Just been told team, no Jon wilkin, he's out until end of the month.

Very interesting. I've been critical, not of Wilkin himself, but the effectiveness of having a second row played in the manner he is.

Also, massive chance for Flash to show us what he's made of. Dixon too.

I think Rush would rather eat his own intestines than ever rest anyone in an unimportant and (should be) fairly winnable match to give some of the youngsters a game to see what they're made of. You just know that exactly the same 17 is going to turn out week-in week-out no matter what the game or opposition barring injuries. Games like this are made to allow a few struggling senior players to rest aching bodies in the run up to the playoffs and to give 3 or 4 kids a run-out instead.

Away to Wakefield isn't exactly a cakewalk, it never has been for us. They've had some impressive results there this season and against the teams we're in the same class as, Catalans, Hull and Leeds, they've won them all.

Wilkin is our chief kicker, maybe not the worlds greatest, but the best we have. Is this a chance for Gaskell to come back in for his kicking ability? If not, our non exisitent kicking game just got worse.

Gaskell will be on the bench.

Laffranchi is also fit.

Without naming the team, the is one player that is still 50/50 if he's playing, he's on the bench at the moment but got to prove his fitness.

Think only change from Monday will be gaskell in for Wilkin

The could possibly be one other change.

If Gaskell is be picked as our main kicker I see little point in him being on tge bench, the tone of a game can be set very early by a good kicking game

I think we will go with tried and tested for the remainder of the season. There should be plenty of jumbling it up when Brown takes over. If Gaskell is on the bench then at some point they will probably drop Roby to Loose, Lance to Hooker and slip Gaskell into a kicking position.

But alot will depend on how the game is going, he could just be bench warming for 79 mins.

Safe journey over today guys but hopefully a return empty handed! looking forward to a cracking match.

Does anyone know what radio station it is on this afternoon?

Wish FM I believe.

Defence sounded shocking once again and with just weeks before the play offs, that's a really bad sign. Unlike Leeds, I don't think we have the ability to switch on and off like they do.

To be fair Leeds took a drubbing when they came to Belle Vue 2 weeks ago.

No props, no halves, no centres, no coach, no ideas = NO CHANCE

Our halves might have been very good by now if they'd been allowed to build on their experiences of last season instead of being split up with one of them relegated to u20s and the other trying to build a new partnership with a player who isn't a halfback.

Wakey have been playing very well for a few weeks now and I would have been surprised had we won there because they have shown far more creativity and desire in the matches of theirs I have watched lately than Saints.

But then they have a coach and we do not.

As I said Leeds turn it on and off and only really play in the bigger games now (they're in a Cup Final for a reason).

We're just not good enough, it's as simple as that.

nothing to do with the coach....its the clumsiness of the plonkers who kept dropping the ball in our own area to let them pick it up to drop a goal.
22....8 down then comeback to take the lead then let it slip with the usual ball dropping lost us the game.

I'm starting to worry that we need two halves for next year.

We was a beaten pack again today, any big aggressive pack and we struggle.

This squad looks like it needs major surgery.

At the moment we're simply a game-in game-out plodding team it's very true. Rush wouldn't know how to bring any variety or another level out of our performance if his very life depended on it. It's just a case of grinning and bearing and getting the rest of this dreary little season over and done with and then starting afresh and hoping for much better for next year now.

what gets me is earlier in the season we came out like men possesed against the rhinos and wire and won the games....also a good win against leeds on their own ground.
suddenly its all gone back to the going through the motions rugby...

We look good when we have momentum and on the front foot but when teams get on top we struggle, our pack just gets over powered and we've no brains in the team to change the game.

Nathan Brown got one hell of a Job on his hands!

Always a chance of happening with Wakefield having everying to play for.

That being said, we already know the squad and coaching isn't good enough. No revelation here. At least we are still up there challenging however.