Idea nicked from Rico. Since no one has initiated a thread on it, what’s everyone’s starting 13 and bench?

I need to work mine out over lunch.

1. Ratchford
2. Ashton
3. Mata’utia
4. King
5. Charnley
6. Widdop
7. Williams
8. Cooper
9. Clark
10.Mulhern
11.Currie
12.Holmes
13.Magoulias
14.Philbin
15.Undecided til after lunch
16.Undecided til after lunch
17.Walker

I want Thewlis in there more often. Just not sure how the bench should look under Powell.

1. Thewlis
2. Charnley
3. Matautia
4. King
5. Ashton
6. Widdop
7. Williams
8. Cooper(captain)
9. Clark
10. Mulhern
11. Currie
12. Holmes
13. Longstaff

14. Ratchford
15. Philbin
16. Bullock
17. Margoulis
Very harsh on walker, but I've put ratchford on the bench as utility cover.

I'd take your pre lunch 15 EW and reticence about leaving Thewlis out.

However, here's the rub with Hughes the two spots could be any two from Bullock and Harrison (not to exclude Doro and Butler with another year under their belts) if we go down the prop route. Whereas a forward/utility approach will throw him up against Clark, Davis Wrench and Longstaff...

1. Ratchford
2. Ashton
3. King
4. Ma'atautia
5. Charnley
6. Williams
7. Widdop
8. Cooper (C)
9.Clark
10. Philbin
11. Currie
12. Holmes
13. Magoulias

14. Mulhern
15. Bullock
16. Longstaff
17. Walker

Not unhappy with your picks Moe either and highlights concerns re Hughes as captain and whilst typing CW8 with probably my selection apart from Mulhern to start with Philbin impacting.

Really impressed with what I've seen from Longstaff and seriously not looking for a straight selection from anyone based on your first 17 without Hughes. If he's in anyone's 17 I'd be interested to know why, am I genuinely missing something?

For 2022 I am hoping for much better from these we could consider shoe ins.

King (2nd half of season - 1 try)
Philbin
Currie

This is almost what I came up with, except I had Magoulias at 13. Thewlis is the future, and Ratchford was very average last year. Time to make that call. Walker will get game time at the start of 2022 with Clark being absent, and there will plenty of other opportunities.

Ratchford
Thewlis
Matautia
King
Ashton
Widdop
Williams
Cooper
Clark
Mulhern
Currie
Holmes
Margoulis

Philbin
Bullock
Walker
Longstaff
I have possibly been harsh on Charnley but he has a lot to do to redeem himself after last season. I have offset that by putting Thewlis in, I’m not ready to consign Ratchford to the bench…yet.
I’ve put Margoulis on at loose as I assume the club have brought him over for a reason ( not totally sure why I make that assumption) but I can easily see Longstaff coming in.
I do wonder if Powell will put Hughes on at 13 though given he has named him as captain. Or maybe he will leave him in the second row, use Holmes at 13 and Margoulis from the bench. Who knows?

Nobody found a place for J Clark yet? And what about Matt Davis? This coaching malarkey may be harder than I thought.

Some interesting opinions, the one thing that stands out as clearly as dog’s balls though is the props situation. Dire sadly

I think bullock and mulhern will make a good pairing off the bench. Also Cooper will set a standard for Philbin to match. I don't think Philbin has been great last year and I certainly think this 'impact' has been questionable. He has as much to prove as Bullock IMO, I hope he gets back to the form from a couple of seasons ago.

Hughes hasn`t figured in any suggested squads yet and if Magoulias is to play at 13, then there doesn`t seem to be a backrow position for Hughes.
With Powell`s captaincy decision, surely it is his intention to play Hughes. I wonder if he intends to select Hughes to play at prop forward?

Ratchford
Minikin
King
Matautia
Ashton
Widdop
Williams
Cooper
Clark
Mulhearn
Currie
Holmes
Hughes

Walker
Magoulias
Philbin
Clark

I just have a feeling that Charnley isn’t Powell’s cup of tea. He/his team made a point of exposing Charnley last season, game 1 was a car crash in truth. Minikin has been brought in for a reason, I can’t imagine he was peanuts money either

Maybe the masterplan is to start Hughes and then allow him to play himself out of the side, then a new captain must be chosen but nobody needs to be upset about it?

I was close to putting Thewlis ahead of Charnley based on last season, but I thought overall Thewlis still has time on his hands and a fresh approach for Charnley under Powell might get him back to his best.

As J Clark, Davis and the others they’re not actually bad squad cover, and I think when you look at Thewlis, Wrench, Longstaff, Bullock, Butler, Harrison etc we have better depth than a lot of clubs. Especially bearing in mind that Powell seems to develop average players into good ones.

There are always things that are uncertain when new coach comes in, but I feel more upbeat about this season than I have for a while. Not sure if it’s Powell’s record of improving teams, or just the change of playing style we can expect. Or maybe it’s because the pandemic is finishing.

I put Magoulias at 13 simply because he seems like a typical Powell choice. If we’ve brought a young ball-playing 13 over for just one year, I reckon Powell has a plan. It may well be that Hughes is his initial choice and I’ve called it wrong, but I have a sneaky feeling Powell has spotted something about Magoulias he likes and feels he can develop.

1. Ratchford
2. Ashton
3. King
4. Ma'atautia
5. Charnley
6. Williams
7. Widdop
8. Cooper
9 Clark
10. Mulhern
11. Currie
12. Hughes - captain
13. Magoulias

14. Clarke J
15. Bullock
16. Holmes
17. Walker

Good subject to be fair and as always opinions are relative. Fir me it as follows:-

1. Ratchford
2. Charnley
3. Mateuvia
4. Wrench
5. Ashton
6. Widdop (c)
7. Williams
8. Cooper
9. Clarke
10. Mulhern
11. Holmes
12. Currie
13. Billy ??

14. Walker
15. Philbin
16. King
17. Longstaff

It’s an exciting formation but props are a concern starting and on the bench but In Powell we believe.

COTW

Yep let's hope you are right about Billy M. ... otherwise in reality we do seem to be picking him without any real evidence about how good he is. Not the best way to pick a team. Mind you we'll know a bit more with the two trial games.

Not that hard. Jason Clark shouldn't be anywhere need the 1st team and the so-called Axe should be axed, average at best.

Am I right that Minikin is going to be missing a good chunk of the early season. As for Charnley I would just be happy if he cut out trying to milk penalties and get on with the game, it often slows the momentum and besides he hardly gets the calls anymore because the ref’s got onto that years ago.

What to say about Ratchford full of magic one game then went missing a lot in other games. I kinda agree with some of the guys putting Thewlis ahead of him but I still think Ratchford would at least add some spark from the bench, bit like we all crapped ourselves when Rob Burrow came off the bench, not saying he is that good but he will have that fear factor.

I’ll not enter because I’m struggling with getting props.

Interesting update from Powell (on the WW Website) where he talks about Widdop, Williams and Ratchford as the spine of the team, but also name checks Dean, Thewlis and Ashton - hopeful there's some grunt in the pack that's impressing him too !