Whiting is an excellent squad player but does suffer because of his utility value. I think a few more yeard of pace and he would be a world class centre, however he still does a really good job there and is always very reliable. I think our centres should be concentrating on getting the ball to the wingers anyway, in Briscoe and Sharp we have potentially England's wingers and Yeamo and Whiting/Turner should be making sure they get the ball as often as possible. If Whiting could do this ofetn then his lack of pace would be less of a problem.

From the man that attends two games a season and thinks Rich Horne is a loose forward that's quality stuff.

We'd probably bring in a recognised sniper and try and turn them into a hooker.

For a player wearing the 21 jersey, I'd agree.

When he won the 2005 SL YPotY award it would have seemed reasonable to hope for a bit more. At 20, he Washbrook and G. Horne looked like they could be the foundation on which a decent backrow was built. 5 years on they're all utility squad players.

Of course the bar was set high in the middle of the decade, and it is probably better to look forward than back.

He's suffered a horrendous run of injuries in that time. As I've already said, I still think he'd make a great LF given the chance. Trouble is, he's unlikely to get the chance now.

For that to change we need the link in the halves to work better which basically means Horne and Long playing more games together, add Westerman to that who is a very skillful player and Tansey who links in well then there is every chance the ball could get wider, quicker.

Whiting has also been hit by a couple of bad injuries since 2005 so that would have been a big factor in his progression. Couple that with the fact we have had somewhat of an injury problem for 4 years shows why he now has the "Utility tag". Give him a position for next season and he will go and make it his own in my opinion.

badum tish - are you here all week

Whiting has played everywhere except SH, prop and hooker iirc which obviously will stop him cementing a place in the team.

IF Berro goes or we use him at 9 we should give him a run at centre imo.

When we have injuries i think RA moves the team around to much for me.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sp ... r-Warriors Nothing story really but might stop the boring schoolyard bickering for a post or 2!!!

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sp ... r-Warriors Nothing story really but might stop the boring schoolyard bickering for a post or 2!!!

But it's just not possible for players to come through the academy ready for SL. As Smiggs says, they were at least a match for their peers, which is as far as the academy can get them. It's then up to the first team coaches to help them take the step up.

It is fair to question the academy coaches for their part in it, but not to lay the blame entirely at their door as you seem to be doing. The fact that we keep seeing good juniors not progress into good SL players points more to the end of the line coaching IMO.

I've been saying for a long time, both on here and off, he should have been the natural replacement for Chris Chester in our side.

If every challenge is an opportunity, then Berrigan leaving might give Whiting his chance. Give him the 3 shirt and focus on finding a half/hooker.

Brilliant. We are the square pegs in round hole champions! It comes back to our recruitment strategy though where we've just brought in who's available rather than to fill the position needed and moved someone else. Combine that with the fact that we seemed to think scrum half wasn't a specialist position for many years and the random and unpredictable way that players come through from the academy and you have an explanation for why we never have a balanced squad. It's a situation we're struggling to get out of and I think perhaps explains the Berrigan situation in that we are prepared to clear the decks even before we have a target just to enable us to move quickly and positively if/when the correct one - a halfback hopefully - comes up.