What has Rush gambled with?

Probably money

The issue we've had and one of the many mistakes Wellens has made is his lack of rotation pre all the injuries. He had opportunities to give the likes of Robertson 20 mins here and there against London and Hull earlier in the season. We were 1st or 2nd for a long while earlier in the season and had some of the kids been integrated into a winning team with lots of experience around them, they would've been in a better position

Instead he flogged the likes of Welsby, Sironen, Clark etc and surprise surprise they've all suffered injuries. This meant that Robertson made his debut away at Wigan and whilst he did well he's suffered since by playing in a team with lots of injuries and low on confidence

What Peet has done well is to dip his young lads in and out, like Douglas, Farrimond etc rather than a concerted run of games where a dip in form can be disastrous.

I don't think its a case of the kids not being good enough, its more of a case of how they have been blooded.

A lot is made of Wigan's Academy and production line and rightly so but lost amongst this is us making the Reserves Final again (finishing top) and the Academy finishing top for the 3rd successive year and winning 11 out of 12 games. We regularly have lads selected for England so the production line is there its just not been managed well

Compare and contrast how Woolf blooded Welsby and Dodd and its night and day. They played a variety of positions in a winning team full of confidence and experience

The problem with this, Stu, is Peet has had a winning team full of confidence to bring them into. Woolf the same. I'm not sure Wellens has. Whether that's his fault, injuries, a team not operating at previous levels or a mixture of all of these is subject to debate. Even when you were winning early doors, I don't think anyone thought you were playing well, certainly in attack, or even knew your best combinations. Bennison or Ritson, is Lomax the player he was, Hurrell's weight, Blake, has Dodd properly recovered from his injury and is he already on the plane anyway, Blake, is Wellens really the man for the job, Blake again etc. etc. Meanwhile Wigan were piling trophy in trophy with a fully firing team and a settled and successful coach.

The two situations aren't really comparable and, although Wellens has undoubtedly a part to play in that, I think it's equally a combination of factors that have contributed to the situation.

Just seen the highlights of Brisbane and Melbourne was that Sailor at fb for Brisbane or Adam Quinlan? Absolutely embarrassing defence

Brisbane were awful full stop, they should be ashamed.

[quote="bazdev"]Just seen the highlights of Brisbane and Melbourne was that Sailor at fb for Brisbane or Adam Quinlan? Absolutely embarrassing defence[/quote

I thought that the broncos would kick on from last year, but they have have gone backwards. Talk is all about sailor playing fullback maybe he is heading for a role in the half's.

[quote="stpatricks"]

I think he will have to play in the halves if yesterdays performance is anything to go by.

Yeah you had the same reaction at the beginning of the season when I said Hull KR would be closer to a trophy than St Helens. Not so funny now is it?

It isn't biased at all. Robertson may well come good and every young full back looks good running the ball out but he has made more mistakes than had positive influences on any of the games so far. Anyone who suggests otherwise is complete and utter biased nonsense I'm afraid

Did I? Me personally?

Again you're talking complete rubbish on Robertson. Just another example of stubborn bias and refusal to say anything positive about a rival. Extremely small minded approach. An 18 year old kid scoring a try and getting MOM last week, getting 3 assists in 1 game a couple of weeks before plus creating the winning moment against Salford. But yeah, no signs of potential.

When he is one of the leading players in the comp and playing for England in a couple of years we will come back to this and talk about him showing no potential.