thats pretty impressive lineup mate,agree about whiting hes done very well in both warm up games,agar has many headaches picking the team for saints cos we are going into the game with no injuries and that is very rare for us

after 2 friendlies we have no casualties going into the season great stuff.

cant wait for the saints game

Whiting
Calderwood
Turner
Yeaman
Briscoe
Tansey
Long
Cusack
Berrigan
O'Meley
Radford
Manu
Fitzgibbon

Moa
Lauaki
Houghton
Washbrook

I can't see any advantage in moving Tansey from fullback whatsoever, unless Long was injured.

Horne's performance in the derby was no better than any of last season's performances when he was struggling with his illness etc. and, for me, he is offering very little at SO. I hope he improves and gets back to his best but I was hoping to see a rejuvenated Horne after a full injury-free close season and, sadly, that was far from the case.

Tansey and probably Turner look like they could offer a lot more and that's why I've put Whiting to FB and Tansey to SO.

Tansey
Calderwood
Whiting
Yeaman
Briscoe
Horne
Long
Dowes
Berrigan
Radford
Tickle
Manu
Fitzgibbon

Houghton
Luaki
Moa
Turner

This is a very tough team to pick and there are lots of permutations I'd be happy with. Last year you'd have picked the 17 fittest ones. Main questions are:
1. who to play at work-horse prop (I've dropped Cusack - not fit yet to my mind)
2. who to play at 4 (I've put Whiting in purely for his savvy - I'd go for Hall against any other SL team)
3. who to put in the 2nd row (between Burnett and Lauaki on the bench but I thought Lauaki looked ropey in defence and lacklustre in attack against Rovers and reports from the Sheffield game seem to support this)
4. who to play at loose man (I've gone for Fitz and not used Washy - I think we need tight defence and punishing attack).

I haven't picked a flair team but I think if we can knock their pack around we might open up some gaps for Horne and Tansey up the middle later on.

Tansey
Briscoe
Yeaman
Whiting
Calderwood
Horne
Long
Dowes
Berrigan
Radford
Manu
Tickle
Fitzgibbon

Houghton
Moa
O'Meley
Burnett

www.sporthull.co.uk/headlines/HU ... ticle.html great position for him to be in

www.sporthull.co.uk/headlines/HU ... ticle.html great position for him to be in

Really looking forward to this game, it will be my first away league match for over 20 years!!!!
First time at Stains as well!

Long may it continue.... I mean the lack of injuries.

Oh the agony of choices.
Anyone any idea when we last had a full squad to choose from?
Here goes for my team ( sadly based on not seeing either friendly )

1 Tansey
2 Calderwood
3 Whiting
4 Yeaman
5 Briscoe T
6 Washbrook
7 Long
8 Dowes
9 Houghton
10 O'Meley
11 Tickle
12 Manu
13 Fitzgibbon

14 Berrigan
15 Horne
16 Moa
17 Lauaki or Bennett

From reports yesterday Turner was fairly average at 6 (only one game so hard to judge I guess) so he right now is no better than Horne and has less experience. Tansey is an option but it is key to have a settled fullback this season and I personally would not move him. Washy is a better bet for no.6 but at least for now there is no way Horne won't get picked unless he is either injured or performs poorly in the first few games of the season.

As you say Turner was not that good at 6 yesterday. Horney did create 2 of our tries against Rovers and should be given first shout there. He gets bumped off more in the tackle these days - hopefully he can rectify that as he does look back to something like his original physique. As for Tansey I think he will be first change half back as cover because Whiting has shown up very well in pre season and he can play FB. Personally I would have tried Whiting at 6 last year when there was nothing to lose but the fact he wasn't suggests he wont get a look in there this year either.

Whiting centre, Hall at 6?

Apart from creating two of our tries, you mean?

Isn't it great to have selections problems with who to leave out rather than having to move players around or bringing in loan players.

I'd go with

1 Tansey
2 Tom Briscoe
3 Yeaman
4 Whiting
5 Calderwood
6 Horne
7 Long
8 Dowes
9 Berrigan
10 Radford
11 Tickle
12 Manu
13 Fitzgibbon

14 Washbrook
15 O'Meley
16 Lauaki
17 Moa

I've a suspicion that Agar will have Cusack in rather than Moa. Either way our pack looks very mean.

Looks good, and from Agar's post match comments I think you've got the centres right.

Personally I'd go for Burnett over Tickle, as I'm sure Fitzgibbon will have been practising goal-kicking, but think Tickle will play.

Tansey
Calderwood
Whiting
Yeaman
Briscoe
Horne
Long
Dowes
Berrigan
Radford
Manu
Burnett
Fitzgibbon

Houghton
O'Meley
Lauaki
Moa

Why so

?

If Whiting plays it should be because he has earned his place. We shouldn't be organising our team around their strengths, we should be playing to our own strengths. Soliola should be worrying about how he's going to cope with Hall's fast hands or Long's short kicking game turning him around all the time. I've seen us re-jig the team in the past to try and nullify an opposions threat and it has backfired. If you are that worried about Soliola then have Fitz defending a little wider, he'll knock him down all day.

my 17 would be
tansey
calderwood
whiting
yeaman
tom briscoe
horne
long
dowes
berro
o meley
radford
tickle
fitz

subs
manu
lauaki
cusack
houghton

Whiting has arguably been one of our top 2 centres in pre season.

Not having a go mate,it`s just a hell of a long time without going to a away game but i guess you have your reasons.It would of killed me.

Looking at the squad I think we can name some players in that 100% start (as long there are no injury worries).

1:Tansey
2:Calderwood
3:Yeaman
4:
5:Briscoe
6:Horne
7:Long
8icon_biggrin.gifowes
9:Berrigan
10:
11:Tickle
12:Manu
13:Fitzgibbon

Main issues for agar will be centre, starting prop and the bench, a lot will depnd on the fitness of Berrigan.

It is a long time i know, and I intend to enjoy this game with the mighty travelling army of Hull FC!!!

(In fact, think it's more like 25 years!!!!!



)