Whilst we aren't going to have as quick a backline as yourselves and some others, I think we are definitely making improvements on it. Having Welsby, Robertson and Sailor knocking around is much pacier than Welsby, Hurrell and Dodd as a unit. Murphy is fast (if that rumour is true) and whilst not as fast as Ritson, Ritson has been cabbage and barely used his pace at all and doesn't seem capable of using it effectively in a game, so still a big upgrade. I'm not too bothered about having the fastest backline, there's so many other things to be considered. It just becomes a problem if your backline is actively slow af, which it has been this year and last. You'd like to think we'd be going for another centre as well which will then have Robertson filling in all around the backline rather than being first choice in any position. As long as we don't retain Blake, I think it will be a pretty big improvement on the back line we currently have which I'm fairly happy with

Now, how these quicker lads will fare being told to run straight into forwards that are twice their side every tackle, I don't know!

Good. There’s a reason he got a two game ban and Asiata one, both will miss matches against Warrington

I still think you should have signed two props.

Seems like a sentimental decision the Makinson one. A second red for a similar incident must put him at the top of the range surely.

The game has changed unfortunately and everyone has to get used to this new reality. Players, refs and disciplinary are all struggling with it at the moment, as are us fans. There are almost certainly more adjustments to be made over the next couple of years too. I've got a bit of sympathy with everyone as it's undoubtedly a more difficult game to play, some of these head contacts are impossible to avoid and yet are being punished the same as deliberate contact. I'd have the Smith incident a much higher grading than any ban that comes from players falling into tackles but we aren't there yet.

Smith got 3 games (rightfully so) and Franklin Pele also got 3 games for his challenge on opening night and when you stack them up against challenges like that Makinson one and other accidental contacts like the Liam Byrne one on Good Friday, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me but then when you throw in the fact Hiku did the same as Smith/Pele, to Jai Field in the CC semi and faced no action whatsoever, it becomes a farce!

You can accidentally hit somebody in the head and be banned for multiple games but trying to elbow drop somebody in the head can be fair game. I'd love to see Paul Cullen or whoever challenged on how that Hiku incident was let go.

I don't think it's just a symptom of the ill thought-out chaos we are struggling with currently.

Didn't Blake Green receive a blatant blow in the face while lying on the ground in a Grand Final, which resulted in a fractured eye-socket, and no action was taken?

This is a genuine question, because something might have been done about it later, though nothing was done at the time and Wigan gained no advantage on the day.

The Disciplinary are a clown show and have been for a long time. The idea that someone like Cullen should be involved is beyond laughable given the on-field career that he had.

If that is the case then it is a poor decision, there are plenty of players who have missed a big game through suspension. I would like to think that Tommy won his appeal on merit and yes I am glad that he can say his goodbyes. Had Saints offered him the same deal as Feldt he wouldn't be going anywhere hmm.

The reasoning they gave was that no contact was made, which is why I asked the question at the time regarding Smith. Should that even come into it though? The intent is the same either way and as we're supposed to be trying to discourage deliberate attacks to the head it makes you wonder what they're thinking.

Given that we are more than happy to give new contracts to ageing players- Lomax, Walmsley, then how are you sure we haven't offered him 2 years? How do you know that Makinson hasn't asked away for a new challenge?

Why would we waste a quota spot if he wanted to stay?

I know what you're saying Zig but they definitely take these sort of things into account sometimes. Smith got the benefit pre WCC. I know the Cas player dove but I think most of us still expected a ban there.

That happened right in front of us mate and you could hear the impact. It was an horrendous attack. I said at the time that it was worse than the Ben Flower one and the damage inflicted on both players certainly bares that out. I think Westwood received a ban retrospectively but how he wasn't sent off is completely unfathomable.

Westwood got 2 games IIRC, which funnily enough ruled him out of 2 England friendlies ahead of the 2013 RLWC and made him available for the opener against Australia in Cardiff.

If the ONLY thing we could get right in our game was consistency from the refs and the judiciary, we'd be in a 50 times better place than we are now.

Almost a poor decision as letting Harry smith play in the WCC