I agree with a lot of the most recent posts.


In my opinion Powell is getting it wrong playing Pitts at 6. It needs to be a player who can play as a recognised half back with genuine pace and a kicking passing game.


Due to injuries unfortunately that is our first choice full back. Playing Rourke at 1 and Jowitt at 6 is stronger than playing Pitts at 6 and Jowitt at 1. If Lino gets injured during a game as solitary half back Trinity are up creek without a paddle?


Pitts is a 13. Understandably where does Cozza then play?


Playing Scott on wing instead of Walmsley was another mistake and was targeted by Cas. Out of position a few times and not quick enough?


Trinity need genuine pace outwide and Walmsley gives that.


Resilience got them over the line just but they need to quickly learn lessons?..

All our play in the second half came from the interplay between forwards. Lovely passing moves, especially when Cozza came back on. 


I felt for Scott; he is not a winger. To be fair he had some good moments in the second half (tackle into touch for one). It was such a crazy call by Powell. 


Griffin should never start instead of Vagana. Vagana offers so much more. Yes he made a few mistakes last week, but surely we are meant to give youngsters a chance. Dropping him is no help.


Next week, Hall to centre and Walmsley wing for me. Vagana instead of Griffin. Rourke in at 6 or fullback (then Max moves to 6).

At the end of the day Rourke would?ve been better at 1 than having Pitts at 6. Stevenson I think is a couple of years away from making the step up. 


I think Powell needs to decide who gets the other centre spot out of Hall/Scott instead of shoehorning both in. 

I don?t think he would?ve at all. I like Roarke but he?s not got the skills of Jowitt and we lose far too much at full back without Jowitt at 1. You?d just be robbing Peter to pay Paul. 

Stevenson may be a bit away from a step up but he?d be better than Pitts at 6 and I?d gather we could compensate for 1 young player in the team. That would be last resort though, I?d much rather us bring in a 6 short term and problem sorted. 


Agree about Hall/Scott though. 


I said to a few people when Pratt didn?t get the starting shirt that he would force his way in and nobody would dislodge him from first team. They?ll have to fight over the other spot. 


No Farrimond again for Wigan. He would be a good short term fix up. 

Personally, I think it's now become a problem that we've got a quota player in Walmsley that the Coach doesn't rate. He's got to be making the team when quota spots are so valuable. Also going into the game I know quite a few people were twitchy with having Pitts in the halves again. Having your loose forward trying to play such an integral part of the teams attacking play is just a shot in the dark tbh, and it just puts all the pressure on Lino and the knock on from that is it makes the opposition's job much easier, shutting down one man instead of 2 options. I know it is what it is, but we've got to just get through this period until we get Trueman and Ruessell back, or find a loan replacement. 
Also on Scott, Powell sees him as a centre, nobody had any problems with his ability in that position previously, in fact, the opposite, he looked very good, and he says that's where he's played the vast majority of his career. There's a big leap between being a powerful meter-eating centre that makes space for his winger and being a fast winger. I think it's unfair for people to judge him in a position he's probably never played before and then want to shove him in the back row because of it. Why he ended up there instead of say, Corey Hall, I'm not sure because he'd have been a better fit imo.,

Yeah, I agree with most of that. Vagana has to come back in; he's our future with a massive ceiling, play him. Rate him or not, we've got to play Walmsley and for me, Scott and Pratt are our 2 best centres that offer something a bit different to each other.There's no way we can keep the Pitts experiment going again, we're just losing so much in terms of options by playing him there instead of moving Max into the halves and playing Rourke at FB. I know Max is the better all-around FB, but needs must, and he's so many leagues above Pitts in the halves, there's no comparison. It's just leaving such a big hole in our team at present. Whereas Rourke playing FB instead of Max doesn't imo, not in the short term anyway. Ideally, Trueman appears and sorts out so many problems.

Sounds like how longs a piece of string with Trueman returning. It?s not good having a herniated disk at his age?? or any age for that matter. Be interesting to see how that pans out, whether he needs Neuro intervention or if it can be managed with injections vis MSK team as I believe Powell said.  
Either way it?s not great, he won?t be able to train so will take a while to get back up to match fitness if the problem is somehow sorted. I personally can?t see him back for a few weeks yet?? 

If he is out a few weeks we need to be looking for a replacement- maybe  we already are
Who knows? 

If he does have bulging discs then he's done for me, having just had mine operated on, I have suffered since 97 and my back has been in pain ever since, only time it wasn't was when I had the injection but once that wore off I was twice as bad because I hadn't been able to feel any pain in 2 months and overdid a lot of things. 

Well done on the win. Gutted we lost but that's rugby league.


Sets up Magic nicely. Hopefully we can claim bragging rights again in a few weeks


As for the talk about Powell and picking players in wrong positions etc he was known for it at Cas. Probably one of the only downsides for him. He would put wingers in the centres or props at loose or second rows at 6. Sometimes it worked, not often though.


Well done on your good start to the season too. It's good to have the rivalry back. 

Much as we need him back I'd hate to see him put his future health at risk. Hopefully the club will take the best medical advice they can and help him reach a decision about his future...hopefully as a player.

He?s obviously got youth on his side, and disks can heal themselves conservatively via injections etc, it?s just how long it takes. The thing that worries me is if it?s a chronic persistent issue and not just an acute issue and how badly it?s herniated and if it?s impinging on nerves etc. From what was deemed a ?sore back issue? a few weeks back to know knowing what it is, it?s obviously fairly serious. There?s a massive difference between a sore back and your actual vertebrae herniated (neurological). 

He?ll be in some right discomfort (you?ll know) and won?t be able to train (Powell said he?s currently not training because of the pain) so will be way behind with fitness, hence why I think he?ll be a while away yet. 


First and foremost, Trueman?s welfare is the most important and hope he?s ok, he?s been absolutely blighted in his career, and genuinely can?t wait to see him back on the field and keeping injury free. He?s such a talented player but simply cannot catch a break. You look at DCE for Manly who in his glittering career has only missed something ridiculous like 15 games, that?s obscene. 


With losing Russell for god knows how long, we look so 1 dimensional in attack (where ever Lino is the ball goes, especially on the 5th) we either need to promote from within or get someone in, can?t be any worse than what I witnessed on Thursday night.