They are woeful stats i have to agree, i am braced for what i am about to say but i don't mind Powell he speeds the play up when he comes on, his passing off the ground is good. Yes i know he threw one into nowhere on Saturday on their line but that's just one instance. He does need to add some running into his game 100% but i feel he's got some flak on here recently. Defending wise he's solid no complaints, passing wise he's on the money it goes right where you would want it when taking the ball in. 

Well, defending and passing the ball accurately from dummy half are fairly fundamental aspects of a 9's role and I think virtually every hooker in the game can tick those boxes and has done for most of the last century.


For a bloke who has played half back I'd expect him to be able to lurch forward for the odd yard gain but he's too old to change now.


Walker's return can't come quick enough.  We've missed him more than any other player, inc. Williams and Sneyd.  He can do all the above, and has a great running, support and kicking game.  And he's got some fire in his belly.


In his absence, Harthill should have been in.

Anyone coming over from Australia at 30 years old, with 8 games left of the season because they can't get in their own team abd specialises in a position we don't need help in is a terrible move.

Just as an aside, as Just Browny said, John Bateman was 30, joined in late July 2024 with 8 league games remaining, and couldn't get in the West Tigers side. He made a positive contribution. 

He can make a wonderful contribution…but in the words of Kyle Amor ‘it matters not’. We could win every game (we won’t win 4) and still we wouldn’t qualify. 

Bateman didn't do that well and nobody will remember his stint. Did well defensively but offered almost nothing in attack. If Matterson is another Bateman (he isn't) then we don't need him. We aren't getting relegated and we aren't making the playoffs off the back of an anonymous second rower. Just look at what his own speccies say. They don't want him back next year.

Perhaps there will be quite a few of these cast offs coming over when the NRL template is in place. At least there a plenty of last chance saloons over here.