Shouldn't keeping the shirt be the first rule of having a strong competitive squad or do we just accept that every player outside the so called first choice 17 is a stand by, thus leaving the elite players of the squad to please themselves when they choose to perform, as they seem to have done for most of this season, and what Ali brings to the game that is different was left at Headingley a season and half ago.



As for arguing that Molloy only tackled well, it's about time someone did, I've lost count of the number of times that posters on here have argued that we couldn't drop Aiton because he was half of the defence, haven't seen many saying we missed him on Sunday.

Isn't that because Wildie tackled his nadgies off in his stead?



Wasn't it 35 tackles in the game and none missed?

I disagree. He has been magnificent in some games for us. So whether right now he is able, he has not been a waste at Wakefield.







I mean that as a positive about Molloy. I specifically watched him and he didn't miss a tackle so was implying that he shouldn't be just an extra man as has been suggested before.

Yes your right, but I was making the point that despite all the Aiton lovers fearing our weak defence when he was missing, which incidently is all that he was giving us at one point, Wildie proved that there are other players in the squad that are capable given the chance and being made to do it rather than standing back and letting someone else do it., and the same can be said for other players in the team that some consider to be irreplacable.

I don't disagree that Ali has been magnificent all season, I just dispute your claim that he gives us something that Molloy doesn't unless you mean a bit more grunt because he left his offload game at Leeds, whether that was his or Agars doing it is a fact that he has become no more than a run of the mill bulldozing second rower.

So just out of interest

If you have a player who has performed well all season but gets injured for a game, and his replacement plays equally well.

Would you alwasy have the guy who played last time keep the shirt?

Yes, injuries are part of the game, and to quote John Kear, one man's misfortune is another man's opportunity, to do otherwise would make that man go through the motions when called on, and if Ali was a true squad man he would be the frist to say that the man that replaced him should keep the shirt if he'd done the job.

Maybe part of our problem this season is that there hasn't been enough of that attitude in the club, if there is no real incentive for the players with the shirts to perform then they are likely to get complacent and go through the motions, and have we seen some going through the motions this season.

This is about putting the best team possible out, they are paid to play. If they're told to play they play (unless injuries). I doubt Ali saying he can play instead of him will make Agar happy at all. EDIT- I could understand if he did something amazing, but he hasn't.

This, IMO, is about creating a culture in the club where every player goes out and puts everything into every game they play for our club, and if you think that has happened all season then you are either naive or blind. I wasn't suggesting for one minute that Ali should go to Agar and tell him to pick Molloy instead of him and I really can't believe that someone thought I did.

As for performance, based on the last four games that team that played on Sunday is the best possible team that we can currently put out because in the previous three games we suffered bigger defeats against poorer teams.

I blame that for turning up to the game in the wrong attitude. If you didn't suggest it then why did you say it? At the end of the day I picked the team that I thought would of been the best to play against Salford theres 3 changes thats all and they are 3 quality players when they're on their game.

So surely if they turn up with the wrong attitude then the best way to change that attitude is to replace them with another player, and when that player turns up with the right attitude and does the job let him keep the shirt, and those three players haven't been quality for nearly enough time this season otherwise we would have won more games.

I got to disagree you can't blame these 3 players for a team game. Aiton works his socks off most games, he was abit off against Castleford because of his jaw. Smith can't does his magic without the pack winning their battles, Ali does not get enough support (nor does any player) so he can offload. If they turn up like they did against Wigan nearly every week then we would of won more games. Most off our losses besides a couple have been very close indeed.