Cas played a 19 year old fullback the other week at Salford and his persistence and enthusiasm led to him scoring the match winning try.

Really, and see him humiliated like Johnson. You feed talented kids into good teams not sacrifice them in a crap one. Sure Crowther has done OK but most won't.

The fact remains that we shouldn't have to play untried kids - we should be able to play the 20 highly paid Pro's and expect a performance from them. When they were signed I'm sure they all said they were good experienced Pro's and backed it up with a video to prove it!


Make them earn the money we pay the lazy individuals - or are they going to show what real cowards they are by letting a couple of 20 rear olds on peanuts get destroyed.

Don't play Jowitt - make Hall play properly instead of playing like straw man.

Save Tom's career and tell Riley to pack in the coco the clown act and play like the Winger he once was.

Tim Smith - just go.

Kirmond - you are being out shone by a 20 year old who still has rosy cheeks - what a great leader you are.

Yes i'm being a bit harsh on the above but it's to make a point - players who should be playing and leading by example are not.

I don't disagree with much in your post but Tom Johnstone was only humiliated in the eyes of those who can't see where the real defensive problems were!

He was exposed by the lack of effort from the middle and the non existant defensive structure throughout the team, in that situation he can't win unless HKR screw up.

On a slightly different not re Johnstone, he's a left winger but Webster chose to play him on the right against a bloke who dwarfs Manu Vatuvai and is a points machine. Webster also put a non specialist centre inside him, now if I wanted to destroy a young kids confidence that's how I'd do it!

I agree, but that's not what the Sky pundits were saying - so we have to trust Webster to convince the lad not to listen to them.

You probably know better than me how easy it is to destroy the confidence of a young player - you need a great Coach to protect them and Webster is no Alex Ferguson.

Young talented kids should not have to be thrown in at the deep end as you say, they should be nursed along and their games hand picked, unfortunately it's not been possible for us, as they say the easiest way to learn to swim is throw them in at the deep end which is what we have done with Crowther who to his credit is learning more from it, as for Johnstone he get's less protection playing in a non existent defence and is made to be looked on less favourably than he should.
With regards to Max Jowitt, I went to that forum jobby before the season started with Carter Webster and craig Hall on the stage, somebody asked Hall if he was happy being given the full back position to which he replied yeah at least I don't have to do any tackling, many a true word spoken eh! Jowitt is our only recognised FB so on the basis that the other two have come through okay why not take the chance with him as well.
Miiler has taken a lot of stick on here yet Smith has escaped criticism and maybe he might benefit from a new partner as you say for what good he's been he might as well be at Warrington now assuming of course, everything else is spot on[size as usual[/size