Mariano might play. Charnley has been brought in as 'option'. I'm sceptical about that, I anticipate you will be even more so. There may never be a more obvious time for him to play, that does not necessarily make it an obvious time to play him. The intention will have been to use this very particular set of circumstances (absence of senior club-trained players, rising quota for them) to give some of the 'maybe' youngsters (as opposed 'probables' like Taylor and Watts) a chance to train as pros, that they wouldn't have got at another time or club. A shot to nothing for the club, a chance for them to exceed expectations. Expectation and intent are different - I'm confident that players wll be picked on merit and if any player displays to the coaches he has the ability on the training field, they'd be given a game. We had to include some for whom that was a hope rather than an expectation and some will not exceed that expectation.
The Horne point was me anticipating that you'd use that familiar argument. You've chosen a slight variant on it instead. What is appropriate for one player may not be so for another. At 23, we have to consider the possibility that Mariano is not of the same standard as Tomkins and Myler.

brisco likely to play as he as not pulled up in training and welham shoulder in a very bad way reckon end iof his season.....

Not one mention that I have seen that he has been out on a dual reg this season in National league 1 with Blackpool Panthers (during our win every game spell).

He played a handful of games for us scored tries, kicked goals, defended well and looked up to the battle against some of the bigger boys e.g. Whitehaven's tellytubby prop pack.

I think we're agreeing but spinning it differently. You're saying that Mariano was a very long shot to make it at SL level but the club acted like a charity, a kindly/indulgent benefactor if you will, to allow him to train in the presence of Clint and the Moobster for a year or so (and pay him at the same time - how lovely) to cushion the blow of his not making it at Rovers in the medium term. I'm saying maybe Rovers had to name 7 "first team" homegrown players to comply with minimum quota requirements and listed players they didn't believe would make it but had no one else to name.

That cuts pretty much to the heart of it. We could, in the parliamentary sense, pairhttp://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/pairing/rl

If this is JM's response to a player shortage, what's the point of having a 20s Academy then? Surely there are enough players in there good enough to have a punt on, compared to an untested 20s player from a rival club getting his 1st team experience at the expense of a KR youngster? Very negative IMO, having to go begging to a 'bigger' club. What message does it send the lads playing now as regards to possibly playing first team football. Mariano must be thinking what he's done wrong. Another Esders?

i'd rather one of our boys have a go, but if he doesn't it brings the squad quota thing into disrepute. if you name someone as a squad member they should have to play at least 1 super league game during the season. i'm sure its not just us that do it but it would make it interesting when they play them and also 'blood' them so to speak. be good all round

To take this to its natural conclusion we could say why sign players from outside the club ever, surely if the U20's are good enough come next season we should just promote from within. This doesn't happen and injuries to key positions where a suitable back up / or a back up who hasn't progressed well enough means we have to externally recruit. All teams ae in a similar position, Mrs B's club for instance, who will tell anyone who listens what a fantastic youth set up they have, duriing yet another injury crisis fail to play Tuffor on the wing and only give Lynne one game there, maybe they wrere a charity beneficiary put there to work alongside Calderwood. Yet this mature set up still had to bring in McShane to cover hooker. Similarly last year with the wealth of homegrown talent sat there they bring in Broughton.

We have hit a bit of problem due to Welham, Webster, Ratu, Walker and Colbon all being out. One of our U20 backs has been draughted in and an U20's 2nd rower has also been brought in to allow moves of our other players to cover. So maybe Mariano isn't up to it, some players aren't, he maybe has had a bad year and hasn;t responded to being in the 1st team squad, it happens, even to 1st team regulars so I really don;t see the point of the arguements.

Do you honestly think that every 'unproven' player is at the same level?! Why sign Josh Hodgson and not play Scott Spaven then? Or is that ok now because its obvious how much better one is than the other?

It's JM's job to make these decisions and act in the best interests of the club. I love the sentiment of giving 'your own' a chance, but seriously fellas, this is a professional sport - they have to be bluddy good enough first!

I'm surprised at you Gekko, thought you had more about you.

Nail on head!