Totally agree. I think that’s one of the most important points that our backs have to be prepared for. There are bigger, stronger and faster opponents on the edges next season. Their physical demand will increase. That said I’m positive with the back room team we have they will prepare the players for this.

Regards tackling and Walmsley. I thought the start of the season we were getting a winger who struggled to tackle but was good in attack. Pretty much all year I’ve been impressed by his defensive side. He really doesn’t miss any and certainly makes his tackles.


Really looking forward to seeing how some of these players transition.

Had a conversation about Rodwell yesterday. He will go well in SL but he will come up against some bigger and stronger forwards too so that will be an interesting test for him.

I find he can sometimes be a weak spot at full back but good on the wing. One of the first things you learn when playing rugby is to not let the ball bounce, he seems to sometimes forget this and a full back can't do that. He also didn't look comfortable under a high ball yesterday. I was surprised Booth didn't play FB yesterday after his cracking game there previously.

But that's the point. He isn't a full back.

And Booth playing full back meant changing spine again when we were already changing the others.
It was fine for Barrow.
Some you players got a good test and we still won easily.

In the backline Pratt and Walmesly are the only ones without SL experience.
I think Pratt is ready to take AL by storm I really do.
Walmesley we'll see but at worst he'll be average. He's not a weak link.

The problem for Walmely is that he is seldom selected for his obvious wing position. If we take yesterday’s team we had a winger at FB, a centre on the wing, a FB/ centre in the halves and a fullback at scrum half.

I personally like the way we have quality players able to play in other positions and not just as 'cover' but to a very good standard eg Jowitt, Walmsley, Booth and now Pratt on the wing !
Augers well for the future!

I think we all know it’s because Olpherts is a favourite of Powells.

After Wembley and Walmsley blitzing up to 20+ try’s and looking very potent at left wing Olpherts was shoehorned in without much reasoning from right to left.

Nothing against Olpherts as he’s done a good job this season for us but he was doing a perfectly good job on the right (as he did vs Barrow) so it just seemed very odd that Olpherts sealed that position down after Wembley.

Again I’m happy to have Olpherts and I was the first to champion his signing across many platforms when he signed with a number of fans not keen on his signing and defended him after his Batley away game too. I still think he’s a good championship winger but I really don’t get how he’s been immovable from the left wing this year when he was playing good on the right and Walmsley on left.

Only thing I can think it may be is getting experience on the right wing with an eye on next season. If it’s that fair enough I guess.

Because he makes more yardage out of the back than anyone else.

Which was the case on right wing also?

I'm not saying he's right but that's why he likes Derrell

I know that but I wasn’t questioning why he’s liked or why he was brought in. That’s the whole reason he was brought in and Franco was frozen out. Nobody banged the drum for Olpherts more than me early days and I still do for his yardage carried out the back.

It was just why after playing right wing that post Wembley Olpherts was shoehorned to the left. Some ocassions Walmsley being benched rather than favoured for right wing.

Not that it really matters now though. I just never really understood that.

Injuries to halves, Jowitt moving to 6/7, Walmsley being the more versatile of the two, all contributed to him losing his left wing spot. He's not playing there next season (injury to Johnstone permitting) so perhaps Powell was trying him out in other positions.

I think that's exactly it Trojan - Walmsley will be on the right next year so think Powell's playing him there unless covering at full back. For what it's worth I've not loved Walmsley at full back - his positional sense is pretty good, and he's obviously a real threat pushing on early plays. But I'm not as convinced with his ball playing and short kicking game, which gets called on a lot in SL. No dramas this year, but delighted Rourke's coming in to provide cover for Jowitt. We haven't really had a second full back since Alex Walker, and that stung us last year particularly. Not sure Walker would have made a huge difference to the scorelines, mind.

Walker was never up to SL. Before we signed him from
London I could see he la led the ability to join the line, create the overlap and find a pass. Some players it comes natural like Max but others really struggle here and Walker struggled.

I take your point though that we haven’t had any real depth at fullback that’s quality in a while. For next season Jowitt, Roarke, Walmsley and Russell (if all true) is some very good depth.

Regards his ball playing, he did create 2 x assists at Barrow and I’m sure he’s our second highest assist maker in the squad for stats. He’s not got the finesse and accuracy in passing I’ll give you that but I think he’s got some ability on ball playing. Enough to cover the odd game at least. Agree about the kicking because we haven’t really seen it but hopefully the halves can take that load.

I suspect he will be on the wing anyway. We may have to be a little patient with him early season till he finds his SL feet.

Powell seems to have been testing the versitality like you say. Might bode well if we hit some injuries as I suppose the coaches will know in advance who’s more capable in different positions.

Next signing announced at 10.00