Out of the players we currently have signed up :

Royston

Ah Van
Platt
Walker/Sykes
Raynor/Ainscough

Kearney
L'Estrange (Was tempted to put Addy there)

Lynch
Diskin
Scruton

Whitehead
Langley
Addy

Godwin
Elima
Hargreaves
Kopzcak/Hall

Have some size coming on from the bench.

I think he'll play a part, but not till later on when he's fully recovered from injury.

It is an encourgaging sign that only the most destructive injury crisis would result in us having to play anyone out of position to cover.

Royston
Ainscough
Walker (he isn't left sided and is actually poor there)
Ah Van
Raynor
Kearney
L'Estrange
Scruton
Diskin
Lunch
Elima
Langley
Addy

Hargreaves
Koppy
Hall
Whitehead

Very few SL sides have a back on the bench. Limited value.

No 2nd hooker?

Kearney
Ainscough
Walker
Sykes
Ah Van
? (todays T&A article relied on as confirmation we will have new half backs)
? (todays T&A article relied on as confirmation we will have new half backs)
Hargreaves
Diskin
Lynch
Whitehead
Elima
Langley

L'Estrange
Kopczak
Scruton
Donaldson or Hall

The cover within our squad is amazing:

Royston
Halley/Finigan
Platt
Crookes
Raynor
Southernwood
?
Sculthorpe
Godwin
Crossley
Sibbitt
Olbison
Addy

O'Brien
G Burgess
T Burgess
Worrincy (well down the pecking order)

When a player is injured it'll be nice to know that a specialist in that position can be brought in first without someone having to be played out of position.

1. Brett Kearney
2. Shaun Ainscough
3. Paul Sykes
4. Chev Walker
5. Patrick Ah Van
6. Leon Pryce
7. NRL replacement for Orford
8. Bryn Hargreaves
9. Matt Diskin
10. Andy Lynch
11. Elliott Whitehead
12. Olivier Elima
13. Jamie Langley

14. Heath L'Estrange
15. Nick Scruton
16. Glenn Hall
17. Shad Royston

I know this is meant to be for the 17, but our strength in depth is looking good in most positions :

FB: Kearney, Royston, Sykes, Platt, Halley, Ah Van

Wing: Raynor, Ainscough, Ah Van, Halley, Finigan

Centre: Sykes, Walker, Platt, Ah Van, Crookes

Stand off: New 6(Hopefully) Kearney, Addy

Scrum Half: (New 7) Southernwood, L'Estrange

Prop: Lynch, Scruton, Hargreaves, Kopzcak, Sculthorpe, Hall, Crossley

Hooker: Diskin, L'Estrange, Wagga

Second Row: Elima, Whitehead, Langley, Hall, Sibbitt, Olbison, Donaldson, Worrincy

Loose : Langley, Addy, Donaldson, Royston, Wagga/Diskin

I'm happy with those options, providing we sign the two halfbacks we need. Lets just hope they gel quicker this year.

I was selecting on the basis of the roster as of this evening and no expected return of Orford; hence Heath covering half.

Would love to see this team at Odsal next season;
1) Kearney
2) Ainscough
3) Sykes
4) Walker
5) Ah Van
6) Pryce
7) Wallace


Hargreaves
9) Diskin
10) Lynch
11) Elima
12) Whitehead
13) Langley
14) L'Estrange
15) Hall
16) Donaldson
17) Scruton

Sykes at centre NO! Platt a much better centre... And anyway id have ah van centre and raynor on the wing!

Sykes and Ainscough on the same side would be a defensive spot for the opposition in every game.

I will repeat again, Chev Walker is a right sided player, not left.

good to see so many going for royston, even if on bench, he played well and scored well from loose forward for fax so could be good cover if use from bench if not first choice full back.

1. Kearney
2. Ainscough
3. Royston
4. Walker
5. Raynor
6. Addy
7. L'Estrange
8. Hargreaves
9. Diskin
10. Lynch
11. Whitehead
12. Langley
13. Donaldson

14. Godwin
15. Elima
16. Scruton
17. Sykes

Very difficuilt to pick 17 players out of the squad.. We are looking strong!!

