If we're struggling to place Conner why look to sign Larroyer?

Hull are going to score at least 2 tries before the Trinity players wake up, and I'd suspect you'll score another 3-4 tries. The question is how many can Wakefield run in? you're defence was solid last year and looks just as good this year, that being said, Wakey have some real attacking potential now and Johnstone has been scoring for fun in preseason.

I'm going to guess the final score will be something like: Wakey 28 - 34 Hull. Who knows though, Wakey have the potential to either destroy big teams or to roll over and get spanked. Only a few days to wait and see.

Are you going to hang around for the Sheffield vs Tolouse match straight after? It has the potential to be a good game

To be fair, I don't think any of the highlighted give us anymore than Thompson, at least with Thompson he as the ability to get us a couple of tries, make an impact, and from a bench player, thats what i want, I dont think Radford thinks so little of Thompson as you do

I'm not sure, think last year he realised he limitations of him and that's why he wasn't first choice.

For me the others offer a lot more, mainly better defence and the big thing, level of consistency that you don't get with Thompson.

He needs a big season or I think he will be at Hull in 2018.

He also has the ability to miss a lot of tackles and he's pretty sloppy in his positioning defensively, particularly around the rook & at A defender in the line, which due to other players compensating creates a gap somewhere else.

There are pro's and con's to his game like everyone else. He is capable of scoring a decent try, Salford away springs to mind a couple of years ago, and whilst he doesn't seem to make many yards, he can bust a tackle and create the space for others.

I'm guessing most think we'll be doing plenty of defending this year, I personally dont want a bench full of steady good defenders, I want someone who can bring something to a game, dont think hadley, green, turgut give us that. I think thompson will have a good year given the opportunity, agree if he does't become more consistent, then he'll be gone next season, like a few others will

Trouble with Thompson he can go out of form with no warning. Can come into form with no warning to though. Easily our most inconsistent player.
Mega feet footspeed and strength (people make too much out of his size imo..He's strong beyonD his size) but can miss an under 9s standard tackle out of absolutely no where. Makes his errors at the very worst of times and same with pens.
Frustrates the hell outta me because his positive attributes could make home a real weapon off the bench

To add impact off the bench I'd be really tempted to use Mini
Think he could really suit it. Start hadley..Let him do the early grunt work that goes on. Then bring Mini on to liven us
Did it v cas at home last year week after the semi. We were really flat in the opening 20. Mini came on and got us back into it
Bench as it stands can give continuity,and some steadying influence but no 1 to change up the tempo or add impact imo

Yeh not a bad shout on mini, just really not happy with hadley in the starting 13

Why not, out of interest?

I think Hadley's game is a lot more suited to being a starting player than off the bench. Defensively sound in a difficult area to defend in, does the basics very well, very fit, and has shown a fair bit of improvement in the oppositions 30 running some good lines in that 2nd row channel. As you mentioned with Tommo, maybe a run of games starting in the 2nd row will see him flourish?

Hadley is a sound starting player imo..Great defender..fantastic line runner..added some great size..And a great pass on him. Doesn't have the explosiveness Mini tho. Which is why I like mini off the bench. Over the season it'll benefit him if we use him sparing as we can. The fixture list is ridiculous and not conducive to 35yr old starting 2nd rows

Reckon our starting team will be along the lines of:

Scott Grix
Tom Johnstone
Reece Lynne
Bill Tupou
Ben Jones-Bishop

Sam Williams
Jacob Miller

Anthony England
Kyle Wood
Mitch Allgood
Danny Kirmond
Matty Ashurst
Tiranau Arona
---------------------------
David Fifita
Craig Huby
Anthony Walker
Liam Finn

Should be an interesting matchup - not looking forward to facing that edge with Talanoa and Griffin! Need to be on our game defensively, but think we have enough going forward to get you worried.

