Forgot French so I changed it quickly after.

That quote from the Saints player should be printed off and pinned up in the training area for the forwards to take as a challenge.

He's right though and everyone knows it.

We have a 'weak' pack as it is and losing 4 or 5 of them makes it worse.

I’ve not said the season is over, I’m questioning the state of players within the side who have no competition and the lack of depth in the squad. We will most likely do what we always do and pick up some wins against the weaker sides and end up in the play offs before bowing out in another lacklustre big game. That Challenge Cup win last year hasn’t half painted over some gaping cracks, we were awful in that too for the majority. Our ‘culture’ at the minute is to not really strive to be the best but never mind, we have a cracking trophy cabinet and send whiskey to everyone so it’s all good.

When we played the Roosters in 2014 Radlinski wrote a blog saying we're too small a team - 9 years later and we're still too small in the forwards, especially the back row. That needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency for next season (along with a goal kicking 6).

Rads actually said at the time that the signings of Mago and Ellis were expressly for this reason.

Ellis is decent, puts in a shift but Mago is just Feka mk2 - in the second half against Saints he was so slow in the defensive line (turns like a supertanker) that he was pretty much a passenger, size isn't everything. We do need size but not at the cost of anything else - we desperately need at least one experienced heavyweight prop plus perhaps a decent impact prop, Saints have a good impact prop off the bench we don't.

I wasn't giving my opinion on the 2 players. I was merely pointing out, in response to the previous poster, that the issue of the pack size was mentioned as a reason for their signings. I think we all agree that Mago hasn't worked out. Ellis I like, and I'd like to see him stay. I'm reasonably confident we'll get 2 more "middles" as well as Walters.

I would definitely take the 06/07 version of Feka over Patrick Mago.

Except you won’t be tough to beat again because you never were. You are mid table for a reason. Your recruitment is woeful and has been for a number of years

If that is a fact can you explain how the mighty Saints came unstuck at the DW and in last season’s Challenge Cup semifinal?

By the way, I agree with you about our recruitment apart from Field and French.

Never rated Feka.
Not fit and probably never was during his career. Wind and bluster for 5 minutes then the opposition could forget about him.
Mago adds nothing to the squad. Another “impact” prop. No aggression and no fitness. Again probably never been fit during his career. A big lad who probably bullied his way through schoolboy rugby.
Players like this only get game time due excessive interchanges and shortsighted coaches.

I agree - but he gave us 5 minutes more than Mago.is giving us currently.

Cooper replaces Mago.
Isa replaces Shorrocks
Havard replaces Hill.

We’ve got 3 regulars missing. Who are the other 2??

Mago’s only attribute is his offload which I suspect he’s been told to stop doing.
Feka’s only attribute was 5 minutes of huff and puff.
Both not worthy of a jersey. Both not fit enough to play professionally. You’ve got to blame coaches for accommodating them.
I dislike “impact” players. If your good enough you start and you can play 80 minutes.

KPP either starting or on the bench would be one. Bateman (going into the season at least) would be another. I think perhaps more importantly than just the numbers out is it severely affects the ability for proper rotation. Mago and Hill are playing very short minutes which is upping the workload on the other front rowers. Havard replaces Hill is a supreme example of this. Havard is a 60 minute 100+ metre per game prop. Hill isn't (at least not yet).