I think (s)he meant [iplaiting fog[/i.

Isn't it Saint Helens who $hit in the fog?

Agree it seems that way. I don't think anyone can say we get more injuries than anyone else. PG said on radio after last week that there is no pattern as the club have looked into it. The lack of our youngsters getting 1st team experience in the last few years (whilst we gave leeds youngsters on loan experience

) draws more attention than it should. We have had plenty of changes in backroom staff since Billy Mallinson with Ben Cooper, Paul Hatton et al for it to be strength and conditioning either.

I find it telling that I can look back at the challenge cup win photos and can name most of the youngsters who were in their suits on the day as they had played 1st team e.g. Kirk Dixon, Tommy Lee, Craig Hall, Nathan Freer etc).

Someone might be able to back me up but I sure I heard that one of the first things PG did was got the reserves playing to the same calls as the first team.

I''m not going to get angry or downbeat about today as it was a huge task in front of the team and we were always going to have some bad days this year. I will just say though that I personally was disappointed that we looked a beaten team from the first 5 minutes, almost as if we were just expecting a heavy defeat and were ready to take it on the chin and wait for the next game. I admit that going into the game I always thought it would be a case of trying to keep the score down, but at times it seemed like we didn't even have the pride/fight in us throughout the team to scrap for that.

I fully expect things to improve next time out, though.

As long as we haven't picked up any more injuries today, we can just put this one to bed. To be honest I didn't expect us to win although the final score was disapppointing. Lets see some senior bodies back for the Leeds game and who knows what might happen.

Only one I saw go down injured was Houghton, but he got straight back up and carried on.

Its probably your only chance of a victory

It will be great to get some players back and hopefully give Leeds a real game. Will be a tough match though whilst the week off will help injuries it won't help our form and Leeds should have it fairly easy at Salford.

Big game this now, and with some bodies back and a strong side (should only be missing 3 players) then we could really do with a win, as we need to start beating the better side especially at home. My team would be.

Mckinnon
Sharp
Turner
Yeaman
Briscoe
Horne
Seymour
Lynch
Houghton
Moa
Manu
Tickle
Pitts

Whiting
O Meley
Aspinwall/ Kent (cant decide)
Bowden

I'd have Aspinwall starting at 13 and Pitts ahead of Kent plus O'carroll ahead of Bowden.

Wasnt O'Carroll out for 6 weeks - will he be back?

McKinnon
Sharp
Turner
Yeaman
Briscoe
Horne
Seymour
Lynch
Houghton
Moa
Manu
Tickle
Aspinwall
Subs
Whiting
O'Meley
Pitts
Ellis

Replace Ellis with Kent for me

We need to remember where we came from, yes the Huddersfield and Wigan games were a disappointment, but I've been more entertianed by the games I have seen than at just about any point under Agar. We all knoew the youngsters would find it tough, and they have, we can sign players linke Ellis for next season but that won't help us this, a few players aren't "putting their hand up" it seems, but that's hardly a surprise when they know that the "establishment" at FC have plans which are bigger and more demanding than the squad they inherited can deliver. If we finish with a play off game (even a defeat) then we've achieved, we were spoilt early season but at least we can see what is possible with our full squad available, and we can also see just how threadbare that squad is when injuries bite, it was always a rebuilding year, and the works are (for me) ahead of progress.

I thought Westerman was hoping to be back for the Leeds game?

larndon mate!

Yes! It was larndon when he got injured

Thanks for that.

Guilty as charged m'lord, take me down.

Watkins, JJB and Huraki should all be available for Leeds. Burrow and Griffin will probably still be injured.

Having just watched the trys our right side and in particular Martin and Sharp need to improve, the first 3 trys where their fault IMO, hopefully Turner will be back to improve that area.

Also need to improve massively on prevented offloads and dealing with kicks.

Didn't get much help from the officials on forward passes though, at least 4 trys came on the back of forward passes.

there'll be letters, Turner and improved defense in the same post.....!

To be fair to Martin he was crocked and playing against medical advice. Think he's been reasonably solid in defence when fit.

Fair point, still think he ash to make way if Yeaman and Turner are fit for the Leeds game.

I agree - not least because he's still crocked.



Injury aside, Martin is clearly third choice centre on form.