So what’s everyone’s thoughts on this game? Leeds no doubt will be hurting after being played off the park by Warrington tonight. What do we need to change after the Saints game and what will it take to beat Leeds?

Go with Escare at 7 and Tommy at 9 with Powell on the bench

Could well be a bad result for us that Leeds one tonight as they’ll be hurting. We need to start much quicker then we did at Saints for starters. We looked sluggish compared to their quick players around the middle but that totally changed when Hamlin and Bullock came on. I’d look to split them two up. I’d also go back to the Salford friendly tactic of Greenwood on the bench for 20 mins with Faz moving in to the middle to spell Lockers when he needs a rest.

Hardaker
Davies Gildart Sarginson Marshall
Williams Leuluai
Flower Powell Bullock
Isa Farrell Lockers

Clubb Hamlin Greenwood Escare

Escare isn’t a 7. Until Sammut is available I’d say leave it as it is. Powell at 9 and Leuluai at 7 took us through the super 8s unbeaten and won us a grand final. One game doesn’t mean we need to hit the panic button.

I’d agree with one bad performance is just that bad day at the office

I tend to agree, it’s in the forwards were we need changes. Put Farrell back to the left , Greenwood to sub. He can go to the left and Farrell to loose when we spell lockers.
I never thought I’d say this but we need Tautai back at the expense of either Navarette / ISA and start with a front row of Flower & Bullock as props.
As a tweak in the backs I’d bring in Hankinson for Sarge as we could do with a bigger and better defensive centre against Hurrell.

In both the Saints game and the Wire/Leeds match the intensity was set by the opening props of Saints and Wire. We need to emulate that which means replacing Navarette at the start. I'd go with Clubb and Flower with Bullock, Hamlin and Tautai/Kibula on the bench. Move Farrell left and Greenwood right.
I think Lam will still go with Powell 9, TL 7 & George 6.
Hardaker has to be 1. The backs same as at Saints.

We need a better start against Leeds starting props as Bullock and Hamlin were better than Saints interchange front rowers and will probably be better than Leeds two interchanges.

I do hope they practice the end of sets this week as we need an improvement there if we are to get a win.

neither is tommy

Some good suggestions here and I'd add we need to lose the inside ball to Farrell as it was entirely predicable and easy to defend. That said, I like the Farrell left, Greenwood bench, switch with Lockers rotation which would solve said problem anyway as Farrell's natural running lines are much better from the left.

We need to move the ball earlier too. It was noticeable that both Saints and Wire moved the ball out wide much quicker than we did. In a limited interchange game I think this tactic is a must.

Games like this where we miss not having a running 9, Wire rolled Leeds down the middle and Clark took full advantage.
I think Leeds were lucky not to be on a team warning the way they kept getting pinged at the play the ball.
If they'd gone down to 12 men that score could've been anything.

Tommy is more a 7 than Escare but I agree his best position is 9. We can’t lose sight of the fact we we went through the Super 8s unbeaten and won the GF with TL at 7.

Thank God most of you lot are not the coach. We lost one game. Admittedly we were poor for large spells but you dont start changing the whole team around just because of one poor performance, especially when it was first game of the year and against possibly the favourites to win the GF this year. Infact there should be no major changes until after the WCC. Suddenly Tommy is better at hooker despite our form improving drastically when he went back to 7 last year?

We should be working on sharpening our attack and cutting out the daft penalties not doing full scale rejigs. Maybe swap Farrell and Greenwood left/right and Bring Tautai in on the bench for either Hamlin or Bullock.

both can tackle and all Tommy does it put it through the hands like George does so wouldnt lose anything just adds pace to the team.

100% Tommy is a better hooker than scrum half. We improved when he went to 7 last season because Powell was so absolutely terrible at scrum half.
I agree though and I said at the start I wouldn’t change anything. One swallow does not make a spring etc.

What ever you do just leave young woods with us all year.. he was immense yesterday. He’s game management was awesome yesterday and he’s kickinggame was very good. Got yourselves a good un there full season at Leigh and he could be ready next year

Leeds pack looked frightened to death once warringtons forwards got in their faces. If we dominate the middle, we should be more than ok.

I’m not a Navarrete fan, I don’t understand how he plays each week. He’s just very ordinary.

Half backs looked rusty when we got to saints line on Thursday. If we are a bit more clinical in that final 3rd in our attack, we will have enough to beat Leeds.

I personally think Navarette has come on leaps and bounds - I wouldn't be chucking him out of the side because of one bad performance. I would drop him to the bench and start with Flower and Clubb on Friday though.

I think Lam wants one experienced prop on the field together with a relative rookie i.e. start with Flower & Navarette and interchange with Clubb & Bullock.
Hopefully Navarette looks to put last week's game behind him and show some of the form from the end of last season.

It that is the case I would pair them up differently.

I assume he is trying to take the sting out of the opposition middles using Flower and Navarette together before bringing on some impact just I think it would be much better to see Bullock with Flower and Clubb with Navarette.

Flower and Navarette lack the punch to return fire in the opening exchanges.

I’d love to see a Logan or Coley type brought in to add some real quality and depth to our Prop department.

Unfortunately he doesnt have the pace for a SL 7

True.. however game management second to none.. younger a running 6 off him you never know.. I’ll
Gladly take him permanently still very young but I see your point with pace

I agreed with you until the last part of the last sentence. I honestly thought both Bullock and Hamlin were great last Thursday, and definitely offered more than I've seen Tautai offer in a very very long time.

They were and Bullock in particular offered the kind of yardage Tautai can only dream about. I'm not sure how often we've had a prop in the 100+ category but it can't have been that often.

Both played well but i dont think you can have 2 similar/inexperienced players in the side at the same time.

Bookies have us as odds on @ 3/10 . I think we will win, but it will be closer than that as after last weeks debacle against 'wire' they will be hurting.