So, lets see how much the energy has been sapped. I think in dry weather we can beat Wigan but they will be confident coming off the back of a big win at the weekend. After last week it'll be tough. I expect us to be much better though and there to be not much in the 2.

Would love to see a Leeds win myself. Hope Burrow has a stormer and rips the pies apart.

This is a big test for the team imo.
After having plenty to say about last years slump and saying they've learnt from it this will go towards backing those words or not.
To be fair after a great win at ST's they undid that somewhat with their performance (not the loss) v the Giants so a decent performance will do for me and hopefully they'll regain some confidence and Vickery isnt up for public execution.

Yes, it would be nice to show that the Hudds blip was just that. Two defeats on the bounce never feels great.

For this one harrigan you could have whacked SS3D in the title

I think this game will be decided purely by the front row and forward interchange. Out points for and against is excellent so its quite clear our new half back partnership has started to gel but we are light in the front row especially with Prescott and Mossop absent long term who are our senior forwards. Add to that the absence of Hansen and Lauaki and we are light ( was shocked at the Catalan result tbh). Both teams have the creativity and pace to score from anywhere on the pitch but the grit and experience of the older Leeds pack or the enthusiasm and vigour of the young Wigan one will decide the outcome. Interesting to see which way it will go. Ones things for sure, Leeds will come out fired up after last week and the young Wigan pack need to be ready for the early onslaught from the Leeds forwards.

Just another game to toss off before whipping boy rabble next week. Very nice.

Ahh f**k it lets be adventurous, the impression i'm getting from Headingley after Friday seems a bit down (like the back-to-back Wigan & Wire hammerings of last year) so lets thrown caution to the wind with selection.

Watson (gamble, but sometimes you have nothing to lose)
Watkins (ppl will say he's wasted on the wing, but Hall isn't)
Keinhorst (didn't cut it on the wing)
Moon (was tempted to switch sides with Keinhorst, but stuck with him with Hall)
Hall
Sinfield
McGuire
Leuluai
Burrow
Peacock
Ablett (prefer him as a 2nd rower than at loose, and he's not been great at centre the last few weeks)
Delaney
JJB

Bailey
Moore
Ward (to interchange with the second rowers)
Clarkson (to interchange with JJB as a tackler at loose)

Watson
Watkins, Ablett, Moon, Hall
Sinfield, McGuire
Leuluai, McShane, Peacock
Jones-Buchanan, Delaney
Clarkson

Burrow, Ward, Bailey, Moore

Well the Hudersfield ltill still be around next week,god forbid if we have to put up with the Wigan crew as well.Come on Leeds turn up

The only change I can see for Wigan is Goulding in at 3 with Hughes going to the bench replacing Burke. Other than that as last Friday.

S Tomkins.
Charnley, Goulding, Thornley, Richards,
Green, Smith,
Dudson, McIlorum, Flower,
Tuson, Farrell,
O'Loughlin.
Taylor, Crosby, Hughes, L Tomkins.

I'll be here win or lose.

Really looking forward to the game. First game of the season for me, finally found a family member stupid enough to agree to babysit for me. Hopefully we can perform better than we did against hudds.

Yes you will

Your one of the lucky ones if you missed the Hudds game mate. The only consolation we have is that Leeds HAVE to play better than they did last week because it would be impossible for them to play any worse.

Nobody hopes more than me for Watson to be playing on Friday. People have their doubts because of his lack of confidence on Boxing Day but once he gets some game time watch him go. Wouldn't surprise me if people started saying put Zachary on the wing when he's back.
You have seen what happened to Eden, Watson is similar and better IMO.

Watkins was awful so was Ablett and Vickery. Get Ablett back in the pack as he isn't fast or passing at centre. Watkins positional play is awful and he looks lost. Nothing to lose by playing Watson at FB.
The only doubt I have is if they put Watson on the wing against Pat Richards. Maybe Watkins should be there.

I'm more concerned if Paul McShane plays again to be honest.

Waste of a sub. Rather go big on the bench.

It's quite funny to see the support of some towards the idea of Watson starting at FB, after ridicule from same said individuals towards my [iearlier[/i support of the "ridiculous" notion.



[uIF[/u the confidence had been shown in the lad sooner (instead of persisting with the inexperienced Watkins to FB and promoting an unknown antipodean to the wing) , he might by now already have been an established first teamer instead of a potential debutante against a confident Wigan team.

...or you could argue some fans' knees are jerking big time, since the fallible Watkins/Ablett/Vickery did OK against the Storm and Sts?

I don't buy fatigue arguments at this stage of the season. We've played 6 games, not twenty (and most of our forwards have missed at least one game already). Full-time pros ought to be able to back up at this stage of the season.

I have more sympathy for players being knackered during games due to BM's odd rotation policy - but even then I would have thought the likes of Peacock and Leuluai would have some input into those decisions as well.

I'd go with Tvocs selection this week.

Yes, Watkins on the wing could be a good shout for this particular game. You'd fear for what someone with the height and experience of Richards could do to Vickery, but equally you'd relish what someone with the pace of Watkins could do to Richards.

I would also go for the Watkins/Ablett right hand side for this one.Yes,bringing An untested rookie fullback in against Wigan is a risk,but IMO it is worth it just to shore up that right side which will be heavily targeted if we persist with Vickery.

Have a good feeling about this game though.The lads surely will be keen to gain some revenge for the tonking we got last year and on the back of last weeks result should be fired up.

If I remember Ryan Hall's debut he was peppered with high balls & never dropped one, I thought then he had an exceptional temperament. I've no idea about the kids you are proposing but they they can't be much more suspect in defence than the Watkins I have seen the last few games.

Fight fire with fire. Ask the same questions of them and see how they deal with it. I would be asking Sinfield to hoist some huge numbers up for Tomkins to see how he manages them on this occasion. Remember the CC semi? Tomkins is quality and with this style of tactic if you don't drive him into the ground as soon as his feet are planted, a few seconds later he could be racing away down the field. But I'd test his nerve and sow some seeds of our own.

Can't think the karma for an inexperienced fullback will be good after what we did to theirs in the play-off SF..?

I hope our Holy Trinity will dominate their half-baked halves, but fear more black ops from McD to ensure we win the future fixtures that count...