Get maskill or Wildie in the team to play 9 with Wood interchange.

Maskill has the distribution and looked solid enough.

For stand off though please can we see someone other than Wood. Had another few games at standoff and is clearly not one. I'm all for giving young players a go who actually ply their trade in the positions we need filling.

Agree would put washy to hooker to clean anything up near the ruck.

Are we really considering washy at hooker when we have Wildie, young maskill and wood?

Wood in place of Aiton, a definite mismatch.

Aiton is more often than not our top tackler each game and we're still conceeding approximately 30 points per game! I'm all for the academy players being given a shot where possible but it seems ridiculous to contemplate Wood, Wildie and Tim Smith all in our starting 13.

Surely a number 9s role is more about distribution, quick plays that a decent tackler.

Hell out attack has been blunt enough lately without sticking a player who can't quicken the distribution to give the halfs more space to work with.

Chase could well be missing for us. 2 high quality players potentially missing, which is a real shame, should still be a fairly even contest.

We should be with our poor defence. Wood, Wildie and Maskill would/will be targeted at 9. Washbrook is no slouch and has covered there with Hull. His move to 9 would enable Annakin/Kirmond/TT to play 13. Not ideal but think anything else would provide defensive weak links that will be exploited by Cas.

So is this where our season begins then?

The highlights against hull showed we lacked the defence mainly out wide so I fail to see how whoever plays at 9 can resolve that.

Also the try's not out wide one was from kick positioning and another one or two from what appeared to be a player or two shooting out of the line leaving a 1 on 1 or a gap for hull to burn through,

That says to me that defensive structure and on the wings is more of an issue than sticking a hooker detrimental to our attack and distribution into 9 spot.

I'd be tempted to go with Maskill at hooker - he really looked the part against Hemel. I know people will say that it's different against SL opposition but he looked less out of place than some of our other players did against Hemel.

Besides:

No fear - it's only Cas!!

What is it with the fetish for playing players out of position?

Playing our loose forward out of position in order to make space to play one of three other players out of position (one of whom may have only just landed in the country and may not be actually any good) as well does not sound like a plan to me. In fact it sounds down right lunacy.

The club made the decision that we didn't need Ellis, and it was never beyond the realms of possibility that Aiton may be missing sooner or later, so we have to play Wood at hooker with Wildie on the bench or Maskill if deemed ready. Agar/Glover/Elstone/The Club are ultimately judged on decisions they make and they should have the courage of their convictions and if we didn't need Ellis - Wood, Wildie and Maskill will be sufficient, they should live or die by the decisions.

As a total gamble and looking for a player to get the rest fired up,i would stick Cockayne at hooker.He can scoot them to death and has decent hands.Smith to stand off,Mellars into centre and Lyne/AN Other on the wing.

A bit OTT there ! Its only a game and its only Cas your playing.

This.

Has this this actually been confirmed?

Trojan is right.
Wood in at 9 and bring Wilde in to the squad, unless someone can nip down to Post Office Road and grovel to Andy Ellis.
Its like deja vu but, we could do with some inspiration

Not that i can see anywhere but perhaps the Club would want to keep this kind of key team info quite in the lead up to a key game, unlike the original poster who revealed this, i seem to remember he revelaved the Justin Poore not playing in the lead up to the Widnes game?

To be fair, if our other 2 main hookers and our Academy hooker had been injured as well as our first choice hooker then Cockayne is probably next in line. Seem to recall him playing their for Rovers when with them.

I also reckon that there will be other dafter suggestions for hooker before the thread has run its course.

lol - if Wood is not up to it then why the hell is he in our squad. Same with Wildie.

Whoever plays 9, someone from the middle is going to have to step up and do some defence. We might as well have someone with experience of playing at dummy half to do the job rather than shoehorning people in.

I can only give the info that has been given to me, trust me this is usualy good info, weather its right or wrong, i will post what i have been told

If the injury is confirmed I am sure RFA will take the opportunity to tinker with his selection so as to accommodate Mellers , Lynne and Molloy who if any of them are SL level I will ate chaff. On the young Maskill suggestion, he could be a talent worth developing but it’s hard to judge when Dickens only gives him 15minutes each game preferring to play the invisible man and a lad who can’t pass before him

Perhaps people at the club need to be more careful about "sensitive" information being dished out?

as a fan, i would love to see maskill at 9 for this match. he is young and with his fathers links to both clubs, would relish the opportunity. sometimes you see players come into sides in these big (big by perceived media interest) games and their careers take off. it also shows faith in junior development.

however, this won't happen. if aiton is out, the hooker will either be wood with smith at stand off and lynn/mellars in centre or wildie with wood at stand off.

not my choice but this is what will happen.