What are we all thinking for next week now pre season is complete? Who's impressed and who's not?

I'd shake things up a little and go for a couple of youngsters who I believe have forced their way in to the reckoning with strong pre seasons.

Tomkins
Charnley
Goulding
Thornley
Richards
Green
Smith
Dudson
McIlorum
Mossop
Hughes
Farrell
Lockers

Subs
Taylor
Prescott
Burke
L Tomkins

I'd pick Burke ahead of guys like Flower and Tuson for two reasons. 1- because he's had an excellent pre season and 2- to try and build more competition and get more from the likes of those two.

I'd also give Logan Tomkins a bench spot. We can't afford to run McIlorum in to the ground this year and even if Tomkins is only doing a couple of ten minute spells he'll help on that front.

Personally I'd go

Tomkins
Charnley
Goulding
Gelling
Pat
Green
Smith
Prescott
Mickey
Dudson
Hughes
Farrell
Lockers

Tomkins
Luauaki
Taylor
Flower

I'd go with that apart from maybe Powell off the bench instead of Logan, with Smith doing a stint at hooker when he comes on

Tomkins
Charnley
Goulding
Thornley
Richards
Green
Smith
Prescott
Mccollorum
Mossop
Farrell
Hughes
Lockers

Taylor/Dudson/luauaki (2 from these 3)
Flower
Powell

Powell offers more versatility and for me is a better player than Logan tomkins.

That's the team I would go for. Of all our forwards in pre-season Burke has been the best and it makes sense to reward him for that. He can play loose, second row or prop and he defends well.

Thornley must be picked at centre as he looked much more convincing there than Hughes has and he was facing better opposition.

Unfortunately, while we have an abundance of prop forwards, none of them have really stood out during pre-season so it's going to be hard to choose between them.

Mossop will presumably start - Lauaki has been injured and possibly won't make the side against Salford - Prescott has been disappointing, but he's probably not quite up to speed after last season - Dudson has been hit and miss - Taylor has strong moments but misses far too many tackles - Flower has had very little impact - Crosby has looked reasonably good but seems lightweight and tires far too quickly.

I think Wane's choice of props for the Salford game will be Mossop, Flower, Prescott, Taylor and if Flower is also to be used in the back row then Dudson too.

Burke and Tomkins have impressed me in the friendlys.

My Choice would be:

1. Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Goulding
4. Thornley
5. Richards
6. Green
7. Smith
8. Prescott
9. McIlorum
10. Mossop
11. Hughes
12. Farrell
13. O'Loughlin

14. Taylor
15. Lauaki
16. Tomkins
17. Burke

I think Tuson, Flower and possibly Gelling could be in there somewhere, come match day though.

Murphy
Charnley
Goulding
Thornley
Paaaaat
Green
Smith
Prescott
MM
Mossop
Hughes
Farrell
Lockers

Sam
Dudson
Taylor
Logan/Burke

no i havnt gone mad, but chucking Sam in to start without having set foot on a Rugby field in pre season is.

So when would you play him, seeing as he can't now play for the academy side due to the no overage rule?

How is Tomkins playing against Salford in the first game of the season that much different to him playing against Salford or Wire in a friendly? What's the risk?

Think threads like this show the difficulties we are going to have this season - Our first 13 still looks pretty good but once we start picking up injuries we litterally have no strength in depth with the losses we have had over the past 2 years.

At the start of the 2011 season we were capable of naming two packs as good as any in SL...now we struggle to name one

Almost wish we had the option of giving fielden another year now!

Looking very weak in the pack with tuson and hansen out, but I would go with the following;

1. Sam
2. Charnley
3. Goulding
4. Hughes
5. Richards
6. Green
7. Smith
8. Mossop
9. Micky
10. Lauaki
11. Taylor
12. Farrell
13. SOL
------------------
14. Dudson
15. Prescott
16. Powell
17. Gelling

Should be enough for Salford on Friday but unfortunately see nothing more than big disappointment the week after against wire!

Been told Sam isnt fit either so weather he plays on Friday or not is a doubt... not sure how much truth is in that though.

My team would be..


