Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 4:47 pm  

Are we sleepwalking into some selection problems in the backs when the season starts? We know Liam Marshall is out and Oliver Gildart won't make the Salford friendly with a leg injury (no word on how serious). If Bevan doesn't make it back in time to be ready for Game 1 we'd presumably play Zak at fullback. So we're left with Jake Bibby and Dom Manfredi on the wings (not a great position to be relying so heavily on Dom's fitness!) but no other options for centre that I can see other than moving a couple of our many backrowers out wide. Bateman and Isa at centre with Farrell, Smithies and Partington in the backrow?

Not ideal - I was a little surprised we let Chris Hankinson go out on loan given our lack of depth in the threequarters.

Jai Field also a doubt for the season start with a back injury but good options at halfback with Leuluai, Smith and Hastings coming back to training this week,

Re: Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 4:56 pm  

I think the squad is short of wing/centre cover in the short term but we should be able to cope once French is back on board and Field is fit.

It’s really tough for the club to get the squad balance right in fairness to them. We could’ve kept Hankinson and he may well have been sat on his hands for another 12 months. There could be an opportunity for Hanley or Halsall on Sunday (maybe both) and in the early weeks of the season. It’s always good to see a youngster in a strong side, so as long as the injuries don’t pile up we should be fine.

Re: Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:10 pm  

Agree with the other posters on here. There's a concern that it could go all t1ts up there as there's plenty of question marks. Can Manfredi stay fit? How will Marshall go? Where will Bibby go if there's a winger and centre down.

That being said, I can kinda see what the club's trying to do and it's a risk worth taking. If something does happensto a Dom, Marshall or other 3/4 then it appears like there's room to bring in someone in.

Re: Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:19 pm  

If be surprised if one of French or Field doesn’t make the Leigh game.

If they do there is no issue.

If neither do and Gilldart is missing too I expect we would go

1. Hardaker
2. Halsall/Hanley
3. Bibby
4. Bateman
5. Manfredi

That’s still a fairly capable back line even if all 3 miss out but I’d personally be shocked if all 3 missed round 1.

Re: Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:26 pm  

I'd have thought Peace-Paul might be in the running to play centre if we are without French and Field for the opener. There is the option of Hanley or Halsall coming in but I'd feel more confident in Pearce-Paul from what I've seen so far. I'm just thinking he's more physically equipped to take on grown men and it might be a way to ease him into Super League rugby rather than chucking him straight in at second row.

Hanley I would be concerned about based on his outing against Saints. Some time in the Championship would do him good if any of them will give him regular game time. Bateman is too important to our pack and his winger might as well not be on the pitch when he plays centre, incredibly frustrating during the World Cup when he played there.

Re: Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:33 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

I'd have thought Peace-Paul might be in the running to play centre if we are without French and Field for the opener. There is the option of Hanley or Halsall coming in but I'd feel more confident in Pearce-Paul from what I've seen so far.

I agree with that move, should be up to the physical challenge and do a job similar to J Tomkins, Gilmour, Wild

Re: Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:34 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

I'd have thought Peace-Paul might be in the running to play centre if we are without French and Field for the opener. There is the option of Hanley or Halsall coming in but I'd feel more confident in Pearce-Paul from what I've seen so far. I'm just thinking he's more physically equipped to take on grown men and it might be a way to ease him into Super League rugby rather than chucking him straight in at second row. Hanley I would be concerned about based on his outing against Saints. Some time in the Championship would do him good.

No idea whether he's a potential centre but he's also injured at the moment.

Re: Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:37 pm  

MadDogg wrote:

No idea whether he's a potential centre but he's also injured at the moment.

He played there a fair bit before signing for us I believe. Didn't realise he's injured, lovely

Re: Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 5:46 pm  

I can’t understand the reasoning behind moving a lad who has never played centre in Paul to centre over 2 lads who have played centre one in a SL Grand Final and the other on the international stage.

More over Halsall & Hanley need to play. They are 19/20 now.

Pearce Paul would still be involved if the above happened he would just be playing off the bench covering his natural position on secondrow with Isa and Faz starting.

There seems to be a lot of clamour to force an opening in the team for Pearce Paul of very little substance.

He looks a great prospect no doubt but I think it would be remiss to start moving him into the outside backs before he gets a more regular taste of first team rugby in his natural position.

Re: Backs : Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:02 pm  

Going off that Saints game last year, if any of the young lads gets a shot at centre it may well be James McDonnell. I know he’s a back rower in the academy but it was he who started that Saints game in the centre and he made plenty of ground and didn’t let anyone down. I’ve never been overly impressed with Halsall when I’ve watched him and he looks too lightweight at the minute to play anywhere bar maybe as a fill in winger. He’s plenty of time to develop but he’ll need to IMO.

If we like it or not though, come that Leigh game if we’re still short of Gildart, Field, French etc then I think we’ll see Willie Isa in the centres. I think Bateman has gone past that stage of filling in at centre. I actually thing he’s a good option there but he’s too big a player in the pack.