There’s definite potential for sure.

I do think that we have some reasonable/acceptable depth at prop. We do need some luck with injuries though I feel or we will be relying on some players with less experience but you can’t guage that.

Whitbread is a "middle". I don't like the term but it is certainly a position we are stuck with for the foreseeable.

With ball handling 13s seeming to be very few and far between the 13 and Prop role in most cases has become interchangeable, and more often than not they do the same job.

A middle tends to be a little more mobile and agile than the traditional view of a bigger prop.

I think we have an imbalance in the prop rotation where we have possibly 6/7 middles and only one out and out Prop in Fafita.

Wigan last year were in a similar position with basically a prop rotation of middles and their lack of ability to get meters ended up with them being the lowest try scorers in the division, along with some very negative tactics from the coach at the time. The priority was for them to recruit 2 traditional Props and they had to search hard to find them from less obvious routes.

Covid and the arrival of a new franchise in the NRL for 2023 means the talent available from the NRL is going to be reduced even further which is why it is refreshing for us to be investing in youth and developing players not just looking at short term fixes.

I agree the middles have become interchangeable but if you look at our middles the 2 that stand out in terms of linking our attack, a decent pair of hands at the line and some good footwork at the line are Whitebread and Arona and I don`t think it`s any coincidence that they have both played a lot of rugby at 13 both here and the NRL. To be honest, I think Crowthers game has come on a lot passing near the line and linking in, not quite there yet but he`s vastly improved to what he was.

John as got it spot on jai is not a prop nor is he a loose he is a middle and weather we like or not its more or less the same role.jay pitts when coaching the academy calls it middle cos thats where my lad plays most of his rugby.

One of the players who seems to have had a strong pre season in terms of his performances is Brad Walker who has previously said in the media he sees himself as a loose forward.

Once Lino is fit to play at 7 it would be good to see Walker move from 7 to have a run of a few SL games at loose forward.

He’s got some size at 6ft 1 tall and 16 stones as well as a good pair of hands and strong kicking game…. This would also enable Whitbread to focus on the prop position…

We will find out who goes were 1 week on Sunday .Can not wait

I know best and I can tell you Fafita is Infor a rough season with our midget pack. I think we will beat Hull but without fafita we will be dominated no too ways about it.
Hall looks a cracking signing.

Wise words from a poster who has got it more consistently wrong than all the rest of the posters on here combined.

I’ll put that one on file under G for garbage. Midget pack, change the record.

Great insight.
You make it sound like we have the Under 12's (no offence to them btw) in the 1st team....

Who's this Fafita lad? Is he any good?

Tom is certainly happy with Poching so far... https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/there-wa ... ged-48562/

Tom is certainly happy with Poching so far... https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/there-wa ... ged-48562/

Never heard of him....
Probably not........