Is your strategy of playing a "supposed" loose forward as an auxiliary prop, actually working.

As far as I'm concerned, loose forward is a vital position, in which we can prosper.

Harrison, despite his talents, will never be a loose forward as long as he has a hole in his ample bottom.

We have a 4 page thread (as I type) regarding today's HB pairing not working. So, may I humbly suggest the moving back to the halves of Chris Bridge, and the transfer of Ratchford to No 13, where someone of his talent can actually thrive in the responsibilities of a LF, which would be just hanging back from general play, looking for gaps/opportunities which a player of Ratchford's calibre would EASILY exploit.

Ratchford is not a loose until he puts on up to 2 stone of muscle.

Ratchford is not a half-back
Myler is not anything
Harrison is not a loose forward
Russell is not a full-back
Asotasi is a terminator sent from the year 2015 to scupper our hopes of glory

Shall we just rip up the team sheet, do a Ripping Yarns "Golden Gordon" and go and recruit the 1986 Premiership team to lead us to Old Trafford glory?

In true Gordon Ottershaw style, I can reel off that Premiership winning pack like my 5 times table

Boyd
Tamati
Jackson
Sanderson
Roberts






Gregory

I need a lay down

8 bloody 1!

The extra prop at loose role works if there is a ball playing full back acting as a third pivot. It worked with Hodgson at full back but Russell is a different type of player.

Bridge at loose could be a good move, but if personally be hoping Grix could fill that role as well.

Been saying the same at Saints for years, we need a 13 look at the successful clubs recently.
Leeds have Sinfield , Wigan O'Loughlin , before that we had Sculthorpe.

I'm not a fan of this 3rd prop at 13 lark , seems an excuse for lazy props like LMS / Harrison

Harrison was one of our better performers yet again today.

Ridiculous thread.

Harrison is a quality player, I would like to see him at prop or second row personally. I think grix is our best 13 we have been very unfortunate that he has been injured so often this season.

Sinfield: 33
O'loughlin: 31

The lock you describe is dying as a species, those two are just the remaining survivors - and one rarely plays there any more. Both are more known for their leadership qualities over fabulous lock work as well imo.

The game evolves, props are more skilful with the ball and sometimes act as first receiver (the James graham model) hookers and halfbacks are more interchangeable now (Rob Burrow for example) and defensive structures can't afford to support weak links in the middle. Hence the new type of lock.

That's a very interesting perspective, and undoubtedly there is a lot of truth in it. [iHowever[/i, O'Loughlin is in my opinion the most skillful player in SL by a country mile. Even at 70% fitness, which he seems to permanently be these days, he has the handling, vision and intelligence to choose the right pass, to the right player and unlock any defence in the world. Given a choice of any other SL player to come to us, he'd be a shortlist of one for me.

The only other English backrower I see going around at the moment with those skills, and the potential to be as influential, as good? Step forward Ben Currie.

I've just got home and I'm in far too foul a mood to get into all this. But I must say, anyone who believes Sinfield plays LF is an imbecile, ignore the number on his jersey!