Can't resist fighting Lino's corner - though I'm not going to do a very good job of it. Lino's a confidence player, which I don't like. You can't really afford to carry a half who's only on when he's on, and loses his head when you're down. But that can be coached out of players - Tony Smith has made a career of it. Lino has weaknesses in his game - his pass selection being the obvious one. And that's also crucial, especially in tight games. But it's also really noticeable, which is why I think he's a much better rounded half than people seem to give him credit.
He'd be horrible to defend against on your line - he's unpredictable (for better and for worse), can tie you up, get on your outside shoulder, make you commit to the tackle and then put it on a plate for a wide runner. His short kicking game is very good. His long kicking game decent too. He's good in broken field, backs up, and his defence is way above average for a half back. Before last year - when we were pure tripe all over the field - when he played well we usually won.
I actually think him and Gale are an excellent pairing - one dominant play caller, one more elusive runner. Russell will fill Gale's role - he hasn't had enough chance to prove it, but he's a general with a decent kicking game, much like Trueman if he comes (who I think is a superb player). Neither of them are game breakers, and for me we need someone who is. For now, much like Walmsley on the wing, I'd like to see how Lino goes next year. And if he's not up to it, we go back in for a better version of him.
If we do bring in Trueman too it's going to be a bit weird. There's no way Trueman would come to Wakefield to be rotated. And it sounds like Russell has been given assurances about kicking on and commanding a team. So if it's true, I guess Lino's on the bench or fighting for his spot.
