I can see both sides of the unnecessary argument. However, if people were being truly honest it's a poor decision. Much as I admire Leeds for making the games possible you'd have to be pretty nieve not to assume they are not actually carrying the costs, Where Leeds doing so I'd be the first to say thanks and give this one the nod. So with the idea that Leeds is not making any great sacrifice in mind, any fair-minded person would IMHO say Trinity has got the worst of the deal that doesn't seem to have much logic.

That said I can live with it, in the great scheme of things it's hardly the end of days, just SL daft.

That would be a fair comment if Leeds were being disadvantaged but they have not. Unless you're making the bizarre assertion that Leeds are picking up the cost, I sincerely doubt they are and will be more than fairly compensated, which indeed they should be.

However, I see no way Leeds or Saints have or could be disadvantaged, no matter how it was sorted.

It’s a good job there’s clubs with the infrastructure like Leeds, Saints and the like to be able to provide the sufficient resources to allow games to continue. Any small ‘advantage’ (depending on how you look at it) will have been more than earned regardless of financial recompense. And as already mentioned in the grand scheme of things isn’t worth much thought.

Does Donaldson make anyone's matchday squad for this match?

Yea, Richard Agar's. And I can see King V going out on loan.

Too under resourced in the front row for King to go on loan.

I agree.I'd be surprised if he is anywhere near the squad initially but with another month of training and a couple of injuries I would imagine agar will want to keep him around.

I think if he’s going to progress to anything like he needs game minutes so I’d have him on the bench, he’s played so little rugby looking at his 5 games with the Warriors.

Surely, Leeds vs Cas should have been the home game with Leeds vs Cas the away game then there could be no criticism.

If he's good enough for 5 NRL games with Warriors, sure he can cope with a bench spot here. Would make zero sense to use an overseas spot on someone we have no intention of playing. He'll get better and better as season go's on. Will bring some aggression off the bench...

Tough one .For me he probably isn't good enough yet for the bench,but he won't become good enough unless he gets some game time. Another month of fitness and decent coaching will no doubt improve him though.
In an ideal world he'd get 3/4 games at fev playing decent minutes but with covid, and fev having a decent side it ain't going to happen.

I don't think he'll make the bench for the first few games unless we have injuries. Dywer,Thompson,Donaldson,Smith,Holroyd,King and Walters for mine are realistically vying for the 4 bench spots.

I'd actually forgotten about smith. All things being equal I would have thought that Dywer,smith and holroyd pick themselves.

I personally would go for Thompson, Dywer. Smith and Walters. Smith to 13 after 25 minutes.Prior then to
move to front row. Thompson covers both prop and backrow. Walters to replace Mellor in second half. I think Agar will go for Thompson Dywer Smith Donaldson.

I'd always have a fit holroyd on the bench.

I dont want to see them go without any recognised prop on the bench. Call me old fashioned but I'd always run with 2, though they've not the options for that consistently this year

To me 2 props on the bench is a no brainer,but with prior,mik and tet all likely starters that probably only leaves holroyd.After that you're left with thompson,king and Donaldson to play the other prop role.

It's not really disadvantaging them, all teams will have a home and an away game in the fist two weeks. These matches have been set for Leeds and St Helen's grounds, why make it an away game for that team, makes no sense to me.

But thats exactly what they have done. Made the Leeds game at Headingley an away game.

Holroyd might not be fit and King looks too raw for me at the moment. Thompson I feel is more than capable playing at prop and that still leaves you with Tetevano Oledzki and Prior.

I agree on king.Whats wrong with holroyd,

poor man;s kirke we'll be midgets are us again against sts and cats

To my mind hes not going to work through any rawness without competitive minutes, I'd rather he started to do that in rnd1 v wakey than later down the track
. Will see with interest what the decision makers do and how it unfolds for King.

I see your point and tend to agree so if King makes the sub bench that probably means a bench of King Thompson Dywer Smith.

Hardly midgets with this bench Thompson 16st 12lb Smith 16st 7lb Walters 17st 7lb.