Rankin was very specific in the piece on him on the website...he is in the halves this season so that gives you 2 from 3.....the arguments for Brough being a shoe in are diminishing in my opinion....even his goalkicking was very average last year and I'm getting fed up of his blow ups....hopefully he will be back to his best and be tantrum free! This could be though the indication that maybe we are looking at an alternative half back pairing. Is it possible Cudjoe may not be starting the season and Gaskell will be in the centre? Still a fair time to wait and speculate!

Distinct possibility seeing as Leroy is still wearing strapping on his leg.

Mamo
Jerry
Leroy
Turner
Darnell
Gaskell
Rankin
Seb
Kruise
Walne
Symonds
Taai
Hinchy

AOB
Wakeman
Roberts
Bruno/Walne/Clough/Smith/Mellor/Dickinson

Hard to pick a team to provide maximum quality for 80min, I'd maybe put Taai on the bench and start Roberts to give us a bit more impact from the bench.

I hope Brough comes back refreshed for us, hes been a shadow if himself the last 2 years.

It's a tough league, so I'm hoping if we are injury free we should comfortably be in the top 8.
Rick Stone has kept to his word so far about gradually improving us so I guess I'm expecting the same.
I'll be happy with us challenging for top 4 in the final few games of the 8's AND not losing out in the CC to a out of form lower league opposition.

yeh a good cup run would be nice again, been a while from what we were used too!

stone says he his starting to shape his squad .. prob 2019 it will be more his own stamp but interesting times by then as he his ooc end of next season as are brough, mamo and ikahihifo among others

If we can keep relatively injury free are the key words, some other teams were badly hit by injuries last year with yours just about being the worst yet you still managed 8th spot, Wakey by comparison were lucky with injuries which maybe reflects why we did so well, so if you are lucky to keep your key players fit then perhaps 4th is not unrealistic, as for the cup there are two many imponderables so fingers crossed and hope your your lucks in is how I always look at it.

we have a new physio team in place at the club, hopefully that will help on the injury front too

guy from leeds rhinos coming in at the head physio and will carlos an ex academy giants player too

He may want to play in the half's but he is not a half back.Full back is his best position but whilst Mamo is fit its unlikely he will get a game there.
Thats why i think he will end up playing on the left wing.All his first team games in Australia for Wests were on the left wing.

I did hear last week that Leroy would not be fit until halfway through the season and that his injury was worse than Bruno's from last season

out till may time?! that would be a big blow, already! him and mcgillvary with that link up. Last i read stone said it will take most of the off season till he is right... which you would think means he will be right for the start of the season! no rush even if he misses a few weeks of the start we have a ready replacement in gaskell/wood/mellor but no where near as good

[urlhttp://www.giantsrl.com/news/article/6571/giants-return-for-pre-season-training[/url

saw him in the gym doing light weights with his knee still supported though

cudjoe not certain to be back for the start of season

would think gaskell will slot in for him

then again the other options are sam wood and mellor

Isn't Sam wood on loan somewhere? Bradford?

Mellor is perfect cover.. and arguably a better defender than Leroy. Hail our squad size.

You can argue it all you want- but I won’t be convinced- I remember that game against cas where they spotted him all game and he missed 9 tackles.
Tbf it’s an area I do think he made big improvements in as the season progressed.
Given a choice I’d have Leroy at centre every time. More importantly I reckon Mcgilvary would too!

sam wood at hudds.

mellor better defender than cudjoe

not for me

for 2018???

Mikey Wood at Bradford rather than Sam

i believe so

still working on the fee?!

If Thewlis has denied it a deal is very likely

Given our 2 injuries.

I imagine we will line up like:

1. Mamo
2. Jerry
3. Gaskell/Murphy
4. Turner
5. McIntosh
6. Rankin
7. Brough
8. Seb
9. Leeming
10. Wakeman
11. Symonds
12. Lawrence
13. Hinchliffe

14. Taai
15. Walne
16. Roberts
17. O Brien

Ferguson, Dickinson, Clough, Smith, Roche, English

Expecting big years for Smith, Dickinson and English.

I've heard Jake Wardle has been going excellent in training too so we may see him make his debut in preseason at centre.

Also heard Colton Roche has been impressing in training.

Would expect to see English, Roche, Dickinson and Wardle all to play against Dewsbury.

id have ferguson ahead of lawrence

like the strike in the second row symonds and ferguson would provide

do you think taai will move to prop this season?

hoping walne is a hit as right now it looks like we have one major prop in ikahihifo and the rest are so-so... bit worrying that we will lack punch up front

be good to see all the new signings play against dewsbury at home... walne, roche and also jake wardle who ive yet to see play!