It's interesting to note that when people are slagging off the side and particularly the creative players that Fitzgibbon is getting no stick. Don't get me wrong his workrate does not deserve any but like I said at the start of the season, he will do the same job as Radford did at 13, an extra battering ram. People said I was wrong but so far he has not helped the halves out whatsover and imo he should be playing in the backrow with either Manu or Tickle and Washbrook should then be at 13 which would offer an extra pivot to go with Tansey, Horne and Long. This would mean that Lauaki, Tickle or Manu could miss out or we could just drop Houghton off the bench and have two backrows and two props on the bench.

Either way the 13 role from last year has not changed despite everybody saying Fitzgibbon would add more. yes he adds more quality in the work he does but it's the same role.

Agar clearly likes to use the 13 role as an extra forward and not an extra pivot, the free role of 13 certainly has helped with our defensvie game, I am hoping to see some off-loads from Fitz..But like you I prefare the 13 to run as an extra pivot.

I'm not sure how many people thought Fitz would come in and start spraying the ball around from loose man. Don't remember too many suggesting he would be the ultimate ball player ala Jason Smith and alike. What he has done is massively improve the quality of the pack with his outstanding work rate and quality in everything he does do. I would say that he has helped out the halves - his dummy running and the lines he runs are top quality with Manu's try at Saints being a good example.

The player that most concerns me is Washbrook. Admittedly he hasn't played at loose man and has only played one game this season, but this idea that he can go into loose man and become the extra ball playing pivot lacks any evidence to back it up. Another good chance to impress on Sunday passed him by. When is he going to take his chance and put in a match winning MOM performance ? My point is that he hasn't shown enough to suggest he can be the ball playing 13 even if we decided to play with one.

I may take Horney into the Wier tonight, wonder if Agar would have the bottle to drop him too!?

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I was hoping Washbrook would take his chance on Sunday and put in a performance which would make it hard to drop him. That said if the team around him are not firing I guess it is difficult for him to come in and standout.

I think there has been alot of over reactions on here this week particularly aimed at certain players. The brother mentioned that Hull had been 'flat' in training last week and to some extent I am not surprised. To have started the season by playing both Saints away and then the Giants must have been physically and mentally very demanding so a natural drop in intensity was on the cards. I liken our first 2 games to playing a semi final or final teams always struggle the week after and in hindsight a change or 2 would probably have freshened up the whole squad at the Crusaders.

The important part is how we respond to this dip in performance against the Quins on Friday. We set very high standards in the first 2 games now we need to find some consistency. "

I was hoping Washbrook would take his chance on Sunday and put in a performance which would make it hard to drop him. That said if the team around him are not firing I guess it is difficult for him to come in and standout.

I think there has been alot of over reactions on here this week particularly aimed at certain players. The brother mentioned that Hull had been 'flat' in training last week and to some extent I am not surprised. To have started the season by playing both Saints away and then the Giants must have been physically and mentally very demanding so a natural drop in intensity was on the cards. I liken our first 2 games to playing a semi final or final teams always struggle the week after and in hindsight a change or 2 would probably have freshened up the whole squad at the Crusaders.

The important part is how we respond to this dip in performance against the Quins on Friday. We set very high standards in the first 2 games now we need to find some consistency.

This is a good game for Calderwood to come back into........no ball players so he will have absolutely fluff all to do in attack......lets hope his defence is upto scratch.

Bit touchy aren't we..... I was only having an opinion and trying to have a bit of dialogue but guess thats not allowed. I always thought you're game at crusaders would be a tough one, they will not be the worst team in the comp this year and you wont be the only team to come unstuck over there.

My point was that quins have seemed to have been impacted by a lot of injuries and look a pretty weak side at the moment. there only win coming against a very depleated Cats side that had a man sent off and had had a few on the team locked up the weekend before. FC still look far too strong a team for a quins side, especially at home and with any complacency being removed last week.

If you really think we'll beat cas then get some cash on us, cos if we play like we did on Sunday I'd get a £10 on us getting nilled again, should be some value in it.

Not at all, Just having a bit of fun,just like you !
Pillows at the ready then on Friday night !

With regards to washbrook think you are being a little harsh TBH. On sunday was his first competitive game (lack of match fitness and form) and being asked to lead the team around from halfback is a lot different then playing at 13 IMO.

Personally think with our lack of options having both a pivot at fullback and loose forward would give us more and better options and create more confusion in the oppositions minds

Ill get slated for it but imo Washbrook simply isnt good enough for any team wanting to be in the play offs in SL. Its because we had players of Washbrook and Lees' calibre playing every week last season that we was so poor. Without him we improve, with him back in and its back to gash rugby.

We play the aussie way now Paul, our extra pivot comes from Full back and an extra prop type is used at 13. TBH i don't disagree with it either, the days of ball playing 13's has gone for me.
I like Danny but when was the last time he played and started at 13?

Washy was injured for a lot of last season. HTH

Having ball players at 1 and 13 just doesn't really happen anymore.

Maybe it was a touch harsh but he isn't the only one I have criticised. He is listed in our squad as a Loose Man/Off half. He played in the halves in the Sheffield warm up (not the same admittedly) and didn't impress then either. He is 24 now and my point is when will he impose himself on games in a way which will stamp his authority ? Don't get me wrong I would love it to be this Friday and lots of games thereafter it's just that this idea of him being the pivot we need at loose man pre-supposes he is a good pivot player and I'm not sure I've seen that often enough to agree.

In fairness he was but did play 10 games in 2009.