I've been banging on about us needing forwards for next season, but looking at that lineup, and the squad numbers, it's blatantly obvious we need to sign a couple of backs as well.

All adds up to my theory about us being 3 or 4 senior players short of a full picnic.

i go with this team 1 wellens 2 makinson 3 sia 4 meli 5 foster 6 gaskell 7 lomax 8 tony p 9 roby 10 graham 11 wilkin 12 flannery13 moore 14 magennis 15 lms 16 perry 17 eastmond

1. Paul Wellens
28. Thomas Makinson
7. Kyle Eastmond
5. Francis Meli
22. Jamie Foster

25. Lee Gaskell
20. Jonny Lomax

8. Josh Pery
9. James Roby
10. Jamess Graham
4. Sia Soliola
11. Tony Puletua

14. Scott Moore
13. Chris Flannery
15. LMS
24. Tom Armstrong

That's how I think Royce will go judging by his team selections so far. Although personally I'd rather have Magennis in for Armstrong as Moore can cover the backs. TP to the bench, Wilkin at Loose and Flannery to start at Second Row and playing a defensive role on Eastmond's side.

Wellens
Makinson
Soliola (did okay for Exiles in Centres)
Meli
Foster
Gaskell
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Graham
Wilkin
Flannery
Puletua

Moore
LMS
Magennis
Eastmond

It's not a bad idea actually, it was Bridge who he was marked up against in the origin match and it would be the same against Warrington. Soliola certainly had the measure of him last time around.

Flannery is playing centre this week

change
Tony P to the back row and flanders to the bench.
Magennis to drop out in place of Armstrong, a specialist back replacement.

i think this week we need to have two starting props and two props on the bench and sia or flannery in the centre cause if we go with makinson gaskell and eastmond on the right edge we will get murdered we need someone who can defend in the centres and eastmond not the answer

Good point.

If that's true they will break 100. Flannery is so flat footed when defending at centre and with Soliola also prone to being stepped it wouldn't work.

Come on you Saints!!

Sia marked Shenton in the Exiles game. McBanana played shenton at left centre and Sia was on the right with Meli

Wilkin?

Yeah I realised that shortly after posting it, couldn't be bothered to edit.

I reckon the team will be:

Wellens, Makinson, Flannery, Meli, Foster, Gaskell, Lomax, Graham, Roby, LMS, Soliola, Wilkin, Puletua. Subs: Moore, Perry, Magennis, Eastmond

woops, next to sia.

I'd line up like this

1. Paul Wellens,
28. Thomas Makinson.
13. Chris Flannery,
5. Francis Meli,
22. Jamie Foster
20. Jonny Lomax,
25. Lee Gaskell,

8. Josh Perry,
9. James Roby
10. James Graham,
4. Sia Soliola,
12. Jon Wilkin,
11. Tony Puletua,

14. Scott Moore,
15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook,
7. Kyle Eastmond
21. Shaun Magennis,


To me we are still lacking another prop for rotation here. Playing with TP at loose may give Saints a strong pack to start with, but then when we start to rotate the props there is only 1 prop on the bench, meaning Graham and TP are having to play longer than needed.

Basically unless we beatup the other side when we start subbing players we are changing props for 2nd rowers or less. The prop at loose is an interesting tactic, but against sides that can't been blown apart, it would seam more reasonable to rotate the props like other teams do.

But Royce is Royce and will probably stick with it, hence naming TP at loose, although I would still like to see Wilkin there instead playing a traditional loose position, and let Moore and Soliola start in the 2nd row. leavingLMS and TP on the bench to rotate with Graham and Perry.

He started the season playing Wilkin at loose. Maybe it is just that he has spotted something in our young and inexperienced line up that meant Wilkin was needed elsewhere or to play another role? It's like he said in one interview that Flannery gives Roby a rest sometimes during matches (or did, back in the days before our injury crisis got ridiculous). I started to get confused so I didn't bother thinking about it too much!

Did you know that Wilkin made 60 tackles in the match against Wigan btw? I just read that today. 60 tackles! Bloody hell. The man is a machine!

But obviously that isn't relevant to the team for Warrington.

Yeh I think playing Wilkin at loose and Flannery in the 2nd row gave both players a new lease of life this year, but that seams to have fallen out of favour now.

But based on what I see on the pitch, Wilkin seems to be playing loose. He's all over the bloody place and he chimes in with his kicking game.

Maybe now that Flannery is back Simmons will revert to what appeared to be a successful set up. If he hasn't done already. (Would we really have noticed amidst that awful performance on Friday night?)

we need two props on the bench friday to stand anychance so i would start with a pack of graham roby lms flannery moore wilkin then on the bench perry tp magennis eastmond and put sia in the centres

[url=http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/1010It looks like Royce has been sorting out the lads this week![/url

Hopefully it will all make a difference and we will be seriously up for the match. Preferably win it, but I'm not getting carried away ...

He knew how Wigan played before that match, but still used the same tactics. I still think the bench was weak, with Moore, Perry and Cloughy back we'd be a different proposition.
This week however I can't see past a very hard time of it, a win is very possible, but certainly not expected

The tactics weren't the problem though. Ball control and attitude were. With fourteen unforced errors and 400 tackles made as a result, we were never going to win. The coach can do nothing about the players dropping the ball except slog away with them on the training pitch and by reinforcing the message to take better care of the ball.

Our bench should look better this week as we have Perry and Moore back again.