With the extra week off and no last minute set backs should have a full strength. Team available .

1. McDonnell
2. Hall
3. Welham
4. Webster