This is a potential 'Giant' size banana skin the sort we have a habit of slipping on.

Whilst I wouldn't risk anyone carrying an injury we need to turn up and perform like we were playing Leeds at home and get the game put to bed early with an extra week off we should hopefully for once keep our foot to the floor.

Whichever way the Cas-Wire result goes 2pts puts us in with a great chance to control our destiny in the race for the play offs and with four home games out of seven.

I still scratch my head about some of PA's calls but he's here for the next two seasons so let's support him and the team and hope that this year we have yet to peak because on our day we can beat anyone. See you Sunday !!

Yes every 2 points is crucial now, would be nice to open up a gap on cas and warrington going forward during the super 8's to make sure we get ito the semi final game.

wakey have been bringing in quite a few new signings so not the same team we have been seeing this season now, missing locke though.

mullally having a quick return will be looking to impress.

Think we will see the return of leeming, with wood picking up and injury... not sure whats happening with ferres whether he is out too for this game... if hes out then could see wardle go back into 2nd row and broughton on wing.

simpson to make a return too? did nothing wrong to lose his place first time round.

I'd rest a lot of players if I were you

Not sure how we can open a gap up on Cas and Wire unless they draw but Cas will win that one I'm sure.

Wakey will bring a scratch side as they make sure the big names are fit for their middle 8 or whatever stupid title it is given. I would imagine it will be an awful attendance both in the home and away stands and will descend into being nothing more than a pre mid season friendly.

i mean going forward when we are in the super 8's if we can open up a gap to cas then we will be in a good position to get the semi final spot.

be better is wire beat cas then we can go 2 points ahead with hopefully more to come in super 8's

Well obviously the sooner we pull away from them the better (if indeed we do) though be careful what you wish for as a Wire win might yet come back and bite us at a later date ( especially if we lose to them early in the 8s) but I do think it is a straight shoot out with Cas for 4th though time will tell what is a good result for Sunday's game but it may be a month or so not Sunday night when we know and we just need to keep doing what we are doing and it should be good enough (though a favourable result now and again in other games is always nice).

In all honesty I think the Super 8s will be far from Super as in effect 2 teams have something to play for and the other 6s fate are set in stone but I guess we have to be grateful we are one of the 2 not the 6 with the downside we are likely to be on Sky a lot and the inherent problems of possible Sunday/Thursday turn around and sp crowds for home TV games.

Progress??? I have my doubts.

It's possible the 8s could be a bit of a dead duck early on. Teams out of the top 8 with no chance of catching up to 4th will have nothing to play for so there could be a few poor games.
If Catalan and FC lose this weekend and we get two more points FC will need to win 3 more games than us and Catalan 4 just to be able to qualify for the semifinals- if points difference is carried over (anyone know whether they are???) it will be 4 and 5. That could mean they have to win at least 3 or 4 out of 7 with us losing all ours, if we win just 3 winning all theirs may still not be enough!
Play offs with nothing to playoff for - not very motivational???

The middle 8 concept is good it's just the leftovers the other 16 clubs have to face to set up that which is not great. Not sure what the answer is as putting everyone back to zero points is probably not the answer and the every minute counts or whatever that slogan was has plainly not happened as nothing is even going to the last day bar if we get 3 or 4 home games.

This is tricky as we will want to keep our better players fresh and injury free for the play-offs but i would imagine we don't want a repeat of the Bradford fiasco in 2013 where we put loads of young uns in, got smashed, and lost any momentum we had !.
We're on a good run at the moment so do we keep the usual team and carry it on ?

Personally i think something like :

Grix/Simpson
Broughton
Murphy
Wardle
Jerry
Brough(till hopefully the game is won)/Wood
Ellis
Huby
Leeming
Johnson/Mason
Smith
Fairbank
Lawrence/Dickinson

Mix it up a bit so its no just youth or the 1st team.

Are Woody/Ferres fit to play does anyone know?

Simpson
Broughton
murphy
cudjoe
jermaine
brough
ellis
Huby
Leeming
johnson
wardle
Roberts?
Ferres

Mason
Robinson
Dickinson
Lawrence

Personally I feel wardles best position is 2nd row. Also was impressed with Ferres at losse, would like to see a bit more of him there.

Wood out for season with broken foot... Ferres maybe available on sunday with bicep injury

dont think we will see ferres, torn bicep, prob wont be as bad as baileys but you never know.

bailey could infact return for this game!

you would expect leeming too now

whats the news on connor, our for season like wood?

Dickinson is at Keighley on loan for the rest of the season so doubt he will be recalled without a big injury crisis.

There is a week off next week so why the need to rest players? A couple of changes maybe but too many and we will get beaten.

We definitely shouldn't be resting anyone. With a week off and knowing what we can be like at times after a break, we should put the best 17 out. And the most important reason for this is to make sure of 4th place.

I agree. Cas and wire are breathing down our necks- and play each other this week so at least one is going to pick up points. Looks like wire are bringing in players and have a better record than us when "it counts" Whether we make the semi final could yet come down to points difference.

There is no doubt Wire have had a bad run of injuries and we are starting to pick up some ourseves which just shows we need to pick anything up we can when we can and if we can lump a big chunk of points difference on too so much the better and I think we should field a strong side and keep the momentum going.

Hopefully not too many of our lads turn out for Oldham as they will travel home demoralised after getting taken apart by the Mighty Cru in Sunday's vital Champ 1 game and that game may well be where Wire give a run out to some of their returning players though to be fair Crusaders have probably played better when Wire free than when they have had 3 or 4 in.

competition for places at wakefield, they will be trying very hard, we need to be on our game but yes everybody expects a Giants win, if we win by 2 it will be oh the giants were rubbish and if we win by 50 it will be wakey were rubbish, cant win with this game.

just what is our strongest 17? grix or simpson at full back? wood has been taken out of the equation now for hooker/half back. What position wardle? Broughton/connor? not sure anderson knows

but you pick a team to beat who we play and thats what anderson gets paid for!

Of course Andesron knows what his strongest team is!

I think he did that with Grix at Catalans and the run out at Saints was with that in mind, it's a tricky balancing act and its easier to "rest" a youngster than an experienced pro as they will take it better in the main and can play Under 19s or are happy to turn out for Oldham. Again it comes back to reserve teams which if run properly keep everyone match fit and slotting someone in for the odd game that suits their style is far easier to do and the game will become much more squad based but I won't hold my breath when the money to set that up goes instead recruiting Aussie has beens.

you would have to think ollie roberts will get a run soon?!

bailey too

Wardle rested, jared, kruise and Bailey in the squad

If Cas put 58 on us, and looking at the squads, you'll probably put 70. I imagine this will also be our last regular game of SL probably for several years as the likelihood is that we will go down, and so we'll probably go out with a whimper.

at least you'll have that nice shiny new stadium you've been promising for 18 years



FWIW, i think you'll be alright, you probably only need to win 3 games to stay up, so i think wakey will be fine.

as for sunday, if we turn up with our CBA attitude then who knows?

team for me would be
simpson
jerry
leroy
murph
broughton
brough( for 30 minutes until the game is won

)
ellis
huby
leeming
koppy
hughes
ta'ai
bailey

robbo
eorl
smith/bruno
roberts/mason