Think he played for Wakefield didnt he?

that was it. didnt he pick up a bad injury there? I wouldnt even say he was Championship standard!

Scrum half and stand off are the half backs

As good as Black is hes doing it against very average defences.

No, a scrum half (half back) and a stand off (five eighth) are called halves not half backs. Half backs are an actual position, no 7 before squad numbers.

Halves are called halves because they are situated between the forwards and backs in order to distribute play between them. They are neither back not forward.

Stand offs are called stand offs because they stand off the scrum and direct play.

A scrum half (half back by it's other name) is called such because he links the scrum to the backs. He isn't a forward but links with them.

Now over the last few years they have fudged this with the incorporation of super league and the demise in this country of true stand offs.

Since the likes of Andy Gregory and Schoffield going, stand offs no longer dominate the kicking game for the team and are more support runners in the mould of McGuire at Leeds and McNally at Whitehaven. However Halifax had a proper stand off last year in Holroyd but he wasn't a half back, he was a stand off (no 6) as Ben black was the scrum half (half back, no 7)

That is why a dummy half is called so, because he does the role of the half back (scrum half) by taking the ball at the play the ball and either running or distributing. That is their job in traditional rugby sense.


The morale of this whole thing is that a half back is NOT a STAND OFF or vice-versa. They are Halves, not both half backs.

1 = Full Back
2 - 5 = Three Quarters
6,7 = Half Backs
8 - 13 = Forwards

In Rugby League the Halves comprise of (6 and 7)

6. Stand Off, Five Eighth
7. Scrum Half, Half Back

In Rugby Union the HALF BACKS comprise of (9 and 10)

9. Inside half, half-back, scrum off, scrummie
10. Outside half, out half, stand-off, stand-off half, five-eighth, first five-eighth, first five, fly, pivot


You may know them as half backs and always known them as half backs, but they are halves. Always have been.

However i give up and you can call them both half backs if you wish. That's your choice.

Me i voted for Gavin Clinch but all three are of was good.

I voted for Halves.

Andy Gregory was a scrum half, Billy.

6 AND 7 ARE HALFBACKS five eighth's an half