With Currie, Holmes & Longstaff, IMO we have three players who should be in front of Hughes, Davis & J Clark. Unless, as has been mooted by others, Holmes is going to play prop. I'm getting to believe this option is more of a possibility and highly likely if Cooper gets injured.

I’m hoping Dean benefits from Powell over the next 1-2 years and follows the path of Trueman.

1. Longstaff
2. Longstaff
3. Longstaff
4. Longstaff
5. Longstaff
6. Longstaff
7. Longstaff
8. Longstaff
9. Longstaff
10. Longstaff
11. Longstaff
12. Longstaff (Captain)
13. Longstaff

14. Walker (spell with Longstaff #9)
15. Longstaff
16. Longstaff
17. Longstaff

I'm warming to it. I'm just not sure Walker can step up if Longstaff is self-isolating. They're quite big shoes to fill. 32 shoes in fact.

BILLY MAGOULIS OUT!
He’s on crutches. Can anyone on here play prop?

Do we actually know he’s out? Or is it just a precaution? Players are on crutches quite often for minor injuries after a match, but fit again by the next game. Let’s hope it’s that.

The season is still one month away so could be worse. We’re not in bad shape. Yet!

Matt Davis impressed me every time I watched him play last year.

He’s got a great work rate and defends above his size, as well as being a decent support player on occasion. I’m not sure there are many on here who have a problem with Davis. I think it’s probably more the fact that we haven’t added much in the prop department, so maybe we lack a bit of go-forward and some fans think his place in the squad could be taken by a larger forward. I’m not a Davis detractor so can’t give a real answer.

You know me when I’ve a scoop. I’ll post and be dammed.
But yes, he’s on crutches.
Word is he can’t train for 2 months.

I'm surprised, as Daryl doesn't like to mention injuries.

That may be why it wasn’t him that told me.

[list=[/list
Moves to cas after we go bust?

Yes.
Seat 6A on the next QANTAS flight from Manchester to Australia. At least it's a window seat.

Waste of space.

NEXT

Agreed.

It seems people are picking Billy Mygoolies simply because he's Australian, therefore, he's taking up a quota spot, therefore, he MUST play.

For a man who's played 17 NRL games, we seem to be pinning a lot of hope. By God, I hope Powell's trust in him is not wasted, or we could just meander through the season.

This is nearly as funny as those who say Jason Clark does a lot of great stuff people don't see. If they both have to be here this season they can take it in turns to bring the kicking tee on.

I don’t think anyone has posted that about JC but you.
If people don’t see him do great stuff, then it’s very likely he hasn’t.
However…
What some people say about JC is he ‘does the ugly stuff that goes without credit’.
Very different, but I cannot answer for the condition of anybody's eyesight but my own.
Tackling, 1st up or cover, dummy running, constantly looking at the defensive lines, being vocal and shifting position. Basically doing the tackling for the backs.

I think that 1-13 will be as per the squad numbers, where I see us deviating from the squad numbers is in the bench selection. I'm pretty sure that Mulhern will be there along with Bullock then it's two from Walker, Davis, J Clark and Magoulias (of whom we know very little).

You're quite correct Duckie, his constant looking at the defensive line is world class, give him a contract extension. Imagine if he could break a defensive line??

There HAS to be a place for longstaff in the 17. I don't care how old he is, he's better than all the bench options suggested there.

Cannot disagree with what JC does, but we need players to unlock defences within our pack. We have Davis and Hughes as well as JC, and all three of them don't provide a great deal in the way of go forward, or a well timed pass. Maybe, with the change of coach, this will be addressed across the entire squad, and we will see the type of flowing rugby that we have not seen since TS was in charge. We do need players who do the hard graft, but we appear to have had too many of them under SP.

You've just listed the absolute BASICS of any RL forward, worth a shirt.

However, this is a bloke who's occupying a shirt, overseas spot and (presumably) a big salary. We only had him last year, so he could hold Inglis' hand, yet we extend his contract.

Any others fancy an easy wage, please contact Mr K. Fitzpatrick .

We've already got one plodder, in Hughes.

Well for the first time in many seasons I have no real idea about our starting 13, let alone the 17.

If they're all fit 1-13 could well be 1-13.
Subs could well be any of 14-19, and there's decent experienced back up all the way down to 28.

1-7 are nailed on.
Not sure about Phils starting - I might be in tbe minority but I prefer him coming off the bench, however Mulhern is the obvious option. (Is Margoulis decent at prop, or more of a back rower? I suspect the latter). Bullock looks promising and will do a decent job. Less sure about Harrison and Butler (not seen much of the latter to date, but then again SP was coach).
9-12 nailed on, and I suppose as JH is captain he'll be 13 but.......

Philbin forgotten or deliberately omitted?

i'm intrigued to see what we do with holmes, will he be started, on the left, usual position and displacing currie, on the right, not his usual position, at 13, on the bench or even pushed up to prop/middle.

Had an ankle op. Out for 10 weeks.