Sam if fit... if not Murphy.
Charnley
Goulding
Hughes
Richards
Green
Smith
Prescott
McIlorum
Mossop
Tuson
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Lauaki
Dudson
Gelling
L.Tomkins

Tomkins
Charnley
Goulding
Hughes
Richards
Green
Smith
Mossop
Mcilorum
Prescott
Tuson
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Lauaki
Taylor
Flower
Tomkins

Bit depressing writing that - the squad's gone downhill pretty quickly hasn't it?

Thornley was brought in as a direct replacement for Carmont so would like to see him establish a partnership down the left with Pat without swapping and changing every week between him, Gelling and Hughes. I see Hughes more as a back rower. Putting rumours of injury to one side id go

Sam
Josh
Goulding
Thornley
Pat
Green
Smith
Prescott
Mike Mc
Mossop
Hughes
Farrell
Lockers

Dudson
Taylor
Flower
Logan/Powell ( cant decide on a straight swap for Mike or move smith to 9 and Powell to the halves)

Not seen any of the trial games but from what has been said I'd go:-

Sam,
Charnley, Goulding, Thornley, Richards,
Green, Smith,
Prescott, McIlorum, Mossop,
Hughes, Farrell,
O'Loughlin.

Dudson, Taylor, Burke and Powell.

Thornley at centre over Hughes who's a 2nd rower.
Hughes 2nd row in front of Gelling.
Two props on the bench is a must with Burke as 3rd forward.
Powell can provide cover at 6,7 & 9. Has to be in there IMO.

I'm not sure what I'd do if Sam's out injured, Murphy dropped far too much ball in the friendlies. Perhaps a Gelling-Thornley partnership on the left with Richards at 1. Anyone seen much of Burgess?

Burgess is not ready yet for me.
12 months before SL for me (unless we get the chance to play him/Hampshire etc in any potentially one sided games in CC or late SL games).

I'd agree with all that. Can't see it though. Hughes has the no 4 jersey and I'd be surprised to see Wane not play him there despite the fact I think your team is has the right players in the right places.

And with no disrespect tot Salford who have been rebuilding (to put it mildly) if players like L Tomkins and Burke are going to get games this season it's against sides like Salford to give them a go.

I think Burke has earned a bench place from his performances. The fact that he can play prop, second row or loose forward is a big bonus.

For the same reason I would have Powell on the bench as he can play 6,7 or 9. I know that's a bit harsh on Logan because he has also done well in the "friendlies"

The centre position is still the one that bothers me most, of the three Hughes, Thornley and Gelling, I'd probably go with Gelling for his aggressive running.

We had better hope that some of the youngsters can exhibit "Sam like" abilities to step up a level.

What a woefully weak squad.

Good job the standard of SL is utterly pathetic or we really would have mid table mediocrity to look forward too.

What's up with Lauaki?

He was stripped to play last night but put through what appeared to be the most half-hearted fitness test on the pitch at half-time followed by being ordered by different medical staff to jog up and and down the touchline for the first ten minutes of the second half before disappearing down the tunnel without playing any part in the game.

Going off body langauge and generally lack of effort being put into his warm-up didn't look at all happy at being there.

Assuming we have not picked up any extra knocks I would go with

1. Sam
2. Josh
3. Goulding
4. Thornley
5. Richards
6. Green
7. Smith
8. Prescott
9. McIllorum
10. Mossop
11. Farrell
12. Hughes
13. Locky

14. Tomkins (expect big things from him this year)
15. Gelling
16. Dudson
17. Taylor

Gelling as the impact back row forward.

Has Gelling got the frame to play in the back row?

I now that SW touted him for a forward role, but he looks a bit gangly to me.

Has he beefed up pre-season

He has played nearly all his rugby before Wigan in the back row. I personally think we will need his yards down the middle.

Shaun Wane has already said that he will replace like for like and won't move players out of position so that would rule out switching Richards to fullback and would suggest that Murphy and Tierney are backup for Tomkins.

Murphy seems fairly confident under the high ball but when the balls on the ground he seems to panic.

He was a centre as a junior at Sydney but they moved him into the pack, Auckland kept him there so presumably they saw something in his game that was more suited to the back row.

If I'm not mistaken Hock, Hansen and O'Loughlin were all quite slim as youngsters and eventually filled out as they got older.