My subs would be: Philbin, BMM, Atkins and Patton.
So Clark is injured ... Patton comes on.
If we don't have a Centre in the subs you are running the risk of having Hughes or Thompson in the centres for a long period.
We have been bitten in the bottom before before when we have had an early injury in the threequarters.

There is no doubt that we will suffer at the hands of Wigan's heavy tackling legal or not, we will have to have a bench ready to cover any eventuality with as little disruption as possible. I am sure that SP will have looked at the way we set up the last GF and what is available for this one, whatever he does hopefully will see us over the line

So you'd want to face up against Wigan's pack with two forwards on the bench? Thank christ you don't get a say in the team.

if we put 2 backs on the bench we'll get beat....take that as almost certain unless we've got a prop starting at 3/4!
We either drop King or Goodwin for Atkins or we dont.

Good points well made IMO and on current form, he's either displacing T King so shouldn't or Price is having to shuffle an injury or ban which we haven't heard of, so four forwards or three and Patton and i'm, favouring the latter

So we lose a threequarter after five minutes. What's your plan?

Thompson or Hughes move to centre (depending which side. They can both play centre and have done before) and I bring a forward off the bech into the back row.

Now, You're the manager. We're into the last 20 minutes. The forwards are out on their feet, they aren't making yards and dropping off tackles due to the limited forward on the bench. What do you do Smithster?

IMHO our two best performances by far this season have been the wins over Wigan in the Challenge cup and over St Helens last Thursday. There were three differences between those two sides. The side vs. Wigan featured Atkins, Akauola and Livett. Against St Helens these three were replaced by T King, G King and Thompson. Those were all like for like changes.

Unless anybody is injured (I think that Cooper got a scratch on the eye but hopefully he'll be ok to play) then I can't see Price making any changes but, if even if he has to, I would still expect him to go with the same formula of three forwards + Patton on the bench.

Playing with only 2 forwards on the bench against Wigan is as foolhardy as playing 4 forwards on the bench that does'nt give us the cover you are concerned about Smiffy.
....but Patton is on the bench so he can cover all areas of the spine and the on field backrowers will cover the outside backs.
When we colapsed vs Pies...TS made the decision to leave Hodgson out of the team and that effectively choaked us with 4 forwards. With Patton and 3 forwards, loosing 2 backs wont be a catastrophy.

Shaun Wanes finest hour imo....he knew exactly what was needed to break us.

Yer never know how a game will go.
I know lots of Saints Supporters who would have loved to have Theo Fages as sub. v Wire. I can also envisage a situation 15 minutes to go (and losing) ... I personally would prefer giving Atkins a run rather than George King.

Yes but why?!?

Why do you want to put a bloke who has never played in the forwards into the forwards for the first time in a Grand Final? It makes 0 sense what you are saying.

i say stick with the same team, barring injuries. However i can begrudgingly see an argument for including atkins on the bench probably in place of george king, from what i think i've learnt from price this year, he won't do that.

I've got your message and I'm not totally off my rocker.

I repeat my basic concern is that if we lost a threequarter early on I think Hughes/Thompson might find it very difficult to cope with the pace of the Wigan backs. I think they would struggle to cope with the moves & the pace in defence. I worry more about forwards playing out of position than backs playing out of position.
I do fully realise the advantages of having four forward subs when there are no threequarter injuries.

BTW ... I think Price will pick the same team.

Because Ryan atkins performs in big games and has proven it t King has had a good half a year after a long period being injured., which I'm sure has been hi lighted at the Wigan end. But let's not talk sense because this one time atkins should have passed and we 100% would have won the gf if he had

what other finals has he played in and set the world on fire? all I seem to recall is a player who can make a break and not pass to a supporting runner, a player who has let several tries past him and an player who didn't pass the ball that would've won the game on numerous occasions.



The point is I understand what you are saying Smithy but going against Wigan with two forwards is suicide. If Atkins was on the bench then what position would he come on at? he wouldn't go into the backs unless there was an injury and he wouldn't go into the forwards because he's never played there. He wouldn't be able to keep up with the intensity of the forwards not the defence required. He doesn't know the shape or the where to be for which calls. He'd be in the way. he'd be taking up a bench spot just incase somone in the backs gets injured. Which is what Patton is for.

Sniffy you are Atkins or his mam.

Wrong on both counts Rubber.
I think he's a strong runner and I'd like to have him around. I'd have played him at second row ages ago. He's so well suited. I suppose the reason he has not played in the forwards is that he has always been first choice in the Centre ... so why would he play elsewhere?

I see real problems for forwards trying to fill in (in the backs) for any length of time. I'm sure Pricey is doing lots of practice on it though.

I cannot see any issue with Hughes and next season Hughes plus Livett and Currie not doing extended stints in the 3/4s.

I see that the RL disciplinary has given everyone the all clear for this weekend, albeit that Luke Thompson has had a slap on the knuckles for raising his knee in the tackle.

Lucky boy, he could have missed the grand final and Barba's last game.

I saw that on the night & thought he'd get into trouble for it.
Some Saints fans are saying Bennie kneed a Saints player, does anyone know when this was & which player its alleged he did it to.

As daft Donald would say: Fake News.

It happens somewhat late on. Maybe just past 70 minutes? It's when he gets penalised for a high tackle that never was on Lee's I think. He spits his dummy and starts kicking about on the floor as Benny tries to get round to marker, Lee's grabs his leg and Benny then nudges it forward to get him off. Lee's then throws himself backwards in an attempt to gain further advantage but it was never taken any further beyond the original penalty.

How did Percival get away with a ban for the shoulder to BMM's jaw??

If we want more backs cover off the bench then surely livett would be more suitable than atkins, he can cover second row, loose forward and centres which is more than atkins covers. It would be harsh to drop anyone from Thursday anyway. I like atkins, his injury was unfortunate but its given Toby King an extended run which he needed, I actually think he is our best centre now.