Simply hoping for the best, is how I'd sum up my attitude for the game.

Logically, we can't win and of course, 'logically' we shouldn't have beaten Salford either, so I'm neither expecting anything nor ruling anything out. Since they built the new stand Rovers is nice place to visit, so I'm looking forward to good day out and not hurting [itoo[/i much on the way back....

TBH I'm wondering if we've seen last of Gaskell point blank. Signing Thomas who plays standoff and fullback seems odd when we're desperate for a scrum half and have Gaskell and mullaney who can play standoff already. Can't help but wonder if Gaskell will go if we don't get promoted, despite his interview to contrary.

Exactly this. I am hoping that we come out fired up, and that the team give it 80 minutes of sticking to the game plan and whatever happens giving it a real go. They exceeded the brief considerably against Salford. They did good in the first half against Widnes but it as just inexplicable how we went to pieces as the secnd half dragged on, and there was no need, nor any excuse, for stopping playing like a team and basically, whatever they say, giving up.

I am sure we will lose, but if we do so with honour and make them know they've been in a game FOR 80 MINUTES then I will be happy enough.

Well any slim hope I had of a victory has now gone. One change and Jimmy has decided to DROP James Clare and bring in Chev Walker...

Because he's going to bring the size and power we lacked last week.

Saturday could get ugly

Told ya they wouldn't risk Gaskell for this one

I don't think it's the right decision to drop Clare. Jimmy's taken a very good winger and played him out of position at fullback then kicks him into touch when he's not up to scratch? Is that how we are judging our players then? Looks like Mendeika's in line for a call up. Can't wait to find out if he plays fullback or stand off. Watch out HKR!

He may actually play Purtell at stand off for this one. If he does, I hope Purts has perfected his flat pass. He had enough practice in the widnes game anyway.

Possibly

Mullaney
Caro
Neilsen
Blythe
Williams
Purtell
Addy
Clough
O'Brien
Sidlow
Ferguson
Olbison
Pitts

Lauaki
Crossley
Ryan
Walker

I mean I am Purts' biggest fan, but really, Purtell and Addy as SL halfbacks? You can not be serious. It's actually taking the pi55 is that

Reckon this will be the team also. These games are crucial and to be going into this one with a centre and a loose-forward in the halves is very frustrating.

Whatever the team selection I think Mullaney will be operating amongst the halves in attack but I think Jimmy may have realised that you can't stick any Joe in at fullback against SL opposition. We have been able to get away with it against Championship teams but it's a different story now. I personally would have picked Clare over Caro but I think we have bigger issues than that.

I refuse to believe he will go into this game putting Purtell at 6.

Mendieka
Caro
Nielsen
Purtell
Williams
Addy
Mullaney
Sidlow
AoB
Clough
Olbison
Ferguson
Pitts

Crossley
Lauaki
Walker
Ryan

Mellor and Blythe miss out.

Ive given Lowes benfit of the doubt but bringing Chev back who adds ZERO to our team is the one of many nails in his coffin, and if he decides to play a centre and 2nd row at HB is another, i can see another thrashimg on the cards then he will come out and say "bad day at the office blah blah, we will be ready for Leigh" (how many times have we seen similar)

Then when Leigh come and murder us which they will if we aent playing 110% of what we can do, then the same speil will come out, if he is so stead fast in his was and cant see whats smacking him in the face then he should leave, coming 2nd in a 2 horse race and fumbling though games isnt good enough, coupled with the 2nd half collapse when the going gets though, we might not be up the the standard of SL but neither are Leigh but they manage to put up more of a fight for the full 80 whereas we fall apart, think we need someone new in charge next year no matter where we are.

Didn't Clare go off in the second half of Widnes? Maybe injured.

No mention of him being injured and Ross says he has been dropped. Clare was superb at FB against Salford. OK he let the ball bounce for Mellors try which was a killer, but why does Lowes see one mistake as enough to drop certain players, yet others seem untouchable and come back instantly when they are fit (Siejka, Walker etc). We clearly lack size, yet Walshaw and Flemming can't seem to get near the squad, yet he welcomes back Walker straight away who hasn't done anything all season and quite frankly was a disgrace against Fax. We are struggling with our bench as 10 minute a game prop, a young second rower and a back aren't big enough. Sidlow and Clough can do 60-70 minutes against Championship opposition, but at SL, they can't carry us and Lowes is unfairly relying on them to do this.

I think we will get battered and Lowes will come out "he trusts this group of players" etc which is all well and good, but a lot of the players have let us down too many times in crunch games.

I think we will beat Leigh, as we'll get a response and i feel the players will want to put a record straight in that game, but then we'll get found out big time in the million pound game.

If we lose against Leigh and fail to make 5th then Lowes has to go as he has won once out of all the crunch games, thats including losses to Featherstone, Fax, Sheffield etc.

Yeah I think Clare has played well generally but taking him off mid game unless he's picked up a knock seems very strange.
There was a line in a recent T&A article that Walker was struggling with long term injury and was looking at retirement so maybe not everything Ross is told is 100% accurate!

I can see why Clare got dropped. He was pants last week.

Then again so were both our interchange props but no sing of Fleming.

Also surprised not to see Walshaw who's got to be better than Walker?

or he's copped an injury, so strange it definitely was.
To be fair to Chev, he's been very variable in his performances but hasn't looked properly fit when he has played, I realise he played for Rovers and may well feel like turning out on Saturday as a kind of 'finale', but it's the wrong choice imo.

I am still 50-50 whether we should risk Mullaney for this game. Most of us seem to be happy with a good performance this week and concentrate on the last two games. If so, how would we feel if we get beat and lose Mullaney to another tweek of his ham string.

I would have been tempted to sit him out with Gaskell and put all of my eggs in the Leigh, Fax and hopefully a trip to Wakey basket with a full team and the biggest kick up the aris team talk that Jimmy can muster.

At the start of the season I said I would be happy to play Wakey in a one-off game for promotion. I will still take that and see this weekend as a possible injury hurdle for our very few SL quality players. Play Wakey with a fit Gaskell and Mullaney and a massively gee'd up team and I still fancy our chance of an upset.

at this level. And Chev coming back....the mind boggles!!

seems happy to see a good performance at the weekend but unless we go into the game intending to win we'll get stuffed again. We can't have a team which goes in with the fans' valiant defeat attitude; aim for the sky and you might hit the roof - aim for the roof and you'll fall back on your arris.

Why can't people believe Purtell will play stand off? He may not start there but at some point he will move there. Exactly the same way that he has for the past few weeks or did I dream it (bad dream)?

Mendeika shouldn't play in this game. He hasn't been deemed good enough to be selected against championship teams,nevermind HKR.

Walker in for Clare? Speechless.

^
This

Team:

Mendeika
Williams
Walker
Nielsen
Caro
Purtell
Addy
Clough
O'Brien
Sidlow
Olbison
Ryan
Pitts

Siejka
Lauaki
Ferguson
Crossley

Christ. Mullaney and Blythe ill so it's addy and Purtell at 6&7 with walker at centre. Siejka on bench. If he's fit start him ahead of Purtell. If not why the hell is he on the bench. How in gods name have we ended up in this situation in the crucial fixtures!!!

This will be embarrassing. All it nothing on Leigh game