Right lets get this over with!

I think the score will sit somewhere between the 42-6 drubbing at last year's event at the 18-66 spanking from earlier this year.

Still, at least this time there's no endless talk of "karma" and "what goes around comes around" from the Fartown faithful.



Squad news to follow around 2pm.

Shudds are going DOWN.

Bulls by 50.

I think the team will be up for this.

I'm not expecting a win, but I wouldn't be hugely surprised if we managed a victory.

Should be a great couple days of rugby, just wish we was playing a team that didn't finish last year on top of the pile.

Injuries, sickness bugs and ineligible players should all conspire to make this a walk in the park for the Giants.
I honestly think we would be better not risking anyone who is 50/50 and put more of an effort into next week when we play a team we have already beaten once this season.

Sidlow only recognised prop in 19 man squad. Assuming walker Pitts and Mellor filling in other spots. Against probably biggest pack in league. Can't see past a hudds win I'm afraid.

In the infinite fairness of an even league competition, where bottom of the table Bulls play top of the table Huddersfield, even at full strength, we would struggle to compete. But with no props, half the team injured or ill, two loanees who have less than a month at the club, etc, etc it is going to be a Hudds whitewash.

19 man squad:

Danny Addy, Joe Arundel, Nathan Conroy, Matt Diskin, James Donaldson, Jamie Foster, Luke Gale, Lee Gaskell, Luke George, Adam Henry, Elliot Kear, Adam O'Brien, Tom Olbison, Alex Mellor, Jay Pitts, Adrian Purtell, Adam Sidlow, Chev Walker, Sam Wood.

No Nas, obviously Kafusi cannot play, so we oly have 1 prop - Sidlow.

Surely Cummins will move Pitts to prop? He's played him in back-row last two games.

Might be his last game for us as well, his loan deal must expire pretty soon.

Hmm. We're going for pace again I see. 7 players who are wing/centre/FB players in the 19man squad.

We may not have the biggest pack, but when you play centres at 2nd row, we should have the fastest pack...

Maybe the wide open spaces will suit our speedy pack!

I dont think its anything to do with going for pace,

these are the only 19 fit players we have so they all get named (as mentioned i believe after the saints game)

I know that! It's all because of our lack of props. 2nd row men have to cover prop, centres have to cover 2nd row.

Fortunately, we have a lot of centres

I was trying to find a hint of a silver lining as well

I am afraid that was shared out amongst the other clubs, our lining is currently a little sackcloth number

Unfortunately our passing is quite frankly pathetic. Worst passing side I have ever seen'

For me I would gonei with.

1. Kear
2. George
3. Henry
4. Arundel
5. Foster
6: Gaskell
7. Gale
8. Sidlow
9. Diskin
10. Walker
11. Olbison
12. Purtell
13. Donno (if 100% fit)

14. O'brien
15. Pitts (used as a prop)
16. Addy
17. Mellor

Wood and Conroy to miss out.

I do hope you've cut that sackcloth accordingly...

I'd go with:

Gaskell
Kear
Arundel
Henry
Foster
Addy
Gale
Sidlow
Disko
Walker
Purtell
Olbison
Donno

AoB
Pitts
Mellor
George

I don't think Gaskell at 6 works. Against Catalan in the cup match, there was no reason to switch LG and BK around but Franny did it anyway, which leads me to believe that he didn't think it was working either.
George is on the bench as cover for the backs and also as a 2nd rower (god help us!) only because of how he was utilised last week.

However we pick the team for Sunday, it's always a case of square pegs into round holes. We limp from one game to the next.

Think it will be Saints all over again unfortunately. We will be lucky to get nil.

As long as we show the same attitude we had against Cats and Wire rather than the one against the Saints I won't complain.
Surely we must be due some "magic" luck?

I think the reason Gaskell worked so well is because we had the quality of Kearney at HB. We simply don't have this with Gale & Addy. Addy is simply not a HB. Then having a wing/centre on the bench dilutes our pack even further.

Gaskell isn't that much better at FB than HB thay we have to play half the team out of position.

I might be mistaken, but I don't remember BK actually doing much while he played at 6.
Conversely, Gaskell created at least 3 tries while playing Fullback against Wire, and Addy set up the winning try while was at stand off!

I don't think Addy is a 6 for one second, but I would accept him playing there if it meant Gaskell could do what he does best, from his best position.

Wasn't BKs communication to organise players around him frannies stated reason for playing him in halves as opposed to what he actually did with ball in hand. Seem to remember he said Gaskell wasn't vocal enough.

When this fixture was announced, it seemed drastically unfair. League leaders vs a team who could of easily been non excitant.
Watching us this season I believe with the right game plan, a few lucky bounces and a decent ref performance for both teams you could trouble us. We haven't really fired this season and you will certainly be out to show the RL world that you're still a unit who deserves Super League.
Pressure is we'll be expected to murder you and put a cricket score on you.
We in the past have tried to do this to teams and failed due to a stupid game plan.
I hope it's a good game and both teams make a good account of themselves.

....and then back in the real world....

You will put 50 on us easily. Unfortunately I feel it will be the mismatch of the weekend.
Thanks RFL.

Huddersfield will be blitzed and bitchslapped into submission by the brave bulldozing big bad bully boazer bulls.