Lam suggested after the Wire game that Trout will move back to second row if Mulhern is back. I hope this isn't the case, he's really excelled at prop this year, and while he scored a few tries while playing on the left edge second row, I think he struggled defensively on the right. And if O'Neill is back, he can play there and Hughes spell him if needed. 


Having Trout, Mulhern and Joffa rotating at prop, with Liu and Ipape playing 13, would be good to see. 


If everyone is fit, I'd go;


Hodgson, Brand, Hanley, Niu, Charnley, O'Brien, Lam, Trout, Ipape, Joffa, Halton, O'Neill, Liu
Subs: Mulhern, Hughes, Davis, McNamara


Effectively, Badrock and Tuitivake making way for O'Neill and Mulhern.

Expect a lot of captain challenges from now on for high tackles. 

It looked a tired performance, probably off the back of the effort that Trout, Joffa, Ipape and Liu had put into the previous 4 games, with Mulhern missing along with continued absence of Brogan and Pene and the form of Tuitivake being a bit of in recent weeks. The kick chase, line speed and kick pressure wasn't really up the the levels that they were before the week off and if that doesn't change then Hull will also turn us over.


Some baffling decisions made by the referees as well. The early Croft try should not have been overturned, you can now gob off at the referee to have the VR look at a high shot and if a dummy runner hits your outside shoulder, you may as well just stay down because it doesn't matter how long play goes on for after that, it will be penalised by the VR.

Agree , the Croft try was more certain than the Hanley try the previous week .


BH needs to work on his high balls , he's going to make himself a target . Its a shame that this is letting him down because he looks like w superstar with ball in hand

I think Hodgson has a number of areas that he needs to improve on if he is going to become a first choice full back for a top 6 side. As well as the high ball, he's struggled with getting his numbers right when setting the defence, and his positioning has been a little off early in the tackle count. We've conceded a lot of 40/20s and that one on Thursday night was a game changer.


That should come with experience, given injuries have meant that he's not been able play so many games before this season, and he'd been moved to centre in the NSW cup. But if he doesn't get more confident under the high ball in the next few weeks, then McIntosh or Brand might have to go to full back 

I can forgive him for getting the numbers wrong , especially against some teams who play the short side without numbers but going for fast players or decent kicks, that will improve with experience  . But catching the ball as a full back is pretty fundamental and the basics . He's also let quite a few balls bounce and its probably because he doesn't have the confidence that he will catch it . Not sure Mcintosh would be any better , we would probably need to move GOB to fullback but then we are struggling at stand off . The defence at minimum need to organise themselves to take the pressure off him and give him the best chance to take these high balls .