I'd have Grix over Cooper

Depends on who we play, if it's Wigan - King & Atkins have had so much success up against Joel & Charnley that I'd leave Riley out and let those two continue to make fools of them.

How come Yed? IMO we have enough ball players across the park, so as I see Grix more of a "ball playing" 13 compared to Cooper as a "battering ram" or extra prop, I'd be inclined to go for Coops. Share the workload, do the damage up the middle, and we know we've got the best 3/4 line in the league to score when we shift the ball out wide. I'd like to hear your POV though as to why you'd pick Grix.

Grix as you alluded to is a better ball player, but don't kid yourself that he can't do the hard yards either, Cooper is having a good season but i just don't think he has the same variation as Grix, plus if there is a knock to a player, he can just slide over to that position for the rest of the game, he brings more versatility to the team which puts him over Coops for me.

I think Ian Knott should get a game, if we get a knock in the backs he can move out to centre, he's proven before that he can play there.

woah hang on, flashback. sorry!

Amazing to think we could be full strength at the perfect time after having key players out across the side only weeks ago.

Play to our best in the next 2 games and we will be Champions.

I think your point about versatility is a good one Yed. With Coops, Bridge is your utility player in the case of injury. There's no doubting Grix's ability with ball in hand whether carrying or his pass selection, but as I mentioned, I'd prefer Coops in there with his strength, size and footwork at the line. Tiring out the middle of the field, leading to more quick PTB's allowing Monas to cause havoc from dummy half like he has all year and then giving the time and space for our halves and 3/4's to finish the job.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one!

totally agree as with the team that i have put on riles can cover fullback aswell so if hodg gets a knock there is cover aswell we have a very versitile team at the moment that can cover positions i have also not included solo as he still doesnt look 100% he was playing on one leg in the last game

Have you actually watched the last two games? Benny Harrison has been our best forwards, making the really hard yards all the time. I saw several barnstorming runs from him both at Hull and last Friday night.

Harrison has been awesome last two matches. Watch how many tackles he puts in on each set. He came on vs Huddersfield at the same time as Luke Robinson and it was his running at Robinson in each set that knocked the stuffing out of Robinson within 5 minutes. Important but not obvious contributions.

I am about to amaze myself by suggesting that Wood and/or Westwood might not/should not make the 17 if all are fit.

Watch the Wigan game back, he was average at best. Complete brain fart shooting out of the for Deacon's try and didn't contribute a great deal going forward.

He doesn't get picked over Morley Wood or Carvell, there's no debate there, and if your picking on form Cooper wipes the floor with him, 70 mins at Hull and clear leader in carries and meters in the Huddersfield game. Cooper is on fire and deserves his shot, the only spot up for debate is Wood's fitness and Solomona, who offers a lot more in regard to width and diversity

i would say at the moment, cooper is doing harrison's role at 13 better than harrison has been doing it this year.

You'd say probably if all fit grix would drop out, i wouldn't want that to be the case, but you know what the full strength 13 would look like with a prop at LF.


PErsonally, i would ask the question, is it worth actually keeping bridge at 13 though, i think he's played better in the middle of the park than out in the centres this year, does the team get better value and more effect with him there. I'd say yes myself.

Can't agree Grix has been outstanding this year & deserves his place

Grix has to play..a lot of attacking moves that come out from our position has him providing the pass....he tackles well also....he has to play for mine.

There cannot be any room for sentimentalism in this...tough on the players that have done the business so far...but that's sport.

Richie Myler missing out in the CC final show that Mr Smith will pick the best team to get the job done.

IMO

Brett
J Monas
Bridge
Atkins
King
Lee
Richie
Moz
Monas
Carv
Louis
Benny
Grix

Ben H
Woody
Solo
Clarke/Higham/Cooper

ANCW totally agree with what you say about Ben H.

With regards to your comment about Benny W and Paul, the mere fact that you are thinking this is a credit to Simon Grix and Coops and how they have taken their chance's and stepped up to the plate in Benny and Paul's absence.

Spot on. Ben H did play well on Friday and reasonably well at Hull but most of his previous performances have been average at best. Coops definately deserves to hold onto his place.

New season and all fit, Westwood and Wood would be first choice in the 17. No doubt.

But.

The players who have played in the past two to three weeks have not put a foot wrong and particularly Westwood might be just that bit off the pace that makes the difference.

I think Smith will pick them both though.

coops has been an absolute revelation this year... improving massively thought the year whilst playing a decent amount of time. ON form he is deffinatly ahead of harrison, and possibly wood even b4 the injury. He has been great in offence whilst his defence has increased 10 fold!
Him and Grix should deffinatly be in the 17!

I think Wood has been overrated by a fair few this year. There is more than one occasion this year when people have picked him out as having a big game and I've disagreed. He is more prone to errors than any of our other forwards. I like him, he's a good player but for me I would be thinking of moving coops ahead of him next year.

Certainly a good dilema to have. Cooper has improved massively, starting with his performance in the quarters. Harrison was destructive against Huddlesfield though, and I'm not quite sure Cooper is capable of doing such. Harrison of course is a better offloader, or certainly a more frequent one. I guess the question is whether we need that in the team, with so many others offloading at will. Harrison is prone to flying out of the line to make the big hit, as is Anderson, which can leave holes in the defence. Despite that I think I would just prefer Harrision at the moment, though it would be terribly harsh on Cooper.

Grix is a shoe in for the 17. In fact, I'd have him in any 17 at the moment. GB should be seriously looking at him. Grix can play in 6 of the 13 positions on the field. He's probably as quick as Joel, so maybe even the wing joking apart!

The problem is we need a hooker on the interchance. That means that we have to pick an inferior player, because of the position. Monoghan doesn't play the full 80. He puts in too much work for that to be the case. Clarke is unquestionably ahead of Higham at the moment. Higham is probably the better player, but his attributes do not fit into our style of play. He can't/won't pass, which makes us less effective in attack.

Finally the Bridge issue. Loose forward appears to be his ideal position, but he is an excellent centre, and that would mean having Joel and King on the wing. Again harsh on Riley, but I love the advantage of having two giants on the wing, both in attack and defence. Riley, is still vaguely vulnerable, and could be targeted. Without him, I don't see any opposition breaking us down.

Brett
J Monas
Bridge
Atkins
King
Lee
Richie
Moz
Monas
Carv
Louis
Benny
Grix

Harrison
Clarke
Solomona
Wood

Can't agree Bob.

His stats to Carvell compare pretty well

More metres in less games.
Same amount of offloads.
4 more errors.
Less pens.
Less missed tackles.

Woody for England!

This season? Or over the last two. If it is over a number of years, then I don't think stats mean much. Carvell has been fairly average the previous season. He has been outstanding this year.

This season.

After coming back from a broken leg last year Carvell was excellent imo. Woody has benefited more than most from the Tony Smith effect. Looks a totally different player from the years before, hits hard and developed an off load game to match anyone at the club.

I am surprised at them stats 85. Particularly the error one. I like Woody, as has been said his development in the past 2 years compared with what came before is remarkable. This season though, he hasnt quite hit top form for me. I panic if he takes the first drive from a kick off, he has flailed his arms at attackers a fair bit too. That isnt to say he doesnt do alot of good things, there is just always a cock-up in every game I've seen this year.