Westwood is to come back too. Will Rhys Evans keep his place?

Gotta be Ratch or Rhys. Russel has gotta be safe after the impact he had against Salford.

The obvious choice would be Atkins, and ratchford to centre, although I'm not keen on him playing there, and we all know Atkins isn't getting dropped.

Based on that, and this might be an unpopular choice but i would say Kevin penny. Ratch to fullback as the 3rd pivot round the back, Russell on the wing where he can still scoot from dummy half and make those metres.

Although if option 1 was to happen I think it would be OK as Westerman is a ball player so we don't really lose that from having Russell at full back I suppose.

Russell
Penny
Ratchford
Atkins
Lineham
Gidley
Sandow
Hill
Clarke
Simms
Currie
Hughes
Westerman

Westwood
Dodds
Dwyer
R Evans

That's definitely a possibility, but I understand Ratchford doesn't wan't to play FB because he want's to break into the England team and there is too much competition in that position. Difficult also to move Russell when he is doing a very good job (if it aint broken....) and Ratchford has never really inspired much confidence when he plays there anyway. As you say, Atkins will not get moved. Then there is Rhys who is already 23 - he was injured most of 2013 and then 2015, and I suspect the time has come when TS needs to know if he can make the grade. The only way is to give him a decent run of games.

Having said all that, I really don't have a convincing solution either. I suppose I would either sacrifice Rhys or play Ratchford off the bench. I have a suspicion that Clark will not play at Perpignan, TS is a compulsive optimist and even a small calf tear takes time to heal and strengthen.

Replace Atkins for me.

Wheeler

Not sure how TS will go but for me. KP will drop out (not saying he should thou) with Rhys moving to the wing and Ratch in the Centre. Matty to stay where he is at FB.

Russell
Evans
Ratchford
Atkins
Lineham
Gidley
Sandow
Hill
Clarke
Simms
Currie
Hughes
Westwood

Westerman
Dodds
Dwyer
King

But as Winslade says I too am not convinced Daryl will play. A calf tear usually takes 2/3 weeks.

If Clark isn't fit, Ratchford to be rotation hooker.

Sandow enjoyed the extra responsibility and revealed in it. On that bases I would continue to pair him with Ratchford and move Gidley into fullback.
Russell to left wing, Penny out to the bench.

Gidley will be coming back in at stand off and if Russell gets moved from fullback after the way he has performed then it is scandalous. Therefore ratchford should miss out. However, seeing as he is our most creative player, as seen by the involvement he has in all the tries we score, then he will have to fit in somewhere. He will probably go to centre(his best position)and unluckily evans or penny will make way.

Ratch to centre for me, Atkins out...won't happen though.

Gidley will go to 1
Russell will go on the wing
Penny will be dropped
Ratch will stay at 6.

I'd bet sizeable money on that permutation

What about russell covering clark

I don't think Clarke or Westwood will make the trip to France. Although it is a very tough away game I would give both of them another weeks rest ready for e real tough group of fixtures. Castle and hull will be more of fight for the top four come the end of the season . Not saying a win in France is easy but no point rushing Clarke back early and loose him for longer . If needs be I would drop Evans if we had to make space

It'd be an absolute travesty if we broke up the Gidley/Sandow axis. It showed how much we missed Kurt in the first 60 on Thursday before Sandow stepped up. Plus Ratch is a centre and not a half or fullback, and there's no way we can shift Russell from full back on the other night's display. Our centres have come in for some criticism so it has to be one of them to make way. I'd keep Evans in because he is an absolutely superb defender. Sorry Ryan.

Whether this is what happens is doubtful. I reckon he'll drop Evans or Penny personally.

Guarantee Westwood won't be on the plane to France

And only 2 weeks ago Smith said in the press his plan A to play Gidley 1 Ratchford 6 Sandow 7 had been totally changed due to the combination Gidley & Sandow had formed. He stated he wouldn't change that system whilst both were fit, he will be back at 6

As for Ratchford ??? Centre seems best suited to his attributes

But didn't TS say directly before the Salford game that Gidley and Chrissy was the best HB partnership in SL and he had no wish to break it up.

Think id take that bet, Smith as already commented on how well Gidley and Sandow have gone as a pair, i cant see him not putting Gidley back with him, if he does not then he is going back on what he said about not splitting them if it works.

I'm going for

Russell
Penny
Ratchford
Atkins
Lineham
Gidley
Sandow

Gidley / Sandow is the form half-back partnership in SL and cannot be broken now. Russel is proving an invaluable metre-maker at FB and can't be shifted either. For me, Ratchford should start on the bench, as his broken-field running style would prosper more later in the game when Cats big forwards are tiring. Only other possibility, if Clarke and Dwyer are both playing, is to take over Atkins slot at centre. Evans is now the better centre and needs a prolonged run. For all that Atkins scored two last Friday, he was shaky in defence, gave away a try when he failed to catch the kick that Liu scored from, and made the stupid shoulder charge on O'Brien that could have cost us in the second half.

Put someone who is a poor passer at hooker. Great Idea.

From last weeks 17 - Ratchford on the bench sitting in wheelers seat. Alternatilely start Ratchford at 9 but use 3 pivots.

Ok, so Ratchford is woeful defensively at full back. Cant believe anyone is suggesting that. Russell hasn't done anything wrong to warrant being shifted. Gidley has to be back in at 6. If it aint broke, don't fix it!! As for the Ratch debate. If he starts, it has to be at centre, for Atkins. However we all know this wont happen though after him being bobbins but scoring two tries. R.Evans has been great defensively, but, for me, offers nothing in attack. So id go Ratch for Evans.

When he got the ball in some space in the Leigh friendly Evans showed just what he can do in attack. Defensively he is way ahead of Atkins. Atkins/Ratchford partnership at centre looks like a revolving door for the big Catalan side to me.

if gidley's back, ratch is on the bench for me, covering 9.