With the amount of players we have missing it won't be half as much of a test as it would have been. I fancy you lot by 12.

I agree, with the amount of key players you have missing, we really should have too much over the full 80 minutes.

That said, i would much rather be seeing both sides going at each other with full strength teams to see where we are at, it would have been a real belter given current form.Never mind, it looks like we will more than likely be seeing each other again when the stakes are much higher later in the year.

Agree with all of that mate. I had been really really looking forward to this game up until last Monday when I found out the extent of our injuries v Catalans. It's looking like we will have Walsh, Turner, Wilkin, Amor, LMS missing with doubts over Hohaia, Wheeler, Percival, Lomax. The first 5 will definitely miss out.

It would have a fantastic game had both sides been at full strength but as you said, we will most probably meet again at the business end of the season.

Saints arent at full strength but they are still more than capable of getting a result against us.

Amor, Wilkin, LMS and Walsh are definitely a loss for them, Walsh especially but they have pretty deep depth in the pack, Roby is always a quality player, Lomax can move forward. We shouldnt discount them, they wont put a bad team out.

I seem to recall Saints coming to HQ in a cup game with Wilkin at scrum half once, to much high hope and expectation.

I think Wilkin was then man of the match in a Saints win.

I take nothing for granted against Saints, ever.

Unless it's a Grand Final.

It's difficult to guess our 17 with question marks over a few. Best case scenario injury-wise would mean a team not too dissimilar to this:

Lomax
Makinson
Jones
Percival
Swift
Wheeler
Hohaia
Laffranchi
Roby
Walmsley
Manu
Flanagan
Wellens

Masoe
Soliola
Greenwood
Walker

However as I said earlier there are question marks over a few, Hohaia and Walmsley especially, so young half-back Lewis Charnock may get thrown in and then there's the likes of Luke Thompson and Greg Richards to come into the pack if needs be.

I think we will be competitive at least, we certainly won't roll over whatever 17 we put out.

that '2nd team' you are talking about putting out would beat most sides in this league

i think Saints are playing a bit of a blinder here because all the expectation seems to be on Leeds, Nathan Brown is bigging us up as favourites and the fans expectations are well managed. Anything better than 14-20 point win for Leeds can be spun as a brave performance, but that team is a good one and in with a decent chance to win

According to McDermott, Moon has a slight chance but probably won't play.

Also when asked he said Bailey wasn't ill, he just wasn't selected.

I'd go

Hardaker
BJB
Watkins
Briscoe
Hall
Sinfield
McGuire
Leuluai
Aiton
Peacock
JJB
Ablett
Delaney

Burrow
Ward
Singleton
Bailey (Kirke, if Bailey's on the naughty step)

A Super League coach with a bit of mind-games and propaganda before a big game? Surely not!!

Exactly, it might be a weakened Saints team but it won't be a weak team by any means. Key for Saints, like we saw Hudds do, is to have a big game from their three quarters defensively and limit the impact of our back 5 in attack.

We never beat Saints when we're supposed to beat Saints (except in Grand Finals). Last year we lost a home game against injury-hit, out-of-form Saints with Stuart Howarth getting MOTM. I wouldn't get overconfident.

You know the free away game voucher you get with season tickets do you have to go into the club shop to sort it out or can you do it over the phone?

It hasn't happened all that often and not at all recently but they've started as a pairing together five times previously (four on the left flank (2009) and once on the right (2010))

The games were V Wakefield, Warrington, Wigan, Salford and Harlequins - Leeds won the lot.

Would go with that team but maybe just maybe swap Hall to LC and Briscoe on his wing or interchange throughout the game itself.

Agree the team listed above is not an awful team, but it's best case - four of the players listed (including BOTH proposed halves) were out injured last weekend and may not be back for Friday.

Amor one game ban after using the EGP.

I fancy your lot by 2 scores for this one. I don't think it'll be a large score by any stretch but I think you'll just have a bit too much for us and exploit that with your back 5. We won't have Wilkin or Walsh so we'll lack direction but our defence will remain strong. Somewhere around 20 - 10 is probably about right.

We'll be missing: Jordan Turner, Lance Hohaia(?), Luke Walsh, LMS, Jon Wilkin(?), Willie Manu(?), Kyle Amor, Alex Walmsley(?), Mark Percival(?), Gary Wheeler(?).

Those with a (?) have a slight chance of coming back, Wilkin due to whether he gets banned, the rest due to injury. Wilkin is the big one for me as Walsh is out he's the only other player who can give us any direction. Walmsley is also very important with Amor and LMS out.

Wonder if Bailey's omission recently is in any way related to incidents that others have alluded to the club "turning a blind eye" to.

Some humble pie to be eaten?

Saints 17

Hohaia
Galbraith Jones Percival Dawson

Hewitt Charnock

Laffranchi Wellens Masoe
Flanaghan Greenwood
Walker

Hand Richards Thompson Savelio

I take it those eating humble pie are those that doubted anything was amiss?

The comments about "turning a blind eye" were to incidents throughout last year, not the ones over the last three weeks. And yes, it has actually took three separate new incidents for the club to take action.

If Paul Wellens plays doesn't he equal the record for most SL Appearances (Regular Round plus Play-Off) ?

1 - Keith Senior 413 (92 - Sheffield, 321 - Leeds)
2 - Paul Wellens 412 (St Helens)
3 - Kevin Sinfield 411 (Leeds)

What were the incidents - I miss all the gossip

Bailey needs to be careful before his testimonial goes down the plughole

Gotcha has the club actually taken action then?
I know about Mc.D saying he wasn't selected but was that discipline related and has he actually been sacked or stood down i've noticed RB has been very quiet on twiiter lately only to re-tweet his clothing range.

Not noticed any plugs for testimonial gigs either.