Hodgson
Riley
Atkins
Bridge
Monaghan
Briers
Myler
Morley
Monaghan
Carvell
Waterhouse
Westwood
Harrison

Wood
Grix
Hill
Higham

&

Burke
Williams
Evans
Blythe
Helliwell
Ratchford
O'Brien
Cooper
Dwyer
B. Evans
Currie
Solomona
McCarthy

G. Riley
Laithwaite
Mendieka
Shaw

Sally Cinnamon will have a few on this but I agree, as the young players come to the fore, we're building some real depth.

How many teams would want the likes of Bukre, Helliwell, Dwyer Mendika and Shaw playing at Super League speed and intensity every week. Surely it isnt good for them, yes they need Super Leauge game time to develop as players but i'm not sure that we could field that team against the likes of Salford, Wakefield and even Widnes and win.

I would prefer that second string than the current Widnes or Cas 1-17.

Players who have 1st team squad numbers left over as well;

Danny Bridge - Second Row
Brooke Broughton - Prop
James Saltonstall - Centre

And of course there are plenty more U20's and U18's who may break through in the next few years.

That second 17 would be disrespecting the competition if we fielded it.

I wonder what the 17 is that we'd like to see in the Play Offs.....

1. Hodgson (definite)
2. Riley (definite for me, although some will argue Rhys Evans)
3. Atkins (definite)
4. Bridge (definite)
5. Monaghan (definite)
6. Briers (definite)
7. Myler (O'Brien? Ratchford?)
8. Morley
9. Monaghan
10. Hill for me
11. Waterhouse
12. Westwood
13. Harrison for me (but Grix? or Cooper?)

14. Carvell
15. Two out of Harrison/Grix/Cooper
17. Wood

which leaves Higham out for me. And probably Ratchford.... maybe it's Cooper who has to miss out to allow in Higham or Ratchford.

Come the end of the year we will have at least 2 or 3 injuries so the first choice 17 is more like a first choice of who's available.

In fact we will likely go the entire season without having all players to select from, much like every club I suppose.

Which team we put out come the play off's will be dictated by form & injuries.
TS will play who is fit and deserves to be in the 17.

I think that given a decent run in the 17, Ratch may well prove himself to be as important as Brett, Lee, Super Ben & Monas M

Yeah, I get that there will probably be injuries. I suppose I was asking what people thought our first choice 17 would be....

I doubt many would have had Hill in the 17 in February (Morley, Carvell, Wood, Cooper/Harrison would all have been before him). Now, he's a cert as long as he's fit.

Similarly, how do you fit Grix, Harrison and Cooper in?

I honestly do not believe we now have a strongest 17. What is great about our current set up is that we can rotate and play to each oppositions weaknesses in every game by using a specific team selection for the job. Amongst other things it also allows us to keep everyone relatively fresh - more so than ever before. For the first time, even last year included, I do not worry if Briers, Monaghan and Morley are all out together as have Ratchford, Higham/Dywer/Grix and Hill as very good cover. That could be the difference come October time this year.

sure as long as we are playing Widnes or Salford

If Briers, Monaghan and Morley are out together anywhere from September onwards then sorry folks its season over.

or Wakefield

or if you wanted 2 balanced teams

hodgson
j monas
atkins
blythe
williams
briers
obrien
carvell
monas
hill
waterhouse
currie
harrison

ratch
riley
shaw
bridge
evans
myler
grix
morley
higham
wood
westwood
tyke
coops

i wouldnt be worried if either team took to the field

That second team could be considered super league standard, but only because of the poor quality in the bottom half at present. There are some fantastic individuals in there who could definitely make the step up to the 1st team though.

12 of the 13 in the second team have played sl level and/or are regulars

As I posted in the 'My 17' thread

Every player has SL experience and I believe both these teams could more than hold their own.

Big heads. The lot of us.

That's actually very impressive.
You clearly have the best depth of squad in the competition, especially in the halves and centres.
I feel comfortable with our depth in the pack, but we don't have 'back up' centres and halves like you do.

HOW DO WE KEEP IT UNDER THE CAP?

I'm not one of the accusers

given the impression that many on these boards, including myself, have that superleague is uninteresting outside of the top handful of teams (and lets face it who wouldn't sooner watch bank quay v leigh east than london v wakefield) and that RL in england hasn't got the depth of quality to even support 2 decent standard leagues (that might allow promotion and relegation) then is it really a good thing that we have hoarded all this talent?

at the very least should we not have 6 or 7 of the lads from that 2nd team out on loan at the likes of widnes/wakefield or halifax/leigh etc to boost the standards around the comps

by the way i don't actually think that 2nd squad as originally posted would be anything like competitive in SL but without doubt a number of the players who aren't really needed for the squad rotation could do a decent job at other clubs in SL or at the top of the championship

neither am i ! perhaps my question was an opurtunity for neil dowson to start acountancy lessons on this forum, you suspicious nature sickens me