JTomkins, for me, epitomises this. I know his hands aren't the best at times, but I just feel that if he'd come through down under, they'd have brought him through as a centre.

Agreed.

Joel is a huge lad but is an athlete and has good pace. He would be a devastating centre and would cause any opposing centre all sorts of problems but we always seem to turn these big lads into forwards.

Down the line at Wigan with all the backrow options we have I wouldn't be suprised to see him get a run at centre if we get any injuries. He also wouldn't be a bad shout for centre in the Four Nations if we had many injuries.

Joel is a very good player and is suited to the back row at the moment.
I don't reckon him at centre in the 4N at all.
He is big and great going forward, he is also slow on the turn.
Centres like Inglis (if fit) Gasnier, etc then the Kiwi lads would turn him inside out. Let him do the business in the back row.

A lack of quality backs is no reason to play back rowers out of position and where they've never played for their club. Joel at centre would be a mistake.

Its like the coach looks at him and says "you're big, get in the forwards" when sometimes he should be saying "since you're fast, get in the backs".

Sorry, I'm not suggesting we play Joel out of position.
What I'm talking about is that why we end up with plenty of mobile backrowers but no big centres?

Josh Charnley looks like a lad that could turn out to be a big, athletic centre for us. I was suprised just how big the lad was when watching him for HKR and then us a few weeks back.

1. Widdop
2. Briscoe
3. Glesson
4. Atkins
5. Hall
6. Tomkins
7. Eastmond
8. Morley
9. Sinfield
10.Graham
11.Ellis
12.Tomkins
13.O'Loughlin

14.Roby
15.Fielden
16.Crabtree
17.Burgess

I'd take Crabtree out for Westwood. I just think Crabtree is massively overrated, whenever i've seen Hudds this year i've always been incredibly underwhelmed by him.

Burgess could operate as a prop if needed to, but Graham should be able to count as 2 anyway as he's just a machine.

The aussies didnt have a clue how to deal with Crabtree last year and was along with Burgess or best two players IMO.

But i wouldnt complain if westwood gets in..hes been good this season.

It's a pity we're losing Thornley; he's even bigger - in fact he's been playing 2nd row the last couple of games.

That shortage of good young backs will be sorted in a year or two, with the likes of Charnley, Marsh, Lomax & Foster coming through.

We've been saying this for a while now, and we're still just as bad in the backs as ever. We may have players in our youth set ups that look a class above at that level, but who's to say they'll be able to make the transition. Until those players you've mentioned above (on other prospects at other teams) prove themselves to be good enough to play for England then I don't see how anyone can say our problems in the backs will be sorted in a couple of years.

Fair point, and a lot depends on whether McNamara gives them a chance, of course. I do think that we have a lot more excellent prospects, in all positions, than we had a few years ago, and I hope that will continue as the RFL's quota reductions start to take effect.

Which demonstrates my gripe.

I'd imagine its also because most of the 2nd rowers (Farrell, Tuson, Mossop etc) are playing first team or are injured now, and he's leaving us anyway so we can stop developing him as a centre!

Not wanting to sound like 'Leaguefan' as long as you have teams like HKR and Wakefield with 9 or 10 overseas players in their team it won't make difference if McNamara picks them or not because they won't be playing enough SL games to justify selection.

For me the biggest improvement that needs to be made is in the standard of our reserve and U18s competition, at the moment its pretty awful and the step up to SL is far far too wide at the moment.