Ward is looking good but I would go with rob at 7, kev at 6 and lunt at 9.

IIRC Leeds have played Ward and Sinfield as the half back partnership on a couple of occasions this season.

Is it three defeats out of three, tvoc?

I would start with this now, and have Ward on the bench with Bailey at loose.

Spell Lunt for ward and movie robbie to hooker back end of each half when their forwards are tiring.

why move him? burrow plays the same no matter what position he is on the team sheet

I seem to remember Webb playing Stand-Off for Leeds once
Might have been with a side full of young 'uns and giving Cas a drubbing.

Then again, it could have been a weird dream.

He does,and i see what you are saying.What i suppose i am getting at is giving him back his free roaming role late in halfs,which has been so devastating for us in big games.As now Mags is ruled out he will be required to provide more of a structured link up with Sinfield in the halves.

If that is indeed how Mac decides to go.

Almost, he played Scrum Half, like he did at Wakey. My worry would be his defence though. I was happy for us to give it a trial run against Wakey, but I wouldn't be comfortable starting him there in the Final.

A couple, or three?

Either way, my guess is that there were other contributing factors in both, or all 3, defeats, if indeed they ever happened.

EDIT: The games you are thinking of were Huddersfield and Bradford. Don't think there was a 3rd occasion.

Liam Hood as the interchange hooker anyone ?

I had Saints away in my mind for some reason?

Regardless of result, in both those games Leeds were abject in attack

As much as I'd LIKE to see that it won't happen.

Webb will be accommodated by hook or by crook. I can see Webb back at FB, Hardaker back at LC and Ablett back at LF with Ward relegated to the bench .

Losing McGuire is obviously a blow. Obvious solution to me would be to move Burrow to 7. He'll play pretty much the same anyway and he can still go into DH when he wants, especially if we give Lunt a breather at some point. Ward in the pack gives us an extra pair of hands and a bit of creativity there anyway. So that disrupts the team to the minimum.

As I said before, leaving Webb out is a big call, but I'd prefer Hardaker at fullback.

If we start with both Lunt and Burrow on the field and Bailey at loose, could there be a place for Webb on the bench? Would provide some options and allow cover for any injury in the 3/4 with a little shuffling, and could slot in as a half in case of injury-induced emergency.

Being completely serious I would wholeheartedly agree: Webb on the bench.
However I do think we will see him back at FB with all the swapping around of others that will entail.

We need to see what happens in Catalonia... "God(s)" forbid Hardaker, Watkins, or a n other might not yet come through unscathed. That will change things yet again of course.

Blimey, no ... didn't mean to suggest he should be.

Your odds have jumped from 7/4 to 12/5 purely on this, good odds considering Leeds show up on the big occasion.

GCM1980 has steered you right on those two Ward starting appearances in the halves with Sinfield but I agree with you that Ward also played the final half hour on debut at Langtree Park likewise positionally after replacing Burrow - Burrow being crunched in a Puletua tackle.

Although he wasn't listed in the halves at Wakefield recently I had him starting there again alongside Sinfield. St Helens (A), Huddersfield (H), Bradford (A), Wakefield (A) - were not great in terms of results (or performance) but how much of that can be placed at the young fella's door is open to debate.



For those putting Burrow straight back to half-back - using Gilder's line here - Burrow has only started two games this season at '7' ..... away at St Helens and away at Warrington.

You could have johns and lockyer in the halves but if your pack is battered and on the back foot then you wont win.

No, too inexperienced to bring back in out of the blue for a CC Final, his few apperances mostly brief cameos like the final 7 mins or so he got against Castleford. Would i be right in saying we can't recall McShane? He would be a better option from the bench, more games for Leeds, WCC experience, spent the last few months playing first team SL and playing well and can slot into the halves well too if needed.

Even if we could, I don't think it's necessary to be honest.

Firstly, gitted for Danny. Hope he makes a speedy recovery in time for a GF run



Quite, who plays hooker, interchange hooker or 7 is not where this game will be won or lost. The pack have to gave Sinfield and Burrow the time and space that they had in the Semi Final.

We also have to defend Warringtons usual whirlwind first 20 mins.

Quite. Big part of that is space for us to produce a great kicking game, like the semi. We will need to turn Wire around.

I'm sure you are. What does it mean though?

It's "gutted" in a broad Scottish accent.