Well Cullen and co have a real selection headache at the moment which is a good thing. The weekly paper says Varkulis and Haggerty may also be back so picking a team is going to be tough. Personally i would go with the below.

1. James Ford
2. Shaun Ainscough
3. Toa Kohe Love
4. Shane Grady
5. Matt Gardner
6. Anthony Thackeray
7. James Webster
8. Steve Pickersgill
9. Mark Smith
10. Jim Gannon
11. Lee Doran
12. Ben Kavanagh
13. Liam Farrell

14. Thomas Coyle
15. Ben Davies
16. Gareth Haggerty
17. Dave Allen


Chris Gerrard
Chris Dean
Richard Varkulis
Paddy Flynn
Dean Gaskell
Dave Houghton

I would start with Allen on the bench for this one, he can be a little wild with his tackling and his ex team mates will be out to get him. Haggerty needs games and also gives us even more size against a big Barrow pack. We have seen what Gerrard can do so i would give Farrell a shot at Loose. Ben picks himself at second row after his cracker against Batley, Coyle also gives us a different direction from the bench in place of smithy.

Swap Allen for Doran and Grady for Dean.

Allen is the much better all round player IMO. Doran flatters to deceive to my eyes and gives daft legs up the field to the oppo.

Otherwise a good team plus looking at the strength in depth of those to come back, things are looking good in gods green acre

!

I'd go with that, VM.

I wonder what team Barrow will put out?

I believe they have a few injuries, including Rooney. His kicking game will be vital to Barrow now that they're coached by Ste Mac.

Think I'd go for..

1. Ford
2. Ainscough
3. Dean
4. Love
5. Flynn
6. Thackeray
7. Webster
8. Kavanagh
9. Smith
10. Gannon
11. Doran
12. Allen
13. Farrell

14. Coyle
15. Haggerty
16. Pickersgill
17. Davies

That is if everyone was up for selection this week.. no-doubt there will be some of my choices still recovering from their various injuries

Read that Dean is still recovering from a shoulder injury

My Dad heard on Wire FM that Gaskell and Flynn are out till mid-season

and Haggerty and Varkulis will be ready for the league kick off.

I'd go with:

1. Ford
2. Ainscough
3. Kohe-Love
4. Grady
5. Gardner
6. Thackeray
7. Webster
8. Pickersgill
9. Smith
10. Gannon
11.Allen
12. Kavanagh
13. Farrell

14. Coyle
15. Houghton
16. Davies
17. Doran

I think were still looking a bit light in the forwards and with our kicking not being the most reliable I predict a Barrow win by eight.

looking forward to seeing the result on this one, think it will be an indicator on how competitive 2010 will be, the attendnce will be interesting as well, although I dont think Sparrow will bring many.

Times are hard my friend .
Redundancies announced in the shipyard today be bit different in the league/challenge cup i would think.

Rather depends how many have a nasty cold thats doing the rounds im afraid

I agree about the forwards. Houghton has impressed me, he always seems to make an impact when he gets a game. Was quite surprised that our forwards didn't have more of an impact against Batley, mind you PC called Batley's pack the biggest outside SL - IMO a lot of Championship sides have big packs. I think the forwards will look a lot better if/when we get Haggerty fit, cause at the moment we lack a bit of punch down the middle. Obviously we're not exactly weak in the forwards, but could do with a Haggerty to spice things up a little.

You can bet how few they bring, everyone will still have an opinion on the game and most will know that if they get beat the referee was the one to blame.


Mind you they do have possibly the most biased radio commentaries in all the world..
Barrow are fantastic





Barrow are being hard done to





The referee is so biased against Barrow

I think you're mixing up the Barrow commentator with the Whitehaven one. The guy who commentates of Haven (an ex-director of theirs - John Cox) is an absolute disgrace. Even the Haven fans are completely embarrassed by his one-eyed commentary. You should have heard his effort the other night when Batley won at the Rec.



John Cox

Regarding the Barrow team (someone was wondering about the line-up), taking injuries into account and the fact we have 3 games in the next 7 days ...

1. Broadbent
2. Ballard
3. Halliwell
4. Harrison
5. Nixon
6. Rooney
7. Campbell
8. Bracek
9. Henderson
10. Young
11. Catic
12. Noone
13. Luisi

14. McDermott
15. Fletcher
16. Roberts
17. Mossop

Missing:
Coyle (won't be risked)
Knowles (won't be risked)
Ostler (still a couple of weeks from being fit)
Butler (still a couple of weeks from being fit)
Larkin

Should be a cracking game.

I personally don't think it will give any indication on how the season will pan out. We were tonked by Fax at this stage last season and the rest as they say is history.

Pre season was to disrupted and I dont think any team will be fully in their stride until at least 4 or 5 games into the competitive season. Although Sunday should be a great game, I dont really see there being much indication of how either team will perform. Paul Cullen hasn't had the influence he would have liked on your team due to the very unfortunate circumstances surrounding his poor wife's illness. I suspect both teams will be there or there abouts come the end of the season.

I agree mate.A few injuries at the moment for widnes and a pretty new team,so will need sometime to gel.Not making excuses already, but i hope a good game and you do bring a few fans for the game, to make a atmosphere.

My team except allen for doran.Is haggerty available now?

Although nobody has put him in at 13, Gerrard will start IMO. He does look lightweight at times but he's played two competitive games and his defence has stood up pretty well.

I would be surprised to see Farrell come straight in at LF in front of him given how highly Cullen and TOC rate Gerrard aswell.

Id imagine same backrow as last week. Kav on the bench alongside Coyle, Farrell and Davies. Houghton shouldnt drop out but he will as the victim of the dual contracters.

Rest of the side picks itself.

I'd go with

Ford Ainscough TKL Grady Gardener Thackery Webster
Pickersgill Smith Gannon Doran Allen Gerrard

Farrell Davies Kavanagh Houghton .

If Varks and and Haggerty are fit then those two on the bench in place of Farrell and Houghton.

Widnes by 6

The Vicar