I think sadly its a combination of all the above. Hopefully the game will be a great one and we will get not only a win but a performance too.

Connor, Sneyd, Savelio, Johnstone, Wynne and Shaul named in the squad.. No Satae or Fonua though.

No Satae is a big blow

Yep that certainly is a huge blow to be without Satae as he's been one of if not the best and most destructive forwards in SL this season.

Heard Sneyd still a doubt too I'd go
Connor
B
Carlos
Scott
Swift
Grub
Sneyd or Macca
Tag
Mint
Sao
Ma'u
Dre
Lane
Subs
Fash
Bowden
Cator
Shaul

Offset slightly by Taylor returning, not fussed about Fonua at all needs releasing.

So we're pretty much full strength apart from Satae and Griffin.

Connors the game winner for us, links up well with Reynolds and sneyd we win.

Satae is a big miss given Tag isn’t match fit. Fonua on the other hand is a relief to be missing.

Big blow that Satae's out but at this stage of the season that's a strong side. More than enough to beat Rovers despite their Grand Final winning form who also have players out.

I see that tonight's game between Warrington and Catalans has been postponed due to Covid in the Dragons' camp.

A certain irony there after last week.

Jack Brown is in the 17 I believe.

I hope you are right, deserved to be.

My bench would be

Taylor
Brown
Lane
Shaul

Very worrying with no Satae, Taylors only just back Bowden has no impact these days, Fash works hard but I've never seen him break a tackle, Brown is young and inclined to make silly errors unfortunately without Satae our props are no better than Rovers.

Probably get called off tomorrow or Saturday morning.

I agree about Jack Brown but he still offers more than Bowden and Fash and the one thing he does regularly is offload the ball in the tackle which is what all good teams do as it creates gaps.
Problem with us is that the receiver has usually gone to sleep and the momentum is lost.
The key to this game is keep the indiscipline to a minimum and hold the defensive line when HKR move the ball wide.
Rovers will start fast as usual and no doubt score first to wake us up.
Bowden really needs to step up and put himself into position to take carries and not hide.

Pivotal game of the season for us and not because it's the derby. 4 defeats on the trot. Yes, you could use the reason of injuries, covid and the quality of the opposition. We have the strongest team playing since the first round. Not many other teams are in that position. Rovers are favourites on form but we will have the better 17.

We need to deliver. No excuses, a defeat would be a major disappointment.

and the end of our season

Careful

Very likely.

that would not surprise me given the news from Catalan
I just wonder when our team has been or will be tested this week
You can just imagine Adam Pearson binning a load of positive tests to ensure the game goes ahead

Fonua dropped for breaching the covid protocol according to the HDM.

Hope that we can get ride of Mahe. I said at the time he signed,he was not the player that left us, if you watch the NRL and West Tigers, he was unfit , lazy and could not make a break in open play, props actually caught and tackled him during one game, against Penrith , I think .

Maybe the disciplinary action is the start of getting rid of Fonua at the end of the season

He aint the only one either!

You can see how Rovers managed to beat Wigan. They've been terrible lately.

I can see Wigan going into free fall . Hell of a lot their cap now sat in the stands .