According to Leeds twitter:

1 Zak Hardaker
3 Kallum Watkins
4 Joel Moon
5 Ryan Hall
6 Danny McGuire
7 Rob Burrow
8 Kylie Leuluai
9 Paul Aiton
10 Jamie Peacock
11 Jamie Jones-Buchanan
12 Carl Ablett
14 Stevie Ward
15 Brett Delaney
16 Ryan Bailey
20 Tom Briscoe
21 Liam Sutcliffe
23 Brad Singleton
26 Elliot Minchella
28 Josh Walters

With McGuire as captain.

Minchella & Walters to drop out for me.

1. Hardaker
2. Briscoe
3. Watkins
4. Moon
5. Hall
6. McGuire
7. Burrow
8. Leuluai
9. Aiton
10. Peacock
11. Ablett
12. Delaney
13. Ward

14. Sutcliffe
15. JJB
16. Bailey
17. Singleton

How is McGuire Skipper?
Should be JP imo wrt your line up mate I'd start Bailey and put Kylie on the Bench.

I'd maybe swap Singleton and Kylie, but I think Singleton is better when he starts. Would also like to see Ward as more of a ball player to utilise the backs a bit more. Like in the days of the McGuire, Burrow, Sinfield triangle.

I'd be tempted to give Minchella a run out in this game, and maybe give Delaney a week off. I don't think that will happen though.

Not sure what people think Ward is doing to deserve getting selected ahead of either Walters or Minchella.

Expect Sutcliffe to start with Burrow used off the bench IMO.

Jesus, your squad looks strong. I fear we could come back down to earth with a bump on Friday

Perhaps you'd care to tell us what Minchella has done to deserve getting selected ahead of Ward?

No Kirke. Gutted.

Considering the Hull KR performance he should tell us what Walters has also.

Based on so far this year, if they were to continue the same, would probably overtake, but you are only as good as your last match for judging now.

Don't be. Kirke will play. It is obviously a bit of kidology

Salford Squad

Fages
Rapira
Evalds
Sa'u
Johnson
Tasi
Chase
J Walne
Walton
Locke
Owen
Caton-Brown
Ashurst
Puletua
Hansen
Morley
J Griffin
Tomkins
D Griffin

Ward has been distinctly average all season long.

The vastly less experienced Walters has shone much brighter, even with a couple of expected rookie errors. His upside has been greater.

Minchella in his brief 1st team efforts has been no less average than Ward and when you compare minutes on the field that puts Michella ahead. Plus, and this may have been you who said it, quality efforts at Academy level should be rewarded at 1st team level when those ahead of you are not performing.

Also, it might actually do Ward the world of good to step out for a few weeks.

perhaps G, but i don't think using him as a second row battering ram has done him any favours either

Think we pretty much know what the starting 13 for the Cup semi will be (assume JJB will be starting by that time after a few games for fitness).

With Burrow or Aiton getting one of the bench spots that leaves 3 spots up for grabs and two more games for those to stake a claim between the following of Sutcliffe, Bailey, Singleton, Walters, Ward, Minchella. Also Achurch might get a chance next week.

Really hopeful Singleton plays this week in a style of having a point to prove.

Not sure why you responded to my post when I was quite clear with what was in it, as to why I said what I said.

To be clear, you are only as good as your last match. Walters was absolutely woeful against Hull KR. Hence last match. By contrast, Ward, whilst as you put it average, has still being one of the better performers over last few matches.

However, I also said, if both were to continue like this season, going forward, Walters would overtake Ward in the order. Perhaps if Ward was allowed to develop to his skill set, we might see a difference to that though.

Ward was rubbish against Cas, and Walters and Minchella were superb for the U19s. Personally, I would drop Ward for the rest of the season and give him chance to develop physically over the next 6 months in time for next season because he clearly isn't ready physically to perform the role currently being expected of him.

CS- Ward never was and never has been the type of player to "perform the role expected of him".
He isn't a battering ram BR and certainly isn't a "crash ball" forward either that imo falls firmly at the Coaches door.
Put him in the u19's and he would rip it apart just as he did at 17 he is & should be utilised as a ball playing 13.

Coz it's a message board. That's what we do. Durgh.

A cliche and not correct in any shape or form. Is Sinfield only as good as his last match?

You keep saying that. I don't think he was.

In your opinion. I think he's been very consistent all season long. Consistently average. He's been nowhere near one of our better performers, IMO.

I'd like to see that happen because he's being asked to play a role that simply doesn't showcase his talents.

He certainly isn't a battering ram 2nd row at the moment but whether he plays in the 2nd row or at LF he will still have to make 30-40 tackles a game which at the moment he's not physically good enough to do. At the moment he's missing 5-10 tackles a game and that's not good enough. It's clear the club see him as 2nd rower long term and I think Sutcliffe will be the loose forward for Leeds long term, but he will have to improve his defence also.
Ward has to frame to develop and put on a stone or 2, and I'm sure he'll be a quality 2nd row in the Greg Bird mould.

........Or maybe it's more McDermott trying to accommodate him, whilst he prefers to adopt the policy of selecting a 3rd prop at LF?

The lad is clearly struggling with the role asked of him and that is unfair. I hope he is given a chance to fulfill his potential as an apparent ball handling LF at another club if not this. With Sutcliffe also seemingly better suited to a similar LF role it will be interesting to see which prevails.
Personally I would try a run with Sutcliffe at SO; Burrow at SH; Sinfield at hooker and Ward at LF. Aiton on the bench.

For me Stevie Ward is playing his way out of the team.

Sutcliffe was selected at LF a couple of games ago but had to move into the halves because Sinfield got injured. I wouldn't say it's necessarily a preference of McDermott to play a 3rd prop at loose forward but the old style ball handling LF is pretty much non exsistant these days. Ward has the ability to be a quality player but whether he plays in the 2nd row or LF at Leeds or somewhere else he will still need to add some timber, and become more comfortable and consistant dealing with the extra intensity.

Its hard to pack that timber on when your sat out the end of the past few seasons with serious injury though. Injury free, he would still be on track, he's just fallen behind schedule with these hampering injuries.

Yesterday Ward said his legs were still aching nearly a week after the Cas game. Maybe he needs a rest, or maybe we all underestimate the effect a game has on the players these days. Probably a bit of both.

I think Cas were still feeling the physical effects tonight (as well as not being as mentally fired up for the particular opposition).