I know I keep repeating this but my source told me again last week that we have definitely signed Matty Russell

Totally agree. I think that’s one of the most important points that our backs have to be prepared for. There are bigger, stronger and faster opponents on the edges next season. Their physical demand will increase. That said I’m positive with the back room team we have they will prepare the players for this.



Regards tackling and Walmsley. I thought the start of the season we were getting a winger who struggled to tackle but was good in attack. Pretty much all year I’ve been impressed by his defensive side. He really doesn’t miss any and certainly makes his tackles.





Really looking forward to seeing how some of these players transition.



Had a conversation about Rodwell yesterday. He will go well in SL but he will come up against some bigger and stronger forwards too so that will be an interesting test for him.

I find he can sometimes be a weak spot at full back but good on the wing. One of the first things you learn when playing rugby is to not let the ball bounce, he seems to sometimes forget this and a full back can't do that. He also didn't look comfortable under a high ball yesterday. I was surprised Booth didn't play FB yesterday after his cracking game there previously.

But that's the point. He isn't a full back.



And Booth playing full back meant changing spine again when we were already changing the others.

It was fine for Barrow.

Some you players got a good test and we still won easily.

In the backline Pratt and Walmesly are the only ones without SL experience.

I think Pratt is ready to take AL by storm I really do.

Walmesley we'll see but at worst he'll be average. He's not a weak link.

The problem for Walmely is that he is seldom selected for his obvious wing position. If we take yesterday’s team we had a winger at FB, a centre on the wing, a FB/ centre in the halves and a fullback at scrum half.

I personally like the way we have quality players able to play in other positions and not just as 'cover' but to a very good standard eg Jowitt, Walmsley, Booth and now Pratt on the wing !

Augers well for the future!

I think we all know it’s because Olpherts is a favourite of Powells.



After Wembley and Walmsley blitzing up to 20+ try’s and looking very potent at left wing Olpherts was shoehorned in without much reasoning from right to left.



Nothing against Olpherts as he’s done a good job this season for us but he was doing a perfectly good job on the right (as he did vs Barrow) so it just seemed very odd that Olpherts sealed that position down after Wembley.



Again I’m happy to have Olpherts and I was the first to champion his signing across many platforms when he signed with a number of fans not keen on his signing and defended him after his Batley away game too. I still think he’s a good championship winger but I really don’t get how he’s been immovable from the left wing this year when he was playing good on the right and Walmsley on left.



Only thing I can think it may be is getting experience on the right wing with an eye on next season. If it’s that fair enough I guess.

Because he makes more yardage out of the back than anyone else.

Which was the case on right wing also?

I'm not saying he's right but that's why he likes Derrell

I know that but I wasn’t questioning why he’s liked or why he was brought in. That’s the whole reason he was brought in and Franco was frozen out. Nobody banged the drum for Olpherts more than me early days and I still do for his yardage carried out the back.



It was just why after playing right wing that post Wembley Olpherts was shoehorned to the left. Some ocassions Walmsley being benched rather than favoured for right wing.



Not that it really matters now though. I just never really understood that.