Hastings could do with another week to sharpen up Lam has said but he hasn’t ruled him out. Maybe he’d be an option for the bench to keep him up our sleeve if we need to chase the game.

I’d definitely start Field at fullback. We need some centres and we need some pace at fullback, so it covers both bases by moving Hardaker back to his centre spot.

That's very selective to say the least & smacks of short term thinking.

We have four wing options at the club in Marshall, Manfredi, Bibby and Hanley. After that you can slot French/Field/Zak in there. That's six players to cover two spots in the side.

Any club would struggle with 4 of those 6 options not being available + other backline injuries too.

Let's not forget that this time last year we ran with Hank and Escare in the squad and the club got chastised for having too much quantity Vs quality. Neither of them really played and it didn't help anyone. In a month or so we'll be back in that situation and leaving players out.

Hanley and Halsall are both wing options. That's no different to any other year when we have used Goulding, Tierney, Gelling, Murphy, Thornley etc on the wings. The others aren't wingers but they hurt our wing options when they are out as they allow us to move French or Hardaker there (or Field if he can deputise there).

We have a salary cap to work to, any team in the league would be struggling with this amount of first choice players potentially unavailable. If we went for a winger then we presumably would have needed to free up cap space earlier than when G.Burgess went. That probably means one of French/Hastings/Leuluai not staying on. So we lose a quality starter and gain the calibre of winger who would be happy to sign on knowing he needs a starter and Bibby both to get injured before he even gets a game. Probably not someone much better than Hanley or Halsall. They can be criticised for not recalling Hankinson but that's about it IMO. They had no way of knowing all these backs would be out.

I agree but Zak has confirmed that he'll be at #1. Ultimately means we'll have two backrowers in the centre positions.

So what do you suggest they should have done bearing in mind that didn't KR say there was no cap space?

Just seen that, I hadn’t realised it had been confirmed. It’s not the way I’d go and it means the centre spot will still be a real issue. Hopefully Hardaker will be out to prove a point at fullback and have a stormer. Personally I think his pace has gone to a degree that he’s just a solid option at fullback nowadays but maybe he’ll prove that nonsense.

Obviously we don't know the full in and outs of the decision, but i don't get Lam on this one. If Field is fit then having having him at FB & ZH at centre is infinitely better than ZH at FB and Isa at centre.

There's a good back line there, he's just overcomplicating it.

Field
Bibby
Bateman
Zak
Hanley
Hastings
Tommy

Hardakers pace has gone and is ineffective chiming in the line as a 3rd half back.

He should be a centre until his contract is up.

One other factor may be the fitness of Field or lack of it. If they haven’t been able to get a full pre season in to him it maybe that they think a game at full back is beyond him for now, with the amount of running you need to do in that position.

Let's add to your list, we could slot Clubb or Isa in at least they were wingers! When did Hanley become a winger, after the Salford friendly? We knew that Marshy would not be an option until midway through the season. We also knew that Budgie would not be retained. We knew that we had no wingers ready to step up from the U19's. I accept that French could play on the wing but he is the best full back we have got by a country mile, so why play him on the wing? Bibby and Hardaker are too slow. Many supporters have now come to the view that anyone can slot in on the wing and I do not understand why, good wingmen are a huge asset and matchwinners. So why is it short-term thinking? It is about thinking practically.

centres, Field might be better at FB than Bevan, hes got good hands and as quick

As I have said in my last post any of our players are wing options but that does not mean that they should be playing on the wing.

Regarding the salary cap, are you saying the reason for not signing a winger is that we had no cap space until George B left? What if we did, should we have signed a winger? Why would a new winger need Bibby to get injured? My view is that the Club should select players on merit. Are there any facts to your argument or is it all based on supposition?

It is obvious what I think they should have done. When did KR say that we had spent up?

What about halfbacks?

we have hastings, smith and Tommy, Field can play there also