i wonder what the kit numbers for next season will be?

im going to go with.......

1. Wellens
2. Makinson
3. Shenton
4. Meli
5. Foster
6. Gaskell
7. Lomax
8. Perry
9. Roby
10.Puletua
11.Laffranchi
12.Wilkin
13.Flanagan
14.Hohaia
15.LMS
16.Soliola
17.Clough

any thoughts?.......

Alas, Gardner will be 2 again. Makinson will be down the pecking order and stuck in the u20s unfortunately.

tut tut, i feel gardeners lost alot of his speed, and his overall ability after the injury

makinsons got much more potential and fits in better to the young side

but, at the end of the day, its all up to royce to make the right decision

i believe Gaskell is 20 and Makinson is 21

The only thing I disagreed with Simmons on was the re-signing of Gardner. Unless there are alternative plans in the pipeline for Makinson, like Wello's replacement, Gardner should not have been re-signed. We are going to miss Makinson on that wing because not only is Gardner lacking in pace, he lacks the skill Makinson has shown and that amazing winning mentality we saw at its best in the GF.

Hohaia at 6 then maybe?.......

Foster's requested 22 again this season.

Yeah i deffo imagine hohaia at 6 not sure he'll stay there as lomax and hohaia doesn't really fit they're both to similar in my opinion

anyway my team would be

1.Lomax
2.Makinson
3.Shenton
4.Wheeler
5.Foster
6.Gaskell
7.Hohaia
8.Perry
9.Roby
10.Puletua
11.Soliola
12.Wilkin
13.Laffranchi

14.Flanagan
15.LMS
16.Clough
17.Magennis/Dixon/Flannery depends on opponent.

My team next season would be
1 wellens
2 gardner
3 shenton
5 meli
22 foster
20 gaskell
7 lomax
8 perry
9 roby
11 pu

I think team will be

1 wellens
2 gardner
3 shenton
5 meli
22 foster
20 gaskell
7 lomax
8 perry
9 roby
11 tony p
4 sia
12 wilkin
13 la frank

Subs
6 lance
15 lms
16 clough
18 flannery

Laffranchi is in the country now.

Indeed he is. Royce Simmons picked him up from Manchester airport today.

I bet Laffranchi is freezing his bits off tonight! It's almost 30 degrees cooler here than where he has come from!

I imagine this will be the closest to what Royce would start with, although probably see hohaia starting with Gaskell/wheeler on bench

Well laffrinchi has 14.

Well that's messed up most people's thinking!

I still think he'll play loose, they probably just didn't want to take Flannery's number off him.

You reckon? i think this means clough will most likely play there

Laffranchi was brought in To cover the prop/loose forward role. Royce sees him as the ideal player to fill that role.

Wilkin and sia will be second row with laffranchi at 13.

Poor old Wilkin. When Simmons played him at loose during the early part of 2011 season he was happy as larry. But he keeps getting stuck at second row.

I thought Laffranchi was being brought over to play at prop? That's what Simmons said a while ago anyway.

The idea is for laffranchi to cover the role TP took on last year. It's the extra prop at 13 that Royce likes.

Apprantley Royce opted for laffranchi over waterhouse as he thinks laffranchi is more suited to that role.

and he's right

I have never understood why we have a natural 13 in wilkin and yet successive coaches have played anyone but him at loose forward while he is used as a workhorse second rower. We are losing one of the most creative positions in the team by playing the likes of clough tp Hargreaves flannery et al there. It appears as though wilkin will go through his career played out of position and never fulfilling his potential. Shame really.

I agree.

The extra prop at 13 is a NRL thing and with Royce fresh from the nrl I think that's the reason.