Escare
Davies
Sarginson
Gildart
Burgess
Tomkins
Williams
Clubb
Powell
Flower
Bateman
Farrell
O’Loughlin

Tautai
Sutton
Tomkins
Leuluai

I’m intrigued what the spine is going to be. I like that a lot of the players can play more than one position

Sam (Full back/ halve back)
Sarge (Centre/ Full back)
Escare ( Full back/ half back/ bench hooker)
Ganson (hooker)
Sharrocks ( half back/ hooker)
Tommy ( hookers/ Halfback)
Lockers (loose/ halfback)
Powell ( hooker/ Half)
Williams ( half/ hooker).

Think we’ll start the season like this

1.) Tomkins
6.) Williams
7.) Escare
9.) Powell

14.) Lealuai

Think the club have real high hopes for Sharrocks and Ganson ( part of the reason MM was let go IMO)

Lots of options excited to see how they all go. Let’s hope they all stay fit this time!

I would be amazed if we started the season with Escare at 7, Powell at 9 and Leuluai sat on the bench.

What do you reckon then Grimmy?

I just reckon Sam won’t move from FB yet. And Lealuai will add something off the bench more than Powell would.

So is Lockers. According to an article in Wigan Today he's said it's not been decided yet which I find totally baffling. Wane has known and coached all the potential spine players bar Escare for literally years and has had an entire off season to think about it. If he doesn't know what they are cable of by now and who is best for what position he never will.

What I predict/What I would like:

1. S.Tomkins/Escare

7. Leuluai/S.Tomkins

9. Powell/Leuluai

14. Escare/Powell

I think that is spot on except that I think SW will play Powell at 7 and TL at 9.

Of course it is just possible that Wane does know who he wants, but has decided not to publicise it yet as he wants to keep them on their toes. It's also possible that as the shirt numbers haven't yet been announced that there may be a late addition to the squad.

Or alternatively we could could just conclude that the coach is clueless, as I see you have, as you do every time you post. Still at least you are consistent. You must have been gutted when we won the WCC

I do think the coach is pretty clueless. I am not the only one who doesn't think he is up to it and there is plenty of evidence to support this view.

Please tell me you are not being serious by suggesting he's "decided not to publicise it yet as he wants to keep them on their toes". I assume you mean by "them" it's the players but given it's a team game it might be an idea to get the team positions settled before SL kicks off in less than a month. As to incoming players and shirt numbers I don't know why they are not out yet but what is the issue with getting them out now so people can buy them if they want and giving any new signings a high number, just as we would if we signed someone mid-season?

As to the WCC as I was as pleased any anyone else about that but I don't blow its importance up to be greater than what it is and like most people was hoping it didn't do anything to derail our league campaign as it has seemed to do for other clubs who took part previously. IMO it's about as important as the LLS in that the only fans who really care about it are those from the club that wins it (especially if they win nothing else that season).

Escare,
Davies (Manfredi) Sarginson, Gildart,
Burgess.
S Tomkins, Williams.
FPN, Leuluai, J Tomkins,
Bateman, Farrell, O'Loughlin.
Flower, Tautai, Sutton, Powell.

I'd start with Joel at prop for his size. I thought the best front row in SL last year was at HullFC with Watts, Houghton and Taylor. They are big mobile and skillful. I think FPN and Joel could match that. We have to start with the front row getting on the front foot and we need to start big!

With you 100% Ted re our props need to play like props but I don't have the same enthusiasm for playing JT in the front row. I would have him starting in the second row because I think he lacks that bit of mongrel for a prop and I am with you our starting 13 needs to be bigger than we have been in the last few seasons.
I would put Bateman at centre when SOL plays and second row when SOL doesn't play with Farrell going to 13 when SOL is absent.

he said last week he already knows his team for the upcoming year

I think that is not far off what it will be except Cubb to replace J Tomkins. Joel might find his way onto the bench at the expense of one of the props as he can play prop or back row so it gives some cover in the pack. The wild card missing is Hamlin. He's a signing so he bound to figure sooner rather than later IMO.



I agree about starting big but it won't matter how we start if the tactics don't change and the props are always aiming for quick PTB's when tackled.

It is nice, for once, to be able to think about our strongest 17. As we found out last year it won't be the first 17 who decide if our season is a success but the whole depth of the playing squad. Hopefully, if players like Cain Barnes get a run out of will be as the most junior members of the team and not as one of many. I just hope that no one gets to say the average age of the team is just 21 again.

Hamlin will play when lockers doesn't;. There is also Isa as back up and Macaulay Davies who is also read for 1st team.

Why will Hamlin do that automatically? He's got no 1st grade experience at all. If Lockers is out we still have Faz, JT, Isa and Bateman going for the three back row places. Which two of that four miss out if Hamlin gets one of the three back row places and why?

Good point. Far too many times last year the physio picked the team rather than the coach.

After two horrendous years surely we’re due some luck on the injury front.

Will be nice to see the likes of Ganson, Sharrocks, Field, Forsyth, Wells, Woods, come in to a team loaded with first team talent. Rather than all being in the team at the same time due to injury.

Think the likes of these players can we like new signings if we bring them into the team correctly. Watched the under 19s GF the other day. Ganson, Field, Wells and Woods were outstanding.

Saw Hamlin the other day in the flesh, surprised how small he looked. Looks stocky on his frame, but he looks undersized to be a modern day prop. Honestly looked around 5'9/5'10.

He’s certainly not the biggest but after watching the YouTube footage of him that certainly isn’t a surprise. It’s impossible to tell how good a player he could be from Just highlight clips but he looks a bundle of energy.

A bundle of energy would be very welcome in our pack.

After watching the clip Ive got a feeling that he could be a very good acquisition. As you say someone with energy in the pack is very welcome. My concern is though why did MM never select him for the Rabbitohs?

Some bloke called Burgess playing his position?

they had a terrible injury crisis last year and he never got a game

I must admit this has crossed my mind too. The logical conclusion is that the Rabbitohs don't think he is good enough for the NRL. Of course that doesn't mean that he won't be good enough for Super League, and he may yet grow and also improve with age. After all, he is very young still.

From the YouTube clips he looks a lot like Ben Flower in stature and style. Not sure if that is a good thing, but he seems to run hard and tackle hard. The clips don't show the number of times he drops the ball or misses tackles and they don't show him offloading either. So I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

Oh dear.

I think there is plenty of evidence to show that HE DOES know what he's doing and it resides in the DW trophy cabinet.

As for not giving the WWC too much credence. You really take the biscuit with that response. We try each year to win Super League. Having scaled those heights with a horrible injury crisis we get to play the Aussie Champions. Only one team gets that chance. One game. We won. It is the pinnacle of the game. The very top.

You can argue that the Aussies are not prepared, that maybe it should be at a neutral venue or played in November, and they would all be valid points, but in the end we beat Cronulla who have three times the salary cap to spend on a team - and our lads beat them. And Wane gets the credit, from me at least.

Wane is a World Champion coach. Suck it up.