Just for the record, and once and for all, I will give my honest opinion on Liam Finn from day 1.
We signed him for the 2016 season, to play alongside Jacob Miller. I said at the time, I thought we needed an extra half back to provide cover and competition, to cover injuries and loss of form etc. Fortunately, Miller and Finn gelled, and stayed pretty much injury free, fortunately for us. Had this have been different, we could well have struggled.
We did bring in that extra half back in 2017, in Sam Williams, and although without setting the world alight, I don't think he really did anything wrong, but I don't think he really got the same opportunity to gel with Miller, like what Finn did.
Again in 2018, we have the extra options in the halves. Finny has suffered a dip in form, but I am fully aware that he has been carrying a hand injury. I don't think though, that the dip in form, is just due to his injury. As Wollo has rightly stated, our kicking game at the moment is much better. It is, and you don't use your hands to kick a ball. Also the last tackle kicks weren't great prior to the injury. Whilst I do believe he is our better organising half back, I do believe in pulling him out to get fixed, whilst at the same time, giving a new partnership the chance to blossom, is the right thing to do.
I don't know as to whether or not, we will be keeping him beyond this year. If we do, I will get behind him, like I do with the rest of the squad. If not, then, like in 2016, I would say we would need to replace him. That is unless of course, Ackroyd and maybe Schofield are game ready.
I did make a comment at the end of last year regarding both Liam Finn and Scott Grix, and their involvement in the World Cup, that as our oldest players in the squad, and questioned as to whether or not they would have enough gas left in the tank, to see through the whole 2018 effectively, and that we may need to give these players a break, and maybe look to the future prospects in these positions at some point of the season.
I did say a few weeks ago too, that maybe we signed him at the wrong time, and that he may have been an ideal replacement for Danny Brough, instead of going with Paul Cooke, and then Gareth Moore. We obviously scoured the championship, by bringing Moore in, so I'm sure his name would have cropped up.
One final point, having played the sport, and other sport, and also in all forms of life, a partnership is something that takes time to nurture, and can not be borne immediately, like some seem to think.
These are not anti-Finn comments at all, these are just observations, I have made, and maybe a little constructive criticism. I am not alone in these thoughts, and we are all entitled to opinion
