Then again it's gonna be nice weather, a luverly drive, the Watermill at Ing ... and if you don't go you know how guilty you'll start to feel as kickoff approaches

Standard Gledhill namecheck.

Sounds great up until the kick off

Will be tomorrow. Announced 48 hours before the game.

Aha, getting my days mixed up. Not that I'll be going anyway as I'm away to Scotland for a week. I knew I'd miss the Worky game but annoyed that it's now 2 games with the Oldham fixture as well.... Grr

Not often I spend time north of Mystic Eddie but, around Inverness and the Black Isle, I think I might just manage some next week...

In fairness, before I posted it, I double and triple checked I had the right day! One of those weeks that I'm not entirely sure what day it is until it hits Saturday, or "not working day" as I like to call it.

Enjoy your trip!

The 19-man squad:

Mitch Clark, Joe Lumb, Kurt Haggerty, Dale Ferguson, Kris Welham, Danny Addy, Kieren Moss, Lewis Charnock, Jay Pitts, Ethan Ryan, Epalahame Lauaki, Tom Olbison, Lucas Walshaw, Ross Oakes, Adam O’Brien, James Clare, Paul Clough, Alex Mellor, Adam Sidlow.

5 changes made by Smith. In come, Moss, Charnock, Clough, Lumb and Oakes. Williams, Mathers, Caro, Thomas and Crossley miss out.

Squad.

Mitch Clark, Joe Lumb, Kurt Haggerty, Dale Ferguson, Kris Welham, Danny Addy, Kieren Moss, Lewis Charnock, Jay Pitts, Ethan Ryan, Epalahame Lauaki, Tom Olbison, Lucas Walshaw, Ross Oakes, Adam O’Brien, James Clare, Paul Clough, Alex Mellor, Adam Sidlow.

I'd go.

1. Moss
2. Clare
3. Oakes
4. Wleham
5. Ryan
6. Addy
7. Charnock
8. Clough
9. O'brien
10. Sidlow
11. Ferguson
12. Walshaw
13. Mellor

14. Lumb
15. Clark
16. Lauaki
17. Pitts

Think there were a few lucky to make the 19 after last weeks performance.

So much for the Mathers/Thomas Halfback experiment.

Good squad rotation, perhaps a little harsh on Thomas but I hope for more on Wednesday, maybe in the forwards.

Yes but I was expecting to see the Thomas/Charnock experiment this week...

suspect Walshaw might given nod at ahead of Oakes given that was case last week and Walshaw didnt get chance to do much wrong before his injury. Olbison to come into 2nd row and I also think he'll go with Haggerty ahead of Mellor. Otherwise looks about right. We definitely need to use OB and Lumb in the hooking roles. Addy can do a job there but we noticeably improved last week when OB came on, only mystery is why we waited til 2nd half to make the change.

I'd go:

Moss
Clare
Walshaw
Welham
Ryan
Charnock
Addy
Sidlow
AoB
Clough
Olbison
Ferguson
Pitts

Lumb
Clark
Lauaki
Haggerty/Mellor

Oakes and one of Haggerty/Mellor to miss out. I'd be tempted to give Mellor a go on Sunday and rest Haggerty for Wednesday.

The squad screams of rotation. Regardless of opposition, playing 2 games in 4 days, and 3 games in 8 days is always going to be hard on the same 17. Perfect time to use the stupidly large squad we have.

FT: Sheffield Eagles 10-24 Batley Bulldogs.

Next Sunday we need to keep an eye on Dom Brambani/Pat Walker and their kicking game. Constantly turning kicking into space, turning Sheffield around and then using their big back Hirst, Gledhill, Chandler, Lillycrop and Brown to restrict the Eagles momentum.

I interviewed John Kear after the game and his summation of next weekend's game was "biggest game of our season, one which the Bulldogs can't afford to lose."

The next eight days are crucial and the way fixtures are lined up against the Bulls, one feels we need all six points to then be in control of our own destiny.

Clough is still out.

So why name him in the 19?
I'd rest Olbison and would be happy to see both Ryan and Oakes start, Lumb and Mellor on the bench. Give youth a chance.

You probably didnt even go to the game

Agreed about Brambani, Walker, and Southernwood for that matter. They have transformed a workmanlike, 'honest' team into a good one. We, at Leigh, had two almighty tussles with them this season, and their win against us, up at The Mount, was no 'first day fluke'. They were good. They also know just how to frustrate the life out of their opponents - so beware!

That's where the game will be won and lost next week - in the halves.

It's fustrating to see so many of our former players return and come back to haunt us.

Curiously, many of ours seem subdued when they play against us. I wonder if we'll come across Ryan Brierley in the Qualifiers?

I don't think we've seen the best of Haggerty yet

Why didn't he probably go to the game? Do you know something I don't?