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.

Im not sure problematic is the right word for a bloke who has probably been our most exciting player since he came in. He simply has to be in the 13 for me and the only problem is where he plays. I’d agree with NK that to write him off as a half is premature. A full preseason alongside Hastings and operating behind a far stronger pack could make a massive difference.

'The most exciting player since he came in' no ones comes in since him mate

But yes, I agree, playing off Hastings will give French a different platform for his game. For me French needs to be on the ball as a 1 or 6. For me it depends how we play.

Spot on Mr P!

If we can teach a couple of the props to bust a tackle or throw the odd offload with Hastings doing the bulk of the organising/playmaking role & French been used more as a runner/support player I'd imagine they'd be an absolute nightmare of an halfback pairing to play against, unfortunately for it to work all depends on the pack actually laying a platform & getting abit of a roll on up middle to take advantage of broken defensive line/tired retreating defenders. Zak might even become abit more of a threat chiming in then with some doubt in the defence

I didn’t label him problematic, I labelled his signing problematic and you’ve literally proved my point in your response with “the only problem is where he plays”.

He plays FB he pushes Zak to centre and Bibby is pushed out
He plays wing he’s pushing any one of our wingers out
He plays HB he pushes out Tommy (not a bad thing) and Harry Smith

I’ve already stated that I like French, he’s speedy and agile. Give him a yard of space and he’s away. I’d rather we had him than any other SL side but that adoration for him doesn’t necessarily transfer into an automatic playing spot.

So he adds competition in numerous places; sounds like a good signing to me.

Spot on. It’s a great problem to have!