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ian.birchall wrote:I do not know where this idea that Bateman is an international class centre comes from. Yes I know that he played a couple of games there last season but let's be realistic he is no more an international centre than I am.
In any case playing him at centre would leave the big hole in the second row that he has just filled in his return.

if we had any depth in the centre position this wouldnt be a problem...... if we dont sign a centre nxt year then something is wrong

ian.birchall wrote:I do not know where this idea that Bateman is an international class centre comes from. Yes I know that he played a couple of games there last season but let's be realistic he is no more an international centre than I am.
In any case playing him at centre would leave the big hole in the second row that he has just filled in his return.

Well, I suspect he's done two things you've not done, played at international level and played at centre, so therefore he is an international centre!
May be not class, but never the less, a better option than most in my opinion.
The centre situation has been festering for some while and the easy solution is to put a second rower there in the absence of a specialist.
Ive said before Gelling has one decent game in four and given his injury record how many has he had this season? Despite Wane's best attempts, he is not a solution at centre.
I would go as far as to say the release of Goulding some years ago was scandalous in my opinion. He may have got injured since, but that could well have not occurred if he had stayed?

Wandering Warrior wrote:

ian.birchall wrote:I do not know where this idea that Bateman is an international class centre comes from. Yes I know that he played a couple of games there last season but let's be realistic he is no more an international centre than I am.
In any case playing him at centre would leave the big hole in the second row that he has just filled in his return.

Well, I suspect he's done two things you've not done, played at international level and played at centre, so therefore he is an international centre!
May be not class, but never the less, a better option than most in my opinion.
The centre situation has been festering for some while and the easy solution is to put a second rower there in the absence of a specialist.
Ive said before Gelling has one decent game in four and given his injury record how many has he had this season? Despite Wane's best attempts, he is not a solution at centre.
I would go as far as to say the release of Goulding some years ago was scandalous in my opinion. He may have got injured since, but that could well have not occurred if he had stayed?

and thornleys not doing too bad at catalans( and hes stayed injury free)

I wont argue with that about Thornley.

ian.birchall wrote:I do not know where this idea that Bateman is an international class centre comes from. Yes I know that he played a couple of games there last season but let's be realistic he is no more an international centre than I am.
In any case playing him at centre would leave the big hole in the second row that he has just filled in his return.

Bateman played centre for England, think it was two seasons ago and I may be wrong but was it not stated that he was England's best player of the competition.
I think we need stronger coverage in the centre's as opposed to what we already had at 2nd row without Bateman.
Of course he really strengthens our team wherever he plays, but we are very weak in the centre's without Ollie and Gells.
It's time for you to get your boots back on Ian, your club needs you

I don't think there's any real debate about whether Bateman can play at centre - he's done so before and I guess (at a pinch) Farrell could also do so because they're extremely talented professionals. The point is that while either could play at centre, you'd really want then at second-row where their game is best suited.
The real worry is that time after time, we seem to be asking players to play out of position because we have no one left standing and that needs to be sorted so that we can play a settled team in their best positions. Going back a bit, Lee Gilmour got fed up at being shuffled around the pitch to fill in and left. Now we have Budgie being shunted around not just to left centre but right centre. It doesn't do the team or the individual any good.

Win the next two and we're only looking up.

Yes, it would be great to have everyone playing in their preferred positions, but there's no doubt that Bateman is a much, much better centre than Burgess, whether it's his position or not.

Panchitta Marra wrote:

ian.birchall wrote:I do not know where this idea that Bateman is an international class centre comes from. Yes I know that he played a couple of games there last season but let's be realistic he is no more an international centre than I am.
In any case playing him at centre would leave the big hole in the second row that he has just filled in his return.

It's time for you to get your boots back on Ian, your club needs you

Still a chance I will be fit for the semi finals ????????, I am seeing my surgeon tomorrow for the first time since he gave me a new hip on May 22nd and we will see what he says of my plans.
My fallback position is to go and spend 5 weeks with my French girlfriend in Arcachon instead.
Decisions decisions.????

ian.birchall wrote:

Panchitta Marra wrote:

ian.birchall wrote:I do not know where this idea that Bateman is an international class centre comes from. Yes I know that he played a couple of games there last season but let's be realistic he is no more an international centre than I am.
In any case playing him at centre would leave the big hole in the second row that he has just filled in his return.

It's time for you to get your boots back on Ian, your club needs you

Still a chance I will be fit for the semi finals ????????, I am seeing my surgeon tomorrow for the first time since he gave me a new hip on May 22nd and we will see what he says of my plans.
My fallback position is to go and spend 5 weeks with my French girlfriend in Arcachon instead.
Decisions decisions.????

???????? for your response, but on a much more serious note, I hope the operation has gone as well as can be expected.????