot. Sadly all i have seen in him so far is a winger.

Clearly you didn't watch French at Parra.

Hardaker doesn’t have a decent passing game though. Doesn’t seem to offer much at all offensively.

Defensively French has been sound and came up with a brilliant try saver on Bibby the other week and we’ve seen glimpses of real class with ball in hand. Someone with his raw pace could light up the comp so I’d be happy to see him given a chance at fb before condemning him to a life sentence on the wing.

Can’t hurt to try can it?

Stop the world. I’m getting off. I agree. 100%



Unstop the world. I’m getting back on. I disagree. 100%

Now, I’m not saying I want to drop Zak for him. But I am saying French should be given a chance at FB. We’ve seen enough of him at HB to agree he isn’t one, I called for him to go HB a few weeks ago - ill judged. The only way French goes to FB is shifting Zak to centre or dropping him. Shifting him to centre renders signing Bibby pointless IMHO. Shifting him to FB means dropping Zak. We’re stacked for wingers already and putting him there means letting go of someone on top of the likely loss we’re going to have to make there already.

I like French, I think he’s speedy and can add another dimension to our game if given the space and time to attack, but honestly, this signing is causing more issues than it’s solving. Then you consider we’ve got Umyla Hanley coming through, who for all intents and purposes looks a real gem and suddenly I can’t see a place for French.

When he played fullback at Parramatta his linking into the line was brilliant, his passing may not be as good as Sam Tomkins but it’s certainly better than Zak’s and French is the quickest player in the league, he’s very much in the mould of a young Matty Bowen (not as good obviously) and that extra pace and ability to link into the line means we should be a lot more dangerous next year, having Hardaker and Manfredi on the right side would also be a huge threat

Have we?

Now I'm not saying he's Brett Kenny but I think he'd need a good pre-season learning the plays before we can judge him

I think so yes. From what we’ve seen before v Cas and Saints when he played HB he just looked lost and couldn’t create anything for anyone. For me HB’s in 2020 should be Smith (Harry!) and Hastings. Like I said in my full post; French is a problematic signing.

I’ve seen a few comments now saying we can write him off as a halfback and I just sit and wonder if I’ve missed these numerous opportunities people must’ve had to watch him at six because I’ve been at every game since he signed I think and I think I’ve seen a grand total of about an hours worth of him playing stand off.

I know we can be a tough crowd but it’s taking it to a whole new level.