Well think Tim Smith and Jacob Miller will be the halves so hopefully Sammut will be used as interchange hooker for McShane in place of Godinet.

Need to win the battle up front to give backs a chance. Need to win this one as even tougher games coming up.

For me Owen was our stand out player against Wigan.

Let's hope so, hopefully then McShane can start again. I think the experiment of washbrook at hooker has failed (despite a promising start). Get him back in the second row and try to get our shape back to normal.

Yeh and I carnt see much point going with an extra forward anyway because it would only be hand or trout and neither add much size to our pack anyway.

To be fair there's been plenty of evidence playing Washbrook at dummy half, or indeed any pivotal position, is an option that doesn't work, yet it keeps being tried. Having said that whilst Godinet is out its understandable, even though his distribution is painfully slow.

I don't think Sammut would offer much at 9 either but I'm interested to see how he goes given he's not going to start in the halves (baring injuries to Smith and or Miller).

I agree McShane needs to start.

We have 8 points start on the handicap which IMO is about right.
Unless everything sticks and we get a friendly ref, we will struggle.

We have to start with Mcshane at hooker, t try and get on the front foot early on and then allow Sammut ?? to come on and create something, assuming that he plays.

The downside to this is Sammut's defence, which isn't good enough for a hooker.

hopefully we will have plenty of ball, so it wont matter

Think this myth about McShane not being able to do 80 mins should be managed.
If the starting pack includes D.Smith and Ryan, then if McShane stars to flag, bring Ali and Simon on for impact to take some of the pressure off him.
He is our only out and out hooker at the moment and the other 12 players should be able to help him through 80 mins.

It ain't a myth, there's not much point a fatigued McShane being on the pitch as he becomes a liability rather than an asset. Unforced forward passes and crazy off loads, he needs to be spelled. It just a shame Trinity have no depth at 9.

Good opportunity for a promising Wakefield youngster to be given an opportunity maybe at some stage?

For info the ref on thursday is George Stokes. Then on bank holiday monday it's Matt Tomasson. So 5 games in a row we've had one of the junior referees.

The forward passes and silly offloads can be managed, it's basic rugby.
He needs to set himself up mentally to do more minutes than he's used to for the next few weeks.

With our current form and low confidence, we have to play percentage RL.
Get to the last tackle and find a decent last play and then chase the kick and if we make a mistake, start again
and don't go looking for miracle passes

Don't let facts get in the way of NGB4C's personal vendetta!

Indeed.

Whatever happened to young Maskill? Maskill senior was a fabulous hooke6. Hoped Maskill junior would be just as good

In Australia

Wondered what had happened with him both Uncle Alan and Dad Colin were decent number 9s

Playing with the same team as Ben Shulver I believe

Why the need to go over the top - we get the point but we have never got a gate as low as that in the last 10 years of SL - and we've been worse off than we are now. Good to see the chickin lickin mentality is alive and well.

To annoy you - why else.

He clearly isn't ready yet, and your opinion on Owen is of no relevance.

For what its worth i reckon it'll be a crowd of around 3500.

3292 exactly

Due to work & illness this will be the 1st.appearance of the season for me and my son so +2 any total.

I wasn't going to be able to go but I can now so add one on for me

Already factored in mate, due to Kyle Trout not playing belly say's he's not going tomorrow night