Not only that,his wife and himself have just had a new addition of a baby daughter and recently being a new grandad ,god knows what must be going through their minds if no future has been decided .I hope it's sorted out sooner rather than later.

Has his game really picked up under Smith or has his game picked up because he needs a new contract?

Or had his game picked up because he's getting regular game time?

From what I've seen the effort has always been there in bucket loads. He has had a few unfortunate injuries and suspensions and has been played out of position against established super league prop forwards. The more he players the better he will get, and that goes for all the club trained players. Don't play them and they will never develop into the players they could be.

In my humble opinion he has been used wrongly especially under Agar/Webster. He was used as a battering ram and
which ever way you look at it, he is not a massive prop.
Put him a little wider on the fringe and he comes into his own. His size stature and speed put him more in the mould of a
'farrel wigan' type. Play him in that role and you will get the best of him.

Remember when he was in the 19's he was a speedy and evasive loose forward, never ever a battering ram.

Agree with that.
He's got some pace in him and played out wide, instead of smashing holes up the middle, he could be very dangerous and if all is equal, we should look after our "own" every time.

Spot on.

Doesn’t that sum up all that’s wrong with British coaching.

Truth is he is to small even for the S/R so L/F really needs to be the position he aims at assuming we re-sign him.

He also needs to get more consistent. With all the will in the world he won’t be able to play at Saturdays pace every game. Nothing to do with size, nobody can take that punishment every week. He needs another string to his bow if he’s to demand selection every game and offer the team something when the big runs are not working. I’d suggest he followse his long time admire “bellycouldtackle” name.

Anakin doesn’t look a bad tackler but he not that prolific and he does get brushed aside to often by the big men. Nigel Bell never did because he tackled not just with heart but with technique - so work on that Mr Anakin and wherever you end up there won’t be many coaches who’d leave you out of the team.

I hope we keep him I really do, it’s worth more than just a player and has to be at least an equal bet with some journeyman Aussie.

Sad thing is that UK RL is a size obsessed game and for a player who don’t quite fit the mould it will always be tricky and require that bit extra.

We have to remember as well that the new interchange rules that are coming in( 2 less per game iirc) will have an impact on the type and size of players required. I think someone like Annakin who seems to have a very good engine, could be quite an asset aspecially when the "bigger" forwards are tiring.

Spot on. When I first noticed him playing for the U19s he was very much a running loose forward and never ever used as a battering ram. The break he made on Saturday was exactly how I remember him when he was playing in the U19s.

Mere detail lads but let's get it right,never played with 19s it was 18s in them days remember we were champions folk soon forget

All Anakin needed was a coach to give him a decent run of games. Agar and Webster were clueless they destroyed years of hard work by our junior coaches who basically handed them a championship winning team on a plate. Agar and Webster destroyed those players.

Funny thing is, you talk about size and I see where your coming from, he's no monster and not the tallest of blokes but he is actually one of the heaviest forwards in the squad weight wise, that's not a stat from any website that's from his mouth, recently.

There are props that have made it in the NRL at 5ft 6.

Rubbish again Vastman, Anakin is a beast. Who would you rather tackle softco#k Ian Kirke or Anakin. Anakin can play anywhere in the Pack he is our best prop, our best second row and our best loose forward.

I agree but it's not me he needs to convince

Whilst I do like Annakin, I think you may be getting a little bit carried away!