Is it just me or does anyone else believe that Craig Hall is too much of a liability to play first team football, even with injuries in the backs. I know he is a natural talent in attack, but his error count is alarming and he has an uncanny ability to make them in or around our 20 meters. He made 31 errors last year leaving him with the sixth highest error count of any player in the division. He has 10 so far this year and is well on course to continue that unwanted statistic. With Super League games typically being close, the amount of penalties opposing teams gain off him, gives them too much field position and invariably leads to points for them. I know it’s not just him but he is the main culprit. He is a confidence player, but he was blooded in 2008 and so should be more reliable by now. It’s a vicious circle, the more errors he makes the lower his confidence. I think he should spend a full year in the reserves as a centre and spend time working on his defense and catching ability. Even on the wing he would be no good under the high ball. I would much rather have a steady player even though he didn’t offer the same in attack. At least that would get us more field position which leaves us with a chance of winning games. Why does Agar persist with playing him?

What do others think?

He is under the spot-light playing at FB, I would take him out of the firing line and move him to the wing/centre so that any mistakes shouldn't be as costly. Certainly a talent but he is low on confidence and is making too many errors I agree.

No, it isn't just you.

He isn't a fullback but at least he's tried there. Despite his errors too, he's also done some good things with ball-in-hand.

I'd like to see him back in the centres.

I think playing Hall at fullback is not the reason he has made so many errors, it is when he has the ball in hand that he makes the majority of his mistakes. He does not carry the ball naturally or safely and always looks like the slightest gust of wind could knock the ball out of his grasp.

No doubt he has a bit of natural attacking flair, but there is hell of a lot of his game he needs to improve on imo before he becomes a regular first team player.

Don't know what the answer is but I think he has much more than a bit of natural attacking flair - I think he has a natural talent for finding the try-line.

The problem is that he does appear to be a first team regular since the start of the 2008 season

The reserves are a complete waste of time for Hall, he needs to be playing regularly and in his best position which is centre.

My biggest complaint about Craig is not the fact he makes mistakes, its the fact he makes the same mistakes, he needs to start learning from his mistakes.

I thonk Craig has natural flair..he certainly knows how to find the white-wash and from what I have seen this season his defence is improving..I think the role of full/back which he is not familiar with has knocked his confidence and possible accounts for the mistakes.

IMO Craig is worthy of the 1st team

Spot on.

I've always said that most of his faults are things that he should learn with experience, although with some things he doesn't seem to be doing so. The problem is that for as long as he plays in a poor attacking team his mistakes will always appear to be too abundant in comparison to what he adds to the team.

Getting him at centre playing an expansive game with other decent attacking players around him is the only way you'll be able to truly see his worth IMO. ATM he's trying to play a different game to most of those around him so will always stand out one way or the other.

I think exactly the same as you!! Too light weight, too slow in defence and a liability in our own 20 metre zone.

I tend to agree he is not safe at fb because he is to light + casual wth the ball in hand . I dont feel he has progressed much at all. The way i sum him up he will probably score the try of season for you but isnt consistent even and lots of areas to improve .

He shows up really well on the dry, hard pitches but his weight makes him a bit easier to handle in the current, wetter conditions.

Just about his handling errors against Rovers. When I left the ground it was clear that it had been raining but I never noticed from the stands. I wondered why both teams coughed it up a lot in the second half. Also, that ball he dropped in the tackle following the poor pass (from Horne I think) - did you see how far in front of Ganson Rovers were at the ptb? There were three standing closest to Ganson, all of who were one or two yards in front. I haven't watched the replay so they were probably two yards behind him. None of this makes sense anymore, but I've typed it so...

Think the fact he doesn't seem to have a good hold of the ball is his biggest problem. Think he has stood in at FB pretty well considering.

i'l second that.