Suffered a groin tear against Salford and is out for 3 months. Goes without saying it’s a huge blow and we’ll probably now have to bring in some cover.

and CC is still not happy about how the injury occurred.

Rubbish news! Need a outside back in now ASAP especially with Easter round the corner!



There are a few options out there as far as i can see:



Adam Swift - cant get a game at Saints and OOC at end of the year

Jodie Broughton - cant get a game at Catalans and OOC at end of the year

Dom Manfredi - cant get a game at Wigan - although may be injured

Liam Marshall - cant get a game at Wigan

Mason Caton-Brown - don't know his current situation

I'm pretty sure 3 of those are long term injuries themselves.

I wouldn't go near Marshall, his defence is appalling.

Might be why they cant get a game then

So he said but nothing mentioned during this weeks disciplinary hearings. Haven't watched the rerun on Trin TV yet so can't comment.

Manfredi is back in the Wigan team, Broughton & Marshall are long term injuries and last i heard MCB was trying to make it in Union, although that might have changed. Swift might be an option on a short term loan though and Tom Davies has been pushed out at Wigam by Joe Burgess’ return. Teams though are reluctant to let anyone go until the easter period is done.

I keep saying this but injuries happen at all clubs. Someone will have to step up whether internally or from outside. Monetary constraints may mean from within the club for now. Personally I don't panic at these things because injuries to star players are how others get their chance or are discovered. Jowitt, Kershaw and Reynolds can both play there, Hooley is one who needs to be tested anyway. Like it or not its part of the game and we just have to go for it. Kershaw in particular has gone down a bomb at Oldham, its a way lower division but its pretty physical so that shouldn't be an issue.

Jowitt/Reynolds on the wing with Arundel centre

Probably best pulling from the academy/reserves/loans that we've already got until Easter is out of the way as teams are unlikely to want their own squad leaving over the busy period

Use the squad such as Jowitt or Reynolds - possibly the old looking young lad Kershaw - and give them game time, if we aren't going to when the perfect chance arises whats the point of them being here.



I know there's a relegation threat but I would think we will be safe from that regardless of a few injuries, so think long term - There's generally a reason why these other players aren't getting in their respective first teams.... would they be so much better than our squad options to justify bringing them in on a short term basis depriving game time and experience?

Not sure if you will look externally but Ashton Golding doesnt look like he's going to get a game for us at Leeds anytime soon and he's at the wrong stage of his career to be playing Championship every week.



Specialist full back but wouldn't surprise me to see him pop up for you guys on the wing. A move that probably suits everyone if he's willing to pitch in on the wing.

Especially Shudds!

Dom Manfredi is first choice at Wigan and currently fit?

Major blow for us, and were doing it tough at the moment.



Think promoting from within, with very little game time, and given how tight the league is looking right now, I think its a huge gamble, throwing someone in for 3 months solid. We are 4th, but what 4 points off the relegation spot. We have lost our most dangerous wide channel, both our left wide players.



Personally, if the funds are there to bring someone in, i wouldnt be wasting time until after Easter. Other clubs may have the same ideas, and beat us to signing the right player

How do you know that 'person' will work? You don't anymore than promoting from within won't. This is how many players get a chance, why rob them of it.

When you think last season, between them, Bill and TJ attained about 40 tries between them. That's approximately 160 points. Hell of a high proportion of the season's total and instrumental in us finishing in 5th position. Whoever replaces them, I can;'see them amassing anything like that number of points. Hence, do we finish outside the top 5 on that basis??

Well, maybe we do maybe we don't, who knows, no point in obsessing over it, it is what it is.

I'm quite happy with the cover we have, I mean who the hell can replace Tupou and Johnstone anyway, who in the league could ??

Doesn't matter which way you cut it, its gonna be a compromise.

If I had to wet my knickers over something, it would be the wing berth, I'm not so concerned about because we have Arundel, I reckon Reynolds could make a go of it and be useful if Joe hits the skids.

No its that wing, no out and out specialist with SL experience.

Having said that, we could try Kershaw for a bit but after him its make do and mend.

We can't just rock up with a bag of cash and replace 2 of the best players in SL like for like, its not possible, so we have to accept we may not be as effective, but its a team game and we have to, and will.....adapt

We will have to adjust our style of play no doubt about it, that said BJB is yet to score this season and he's normally prolific himself. Maybe we need to look right a bit more

Agreed! we need to get BJB away a bit more and play out towards the LHS a bit. I think this must be his leanest spell since he started with us.

Personally I'd give young Kershaw a chance. There's loads of experience in the team to help him learn his trade.

Reynolds to me is an unknown but if you don't play these guys you never know how they will go.

Sorry!! That should be RHS, of course>

No one know whether it will work or not, and if we could all predict whats going to happen in the future, we'd be winning the lottery.



However, giving one of the kids 13 or so games, more so to replace TJ, and filling such big boots us a huge gamble, for someone with little game time.



Although Max improved during the Warrington game, he struggled at first, and Kershaw did not look ready in the friendlies I saw. It could be a weakness for us, for the rest of the season, and other clubs, with smart coaches and players will exploit that.



No problem for a few games, but a block of games like that. Huge gamble, and with automatic relegation this year, though call to make.



On top of this, whos to say that over the next three months or so, Lyne, Arundel or Bish, dont end up injured. We are stretched.

Forgive me was Tom Johnstone not a young unproven player once? Did he not have minimal game time before he became a regular, did we not give him an opportunity in a much weaker team than the current lot we have now? If you never play them they'll never be good enough. Drop Kershaw in, see how he goes, if things look like they are getting on top of him then pull him out of the line up to recuperate.