1. Paul Wellens, 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Michael Shenton, 4. Sia Soliola, 5. Francis Meli, 7. Kyle Eastmond, 9. James Roby, 10. James Graham (C), 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Chris Flannery, 14. Scott Moore, 15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16. Paul Clough, 17. Gary Wheeler, 18. Matty Ashurst, 19. Andrew Dixon, 20. Jonny Lomax, 22. Jamie Foster.

From that i'd go with:

1. Wellens
2. Gardener
2. Shenton
4. Wheeler
5. Meli
6. Lomax
7. Eastmond
8. Graham (C)
9. Roby
10. McCarthy-Scarsbrook
11. Soliola
12. Flannery
13. Wilkin

14. Moore
15. Puletua
16. Clough
17. Meli

Pryce missing due to a groin injury. Dixon and Ashurst to miss out.

Pryce isnt in that squad? i'm guessing just an omission?

No Leon in that 19. Deary me.

Oh yeah you're quite right. I didnt even look tbh I just assumed he'd be there. Cant be an emission because there's 19 announced. I'll change it now.

No. After managing to miss the end of last season - he's now missing the start of this. Our inability to get our first choice halfbacks onto the pitch at the same time is quite depressing.

FFS!


1. Paul Wellens, 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Michael Shenton, 4. Sia Soliola, 5. Francis Meli, 7. Kyle Eastmond, 9. James Roby, 10. James Graham, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Chris Flannery, 14. Scott Moore, 15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16. Paul Clough, 17. Gary Wheeler, 18. Matty Ashurst, 19. Andrew Dixon, 20. Jonny Lomax, 22. Jamie Foster.

Wellens
Gardner
Shenton
Wheeler
Meli
Lomax
Eastmond
Graham
Roby
McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Soliola
Flannery
Wilkin

Moore
Puletua
Clough
Dixon

Although Royce saying he will be putting an outside back on the bench i'd opt for Dixon over Foster this week.

Damn, i was hoping it was just an omission!

That would be my team too.

I wish I had waited until this was announced before putting my bet on!

yup, i think lomax is a better 6 than wheeler from the little ive seen of them both in the role

The team picks itself really now that Leon is missing!!

Wellens
Gardner
Shenton
Meli
Foster
Wheeler
Eastmond

LMS Roby Graham (c)
Flannery Soliola
Wilkin

Lomax Clough Puletua Dixon

Ashurst and Moore to miss out!!

I hope to god Meli isnt at centre. Last time Meli played centre was in hte grand final against Wigan and we all know what happened then.

Yes, he was left to defend all that wing on his own, often with three pie eaters running at him. But I'm sure that's Meli's fault too, because his team-mates don't want to stand within ten yeards of him in defence.

Has any team scored 100 in a Super League game yet?

No Leon? No wins.

I think it will be Ashurst and Wheeler to miss out. Lomax and Eastmond to play 6 and 7. I'd have been more concerned if it had been a forward out injured. If our forwards can get on a roll against the likes of Lima an unknown quantity for the Saints forwards a half-back pairing of Lomax and Eastmond should be able to cope well enough. I am quite happy with wing / centre partnerships of gardner and Shenton and Meli and Foster or even Meli and Wheeler. Let's not have any doomongers already please before we have even kicked off.

To be fair, Wigan is the last team I'd play Meli against at centre.

He can do a job there against most, but his decision making is poor and Wigan swamp the edges with numbers and force you to make decisions. Wire threatened to show him up too before they choked (again).

Wheeler is our left centre for 2011, let's start and finish with him there; he's a cracking player.

What are the chances of Foster playing? He's a great fantasy league pick - if he plays! Plus he's better than Gardner!

Am I right in thinking Gleeson hasn't played in any of the warm up games for Wigan. If so then he is going to be a bit rusty going into the match.

That's correct he hasn't played at all since the GF, and neither has Hansen.

I don't know about Ashurst but Wheeler should play at centre. Meli should try his best to defend against the undoubted onslaught. However, I expect the usual and that would have been the case regardless of Leon. We don't want to screw the whole team for the absence of one player. We had enough of that last season. I'm hoping the only change will be Lomax for Pryce. My concern is what happens if Kyle can't make it through the full match. There is no-one left to cover the halves.

No, despite you predicting it every other week.

No, it's because he is quite clearly crap.

Foster is the better choice as he can also kick goals.

In 16 games Foster has scored 172 points.

He averages 10.75 points per game.

In 139 games Meli has scored 376 points.

He averages 2.7 points per game.

Meli also gives away far too many points in stupid errors and bad defensive choices, this is a fact not an opinion. The stats speak for themselves, it would be much more valuable to play Foster over Meli as he will almost definately score more points and no other part of the team has to be changed to accomodate a specialist kicker. Although im fairly sure Meli will be starting somewhere, its just not the way I would go about it.

Hunting season has started on Meli, then.

Feck me, he's not even touched a ball yet.

He's played in 2 friendlies and already managed to drop a ball within 20m off his own line against Widnes off a bomb. As far as i'm concerned he doesn't need to touch a ball, i've had enough of watching him gift points to the opposition from the past few seasons really. If he has sorted out his problems over the off season (which I doubt) and turns out to be a miraculous player, I vow to eat my socks.

Question for you. Who would you rather have? Meli, or Penny?