The charge was downgraded.

That was the game I had in mind, yes. Only going off reports on here and the press mind.



I'm not suggesting that he's set the league alight but he does seem to be doing some good stuff. And as far as I'm concerned the more creative players we have in the side the better. Long at SH and Obst rotating with Houghton is better than our alternatives with Obst in the halves IMO.

Be interesting to see how we perform in the next couple of games without Long and if performances change when he returns. I agree the more creative players the better, but I just get the impression that Long is pretty much disinterested the majority of the time.

I doubt we will miss him for 2 games, I was excited when we signed him but barring a couple of games he has been a poor signing and probably cost us a fortune!

Long hasn't been poor but he just hasn't been that good either but that doesn't warrant throwing him on the scrap heap does it? I'm sure the team will benefit from having him in it in the long run and it's not like Obst won't get a game because of him either.

So your saying he has been average

....He will be one of the highest paid players in our squad, a wage which is way above average and his performance should reflect that!! Take Fitz & Orgre now they earn their high wage, Longy does/has not!

Have you seen the top tacklers in SL?





Fitz is top with 48 per game average and nearly 100 more than the guy in 5th in only 8 games. Jesus. Putting aside the fact that he's flogging himself those are incredible stats IMO. If there were ever the polar opposite of an Aussie coming over here to wind down and toss it off, we've got him at FC.



1 Craig Fitzgibbon Hull 383

2 James Roby St Helens 329

3 Danny Houghton Hull 320

4 Ian Henderson Catalans 320

5 Andy Ellis Harlequins 286

Not decrying his effort here, but it does help massively that he's probably the only player in SL who plays 80 minutes around the ruck most weeks. The other four are all hookers who get spelled.



I'd sooner see his tackle stats take a hit and have him playing less minutes, at prop, and look useful with the ball as well. So far this season I personally think his performances have looked great on paper, but at most only good on the field. He's actually had a few bad and mediocre games.

Breaking news on BBC sport website. 2 game ban and £300 fine for Long. No surprise there then.

Fitz is incredible you can clearly see his work ethic is ingrained in him, I cannot begin to imagine how good he must have been in his prime

...Nice to see Houghton up there, I see that kid going a long way in this game if he carries on developing like he is.

I agree with your points, but I was just backing up BB's point that Fitz earns his big wage. Perhaps he tries to hard to do it all, perhaps he slows our distribution a bit at times, I don't disagree, but there have been many many Aussies in SL on wind-down to take the money and Fitz is the complete antithesis of that IMO.

I agree he's not on a wind-down, but I am starting to think he's giving us different problems. I have this nagging feeling that he's trying (succeeding?) to take control a bit more than a player should.



I also think that his role means that he is able to show his worth even in a struggling team, whereas some players are much more dependent on help from their teammates to deliver what they can. Berrigan was a prime example of that IMO, he can't do so much without quick ptbs and dummy runners, but Fitzgibbon can drive the ball in and tackle anyone who comes near him all day long irrespective of what people around him are doing.

I think that without him we'd have a whole load more problems than we've got.

He was the same last year for the first 3 months until he burnt himself out.

Like what?

None of which alters the actual point I was making, that he's the opposite of "here for a holiday".

Like missing his work ethic. We don't have a large number of players waiting in the wings with the same commitment to work in defence, or for that matter the same technique. I also think he's been leading on the field well. Additionally I believe he is showing leadership off the field in the face of at times vitriolic criticism. I also believe he is a top role model for the younger players to look up to. Maybe he is guilty on occasion of entering the line when it might be preferable not to, but overall we would be a far worse team without him and he has been an excellent signing for Hull.

I wish he would take a bit more of a holiday by us rotating him so he can play 100% when he's on the field for the whole season.

Seriously is this the best picture of Long the BBC had? news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 446715.stm Looks like me in the Irish bar in Perpignan last year!!

Seriously is this the best picture of Long the BBC had? news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 446715.stm Looks like me in the Irish bar in Perpignan last year!!

Quote Big Dave T="Big Dave T"Seriously is this the best picture of Long the BBC had? news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 446715.stm [uLooks like me in the Irish bar in Perpignan last year[/u!! '" Definitely not going this year.....

Quote Big Dave T="Big Dave T"Seriously is this the best picture of Long the BBC had? news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 446715.stm [uLooks like me in the Irish bar in Perpignan last year[/u!! '" Definitely not going this year.....

I didnt have long hair and a dodgy eye when i went in there!!

Quote Big Dave T="Big Dave T"Seriously is this the best picture of Long the BBC had? news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 446715.stm Looks like me in the Irish bar in Perpignan last year!! '" He looks like an extra from One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest

Quote Big Dave T="Big Dave T"Seriously is this the best picture of Long the BBC had? news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 446715.stm Looks like me in the Irish bar in Perpignan last year!! '" He looks like an extra from One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest

I think most of those are problems we DO currently have, particularly the work ethic one. You say yourself that we don't have too many players with the commitment and technique he does, so you acknowledge the problem is there, and that would mean it appears he's not made a difference by bringing it out in his teammates or passed on enough of his technique/experience to others.



I'm not saying he's not been a good signing, I just think that he's also not without his faults and some go overboard on him and just how much he's doing for our team. Bottom line is that he's a part of a poor team, and is not exempt from criticism IMO.

long has been poor. He's been blighted by injuries and largely anonymous when he has played. Maybe he would have looked better if we had some kind of gameplan but he hasn't been anywhere near the level you would expect from a player earning what he is

Absolutely , we've got rid of the wasters supposedly , we've got Fitz the great pro to lead by example but we still only get up for a game if the other team throw in some head shots or the ref winds us up. Fitz is on a mission but he's proved everything he needs to to everyone and he's now proving to himself that he can still play the full 80 and make 60/70 tackles in a game at 34. Absolutely admirable but it's not proving to be effective in improving Hull FC is it? He , understandably , looks slow and knackered especially with ball in hand later in the game. Surely we can find work horses in the UK? It's flair , pace and skill we should be spending our money on. Don't get me wrong I want him in the team but it should really be on the coaches terms and a proper coach would not play him at 13 for 80 in this team.