Hope it's a cracker

Thats a good pack, some skill in the half's and a strong bench, the main weakness I see is your back defensively (Although a good threat going forward), this is where we could win the match as on one said we have Griffin and Talanoa and on the other Fonua and Kelly, add in Shaul and we have some real threat for once going forward. We need our forwards to get us on the front foot, so Houghton can get the ball out wide early for our backs to do some damage, I think we would have lost this game last season, but fancy us on Sunday if we get our game plan right, including improving our discipline.

Looking forward to the game, should be interesting, where would you recommend going before the game for a beer?

I wouldnt have him on the bench either, but you might be right about him having a run starting, but i doubt it. Hes the ultimate definition of average sl player, hope he proves me wrong with a bit more game time

On paper the best looking trinity side I can remember in a long time..Ian Millward has lost the plot. Saw he tipped you bottom

Only thing I don't understand is Grix coming straight in. Jowitt looks a real good lad to me. Always thought Grix bang average. If hudds had a star full back in recent years they'd of won something imo

Jowitt had surgery post season and isn't ready for a first team / SL match yet. He was out dual reg last week to pick match fitness up. I think he will be first choice once 100%.

Can't have a team full of superstars, to be a top team what you want is your 'average' players to work hard and get on with it week in week out to the same standard which is what Hadley does. Every team needs players like him.

spot on

To those Hull fans who may not be aware, your tickets allows you to stay on and see the Sheffield. Toulouse game which is scheduled to kick off at 17:30.

if our game was middle of summer id be tempted, but temp is forecast for 4 degrees during the day and drop to freezing as dusk falls, so ill give it a miss lol

Why thanks! - I'm quite happy with our squad this year, think we can make the 8 again and maybe more if we can capture some consistency!

As for a beer, I'd recommend either Spoons in town (about 15 -20 min walk) or the Ruddy Duck on Doncaster Road (5-10 min walk) Although away fans often seem to like going in the Duke of York on Agbrigg Road - roughest hole in Wakey but when its full of rugby fans its ok!

Agreed, so out of our average players, hadley wouldnt be in my 17. I liked having pritchard on the bench personnally, agree he wasnt always fantastic, but felt his presence made a differance, and I felt happy having him there, cant see any bench filling me with confidence this year. Possibly mini on the bench as someone suggested would work

Who else is average and would go in his place? I'd have Hadley starting with Washbrook, Mini and two props on the bench at least while the weather is shiite

Presuming radford goes, watts, taylor, mini, manu, ellis, then bench, thompson, washbrook, green, bowden. Dont think that bench will worry to many teams, maybe swap thompson or washbrook with connor to give us more options, even michaels or carlos, depending how radford goes. Hadley obviously going to get plenty of game time, just hope I see what the rest of you do, because im obviously missing something. Or maybe not, remember having the same discussion about westerman for sooo long, having to defend houghton when some off you wanted rid or at least wouldnt mind if he left

Two weak links in the FC team most keep posting - Id rather see Conner for Tuimavave and Turgut for Hadley

Right now, Hadley over Turgut is a no-brainer unless Hadley has dropped off badly and the other started pulling up trees.
5-6 games in, maybe, or even if injuries crop up early, as we know Radford absolutely has to rotate the forwards much more even if that theoretically 'weakens' the 17.
I also don't get the beef on Thompson, as I said previously, he came to as a utility back, played centre for Cas quite a bit and is now playing a pseudo prop role. He's nimble and can still do some minutes despite being asked to tackle down the middle. Yes he's missed some tackles but you're asking a lightweight forward that was a back not too long ago to mix it in the middle, make tackle busts and tackle the big boys and does a pretty good job of it too, not perfect but more than decent enough.
Honestly don't know what else you expect of a player that isn't in the upper echelons of the salary ladder and isn't touted as one of our best.
unless he goes right off the boil and/or one of the youngsters can do 500 tackles/32 tackle busts a season I'd definitely keep him for another contract.