Agar said Fitzgibbon and O'meley due back next game.

That's our half backs sorted then.

Should have chucked at least some of them into the melee tonight - we were always going to lose this one. At least that way they'd have got a bit of experience under their belts.

As it was, Agar played cautious, we were nilled anyway, and those young lads are still untried. It's not a squad until they are deemed capable of playing - Agar should have taken a tentative step towards that tonight. As it is, I beg to differ that we have a squad capable of playing at Super League standard. We've got a current scratchy 17.

(Nicklas did well for the last 5 minutes BTW.)

We're shagged. Pack will be better for the last few games, but with Dowes probably out, maybe Sam, plus Whiting, Calders, Hall and Long, stick a fork in us. We said all along the season depended on Long's fitness. We're going to end up playing Rovers in a play-off and getting beaten. FACT.

It's inevitable unless we can somehow hold onto 5th as Hudds and Rovers have easier run-ins. Next weekend's game and the Crusaders ones are must wins.

dowesy is not the player he was 5 years ago when we won the cup

To be fair to Agar (not often I say that), if he had of started them and the same result had occurred he'd have got crucified for throwing them in at the deep end and ruining their confidence etc.

Who suggested starting them?

When it was obvious the game was lost (after the first half) should have introduced a couple with no pressure - a bit like he said he'd do in the Mail. Wasted opportunity IMO.

Fair enough, I'd question if throwing them on midway through a spanking counts as valuable experience though.

Also if he had named such an inexperienced bench he'd probably come under fire for admitting defeat before the game had started..

Nowt to lose. Better than no experience at all. And who knows.... it only takes a moment of excellence from an unexpected quarter to form confidence. And as Agar said - they should enjoy it with no pressure.... just that he didn't actually proceed to offer them that chance.

Wonder what the lads would have said if offered the option to go on in the second half - 'yes' or 'no'?.... you only needed to see how Nicklas was champing at the bit and did well for his few minutes.

My original point was probably similar to your viewpoint anyway - I was arguing against Sheldon's view that we have a squad to step up in these decimated times.

We haven't - we've got a bunch of young inexperienced lads. But should have taken this rare opportunity to launch a couple of them tonight, otherwise we'll still have a back-up squad of young inexperienced lads come the end of the season.

Agree about the strength of our squad, it's not terrible but once we get a few injuries it really shows. I didn't realise he said that's what he'd do in the paper so if he did and then he didn't then it's disappointing... I just think though if you're gonna do that you need to choose just a couple of them and if not start them then at least treat them as if they are regular members of the 17 and use them as such, IMO putting them there just to get them on the pitch when all is lost doesn't achieve a great deal.

The squads inbalanced, we need another 3 experienced backs.