If you were DP, what’s your strongest pick for the start of 2023 v Leeds?

13 McGuire + 4 Ratchford



There you go.

Fare doos.

I walked into that one.

Dufty
Thewlis
Mata'utia
Ratchford
Ashton
Williams
Drinkwater
Vaughan
Clark
Bullock (Dudson is banned I think)
Nicholson
Currie
Mcguire

Kasiano
Harrison
Mikaele
Walker

Hard to argue with that. Wrench in for one of the centres when fit. Dudson somewhere in the 17 when available.

The only other question for me is whether Philbin gets his form back and replaces Mikaele on the bench.

Good point about Dudson, I think friendlies count against bans.
So far we’ve only got a guarantee v Leigh?
Dudson on a 2 or 3 game ban?

Dufty
Thewlis
Mata’utia
Currie
Ashton
Williams
Drinkwater
Vaughan
Clarke
Dudson (Bullock first 2 games)
Harrison
Nicholson
McGuire.

Kasiano
Ratchford
Mikaele
Bullock (Walker first 2 games)

There's me saying we've got too many props. There doesn't seem much of a problem. Philbin won't be back for months & there is always going to be someone suspended/concussed/limping.
Wrench will be months too. So lots can happen.
Not too much of a debate here for first match anyway.

To win a grand final, you need 2 packs. We’ve finally got that.

Dufty
Thewlis
Mata'utia
Ratchford
Ashton
Williams
Drinkwater
Harrison
Clark
Vaughan
Currie
Nicholson
McGuire

Walker
Kasiano
Bullock
Mikaele

Beast of a team

The big question is how Vaughan & McGuire will go.

Harrison for currie, and dudson starting for me.

Fed up defending currie now, he can off and there's no way he's in the leadership group this year

Bit harsh & uncalled for from a Forum Moderator ... have you been hacked?

I don't think Harrison is a prop, I do think before the end of the season he will be a starting 2nd row though. Or ar least if he has kicked on with a full pre season he will.

I think you can write off Philbin and Wrench for this season. I am sure they will play, but after their injuries I suspect it will be 2023 before they make any meaningful contribution.

If you then look at our playing group we only have 20 senior players (and that includes Russel). So we will only need 3 injuries before we start to incorporate the Academy players from the last couple of seasons, and clearly we are going to see quite a lot of this group over the year.

So its interesting to pick your preferred 13 +4, but I suspect our prospects will depend to a degree on how well individuals in the Academy group perform and how astute Powell is in bringing them into play. Over the course of the season it may not be how good our rooks and bishops perform but rather the pawns.

His contract expires at the end of 2023.

He needs a big season, or he won`t be staying at Wire.

Nope 100% me, we got rid of one direct problem in holmes, its making my teeth itch saying currie should still start (also kf saying recently he's happy with our back row options)

I've gone to bat for him on here over the last 4 years when others have said much worse stuff than that. Last season was atrocious and it was nothing to do with his knee.

I'd probably still not renew him, contract renewal form hasn't done us any favours in recent years.

Too little too late.

We all know what "love off" means. We don't need to stoop so low.

Agree with you, our 2nd row is light for me - Currie is out of form and Nicholson is still a rookie.

I think Currie is a naturally talented player who needs a fresh start in a different environment. He’s just going through the motions here.

Unless of course Powell can work his magic on him like he has with Cas players in days gone by.

I think this may well be THE question of the season. I'm happy with these signings and if they play as they can, I think they'll fire us up the table.

If they've both come as a base came for a European sightseeing tour, we're a bit goosed.

I think Vaughan and McGuire are exactly what we need and i think they will be brilliant for us.
With Harrison i think he can happily play Prop and second row with no issues. And with Powell giving him the 8 shirt i think his plans and Harrisons training will have been centred around that. So unless there are injuries at 2nd row, or they play badly,, i can't see him playing there anytime soon.
I must admit i'm VERY excited for the season to begin, i think we easily have the front row to dominate and grind teams down, leaving time and space for our skilled and speedy players to run absolute havoc with opposition. I CAN'T wait for Feb 16th I'm as excited as my boy is for christmas

Harrison has come from the Championship after a bad injury and into a side playing poorly.....but I've yet to be convinced by what I've seen so far. Hope he really kicks on this season.

I don't have concerns over McGuire and Vaughan, they don't strike me as characters to dial it in and sounds like they will drive up standards.