True Bullseye, but i would rather have a small, skinny half back who can run, kick and pass, than a built half back who can't do any. Remember the reaction when Sam Tomkins made his debut. Some were saying he shouldn't be any near a rugby field.

I don't think Brook will ever be built for rugby (Rob Burrow still looks like he shouldn't be near a rugby field), but Brook was always praised in U19 match reports last season. We've got to give him a go sometime and i would rather him play against a part team that we''ll probably dominate, let him build some confidence. If it comes to the super eights and we have a shocker with injuries and end up losing Gaskell, Siejka and Mullaney (With our injury record it could well happen) and we haven't played Brook, what do we do? Let him make his competitive debut against SL opposition?

I wouldn't play him against the likes of Fev, Fax, Leigh yet, but Hunslet, Whitehaven games are ideal opportunities to give him a run out. Would keep Siejka & Gaskell for Whitehaven. Mullaney/Gaskell against Fev and give Brook a run out against Hunslet.

I know it's a lot of chopping and changing in the halfs, but Siejka being suspended for two games mainly caused that. I think they will be a lot of rotation throughout the season, then about 1/2 months before the split, we'll start seeing a settled side.

Assuming no one new is fit would put Mellor into back row and Pitts to loose forward. It's an idea about Brook in this weekend, he needs to be upto speed before Fev game IMO

Surely its an ideal game to give Lauaki a run from the bench? 10 mins either side of HT, gives him a bit of game time before Fev.

Wood started, Carvell didn't play. The latter may well have left Fev and taken up a contract elsewhere though, he's been at Fev a few weeks now so has to be getting itchy feet.

My guess at the squad, because I'm bored:

Mullaney
Uaisele
Purtell
Ulugia
Williams
Gaskell
Siejka
Sidlow
AoB
Clough
Walshaw
Pitts
Walker

Tahraoui
Mellor
Halafihi
Shaw

Henry
Conroy

Mullaney
Uaisele
Purtell
Shaw (gk)
Williams
Gaskell
Siejka
Sidlow
AoB
Clough
Walshaw
Olibison
Pitts

Tahraoui
Mellor
Brook / Uliugia / Henry
Chev Walker / Sam Bates

The logic being we need to be not playing Chev in the centres, ever, so I've gone with Shaw over Henry as it might be good for the lads confidence to make his debut at home in a game we should (hopefully) be on top in, and apparently he can kick goals well and we need to try someone other than Seijka as he doent convince me he has the level of goalkicking we need. I'd also look to have Brook on the bench to get some game time in the second half if Jimmy is thinking of using him against either Fev or Hunslet. Walshaw to get a start in the second row, Pitts to LF, Chev to the bench.

Luaki and Baille both named in 19 man squad

Debut for Big Eric.

19 man squad

AoB, Sidlow, Mellor, Purtell, Walker, Ulugia, Williams, Lauaki, Uaisele, Siejka, Mullaney, Pitts, Baille, Gaskell, Walshaw, Clough, Shaw, Tahraoui, Olbison


I'd go with:

Mullaney
Uaisele
Purtell
Baille
Williams
Gaskell
Siejka
Sidlow
AoB
Clough
Olbison
Pitts
Walker

Tahraoui
Lauaki
Walshaw
Mellor

Ulugia and Shaw to miss out. That is one hell of a subs bench, size wise at least.

Not sure as to whether we go with the big bench as there may be opportunity to withdraw Siejka at halftime and move Mullaney to halfback with a view to preparing for Fev,Hunslet and Batley. Good chance for Shaw to come on.

We'll only be missing sjelka for two games if he submits EGP as t&a suggested. Think I'd rather have brook on bench with a view to giving him some game time before considering mullaney. Don't need a 2nd hooker on bench so can still have 3 forwards on bench for impact.

I like the look of the big bench but we shouldn't need it for Haven. I think the plan should be to give a run at some stage to what our makeshift halfback pairing will be for Fev. I'd have Brook on the bench with three forwards.