Interesting you have no place for Ah Van

I assume you will enjoy seeing us battered down our right hand side with that backline combination.

For the third time, Walker is right sided and a stronger defender there than Sykes and Ainscough.

That bench is far too lightweight with Godwin and Sykes. No place for backs on the bench in the modern era. A player as effective as Scrutes won't want to bench each week or Elima. Hargreaves and Whitehead (especially given his excellent footwork and line running) on the bench. Wagga? Pffft.

From what we have so far;

1. Royston
2. Ah Van
3. Walker
4. Platt
5. Raynor
6. Kearney
7. New 7 TBA
8. Scruton
9. Diskin
10. Lynch
11. Elima
12. Whitehead
13. Langley

14. L'Estrange
15. Hargreaves
16. Koppy
17. Hall

Put Kearney to FB if we sign a 6 and a 7, but I don't think we will, so if we only sign a 7 then Kearney is the best option at 6. We don't know what role Potter has in mind for Ah Van, but I think he has played more games at wing than anywhere so I'll put him there for now (although I'm sure I read a quote saying he prefered , but can't find it now.) I'm also assuming Walker has been signed as a , not 2nd row, although I think he was moving more and more into the 2nd row before his injury, I might be wrong there though.

Long term I'd like Finigan to get a shot on the wing, but to start the season I'd go with the more experienced Raynor, and you'd assume Ah Van will be playing. Hopefully Finigan and Ainscough get a chance early and have a fair crack at keeping a wing spot from Raynor as they both have more potential, finigan especially.

Ah Van to kick unless the new 7 is better as at least he's taken a few in first grade unlike most of my first 17 above. Goalkicking could still be a potential weakness next year I guess until we see who gets the gig.

The most sensible and realistic assessment so far.

It baffles me how some put the likes of Scruton and Elima on the bench when clearly they should be and are likely to be, in our best 13. No savvy side would put their best 11 out and the other 2 on the bench. Every game we should be taking the field with our 13 best available players.

I'd go with something similar, except I'd rather Donno got a game over Hall and would probably expect to see Sykes at full back over Royston, both for his Super League experience and his kicking (bearing in mind I've never seen Royston play!).

Yes i agree ideally I'd like to see Donno pushing Hall for his spot, Finigan pushing Raynor, Addy pushing Langley...and hoping that Olbison, O'Brian, Crookes, Crossley, Helliwell all push on and look towards the first team.

But I can't find a spot for Sykes, I'm just not a fan, despite his effort, commitment and versatility, I just think we have better options at /FB and 6 in the squad than sykes, bringing him in to cover injury fine, but not as first choice anywhere, unless Royston doesn't make the step up I guess, but even then I might go with Halley before Sykes.

tend to agree about sykes. problem at moment is he's best kicker we have, ah van and donaldson can both kick but its not there speciality (and donaldson at least, I wouldnt expect to be on pitch for full 80). so unless we sign a half who's a kicker I suspect sykes will get a spot. Think royston will surprise people who dont watch any of NL coverage. He's comfortably our 2nd best full back option after kearney and an excellent support player. Only reason I could see sykes getting nod at FB ahead of him if kearney wasnt available would be for sykes's kicking.

Isnt it nice to be in a position where pretty much any squad people name, theres decent players missing out in virtually every position -halves excepted so far- certainly going to make squad selections interesting for potter.

Do you really think Royston is good enough to be a first choice player having never played a Super League game?

I certainly do. Will surprise a few fans; bags of heart, bottle, good bloke and will make an impact. More than Sheriffe, Halley, Reardon et al would have.

As I've said, an excellent curve ball signing for me.

Hopefully all this discussion will be unnecessary and we'll have a new 6 and 7 and play Kearney at FB.

yes, absolutely certain of it. Watch fax games whenever they're on sky as a few mates are supporters. Royston always stands out. Number of times someone makes a break and he pops up in support is unbelievable. Very safe pair of hands at back and excellent support player. you dont get in championship dreamteam by accident. or average nearly a try a game over 100 games!.

Think those who are dismissing him cos he's being signed from championship are in for a very pleasant surprise. potentially our best signing so far in my book.