Miller is the only one who takes on the line! His link up play with the back rowers is very good too. Whitings try on Friday and westys at Wigan are prime examples of that. I guess it's a tough one really, we have 3 good halfbacks (which is a nice dilemma to have).

Cats squad looks strong on paper but they are unpredictable and inconsistent like we are and don't travel well. If Gentle comes up with the right game plan and IF the players execute it properly we can win, but it will require a big improvemebnt on recent form.

We had won 5 on the bounce when we went to their place in the league and took a humping!!
We had lost 4 on the bounce when we went to their place again in the cup and beat them!

Who knows what is gonna happen with these two??

Think this game should have billed the 'Jekyll & Hyde' tie.

Two teams that on their day are capable of a great rugby but also total dog doo.

Kosh, I admire your optimism.

You state that Holdsworth hasn't been the same since returning from his concussion. He got that in the 3rd game of the season so I'm intrigued by all this pre-concussion form you base that on. One of those games was v Leeds when he was as poor as the rest. The concussion argument is a get out of jail card folk can play when it suits, to get away from the truth that he is not the half back we really needed. I would say his form was patchy, peaked in the semi and has since detoriated almost game by game to a standard that is bordering unacceptable.

You state there are some good reasons to stick with Miller and DJ in the halves due to the makeup of the side overall. I can see a fraction of logic here becuase of our chronic lack of backs but the positives of playing Horne there far outweigh anything else. He is a class player, who is more likely to come to the fore on Friday night than these two.

I'm far from optimistic, which anyone who knows me will be only too happy to confirm. More fatalistic than anything else when it comes to FC. Years of experience.



I seem to remember DJ at least playing at the line in the few games he had before being smacked. Maybe I dreamt it. I'm certainly not suggesting that DJ hasn't been a disappointment because apart from his field kicking he certainly has - and seems to have got worse if anything.


I'd jump at the chance to have Horne in the halves if we had any other decent options at centre. But we haven't. Our only option would be to move Whiting there and he's needed in the pack. IMO the overall balance of the side is better with Horne at Centre and Whiting in the forwards to the point where it's worth persevering with Miller and DJ. It's not ideal at all but IMO is the lesser of two evils.