I'd be tempted to play a bigger bench versus Fev so we can maintain a high tempo game down the middle.

Agree up to a point. I would start with Shaw and make him the primary goalkicker.
Interesting that there is news of Addy and Davies' injuries but no details of either the problem or the expected date of availability of Ferguson, Blythe, Petersen and Fleming.
It seems clear that amongst the senior players ,Henry is at the back of the queue.

Yeah, so would I.

It seems we'll be missing Siejka against Fev and Hunslet so we need another goalkicker too, and though I appreciate that Jimmy has, no doubt, been trying his kickers on the training field, the Haven match would be an ideal opportunity to give that a go, in a match situation, too.

given we haven't included brook in 19 seems that plan for fev/hunslet games is going to be mullaney to halves and ulugia/shaw at FB. Or we could be keeping brook back as a bit of an unknown quantity to throw in next week. Think we'll aim to get a decent amount in front then bring sjelka off and switch mullaney to half to give him some gametime with Gaskell on sunday. so one off shaw or ulugia will have to be on bench to cover FB. Can uaisele cover FB too?

Yes mat and centre too.
would be good to have four specialist props, Lauaki will do short stints anyway, so no big deal if he does 5 minutes instead of 10, gets him back into it for the fev game.

Looks like the weather could be very poor on Sunday i hope it won't keep fans away COYB

It is far too soon for some players to be classed as "not first choice". We dearly need a goal kicker and Shaw was described as an outstanding kicker. If he can't get into a team with no kicker and a winger short and possibly our fullback at 7 then we might as well let the lad go. It possibly is a warm up game for Fev but I see the next 22 games as warm up games for the SL teams play offs. If Shaw can't be chosen because he is poor under the high kick, then he has a lot in common with big Les when he arrived and he turned out OK. So my point is we have 22 games to find our best 17 so each game give one of the fringe players a go till we have the list of names nailed on.

We should get our first two points on the board today, just hope the weather doesn't spoil the game.

Dewsbury travelled up to Workington this morning for their game to be called off after a pitch inspection.

We're then.

A decent win to get us rolling and no doubt a physical encounter as is always with the Cumbrian sides. Game will be won in the forwards next week so it's biggest pack we've got. That will give our reserve half back the chance to get things going, whoever it may be. Could move Gaskell to 7 but will take our running game down a few notches as a result. Any news on Mullaney? Hand could be forced to play young Brook if Jake has an injury that will keep him out. For me though it's probably the game not to blood him because Fev on their own patch vs us and they will be coming out to hurt. If Jake is ok then definitely him to start at 7.

6- Gaskell
7- Mullaney

8- Clough
9- O'Brien
10 - Sidlow
11 - Olbison
12 - Pitts
13 - Walker

14 - Lauaki
15 - Walshaw

It was a tough ugly win in rubbish conditions. I thought Sidlow was excellent for us and he was my man of the match. Gaskell backed up well for his 3 tries. I also thought Pitts was very good too.

Really looking forward to seeing Pitts and Ferguson line up together in the back row. Both great ball carriers.

Awful Conditions and an ugly win. Lots of improvement needed. But we're up and running and plenty of games to improve and find the best combinations.

To be fair I though Whitehaven looked good. Organised in defence and got stuck in.

Featherstone up next. Onwards and upwards.

Funny sort of game really, a combination of the awful conditions and our rustiness meant that it was never going to be any sort of classic. But there was never a point where it seemed like we might lose, even from the first minute

I suppose we are going to get a lot of these sorts of games, where we are expected to win by quite some margin. We're on a bit of a hiding to nothing. If we smash them by 60 points, then its 'Oh its only Whitehaven or Hunslet'. But if it ends up close, then we'll get slaughtered for not putting them away...

Anyway, a win is a win. Onwards and upwards to next week when it will be much tougher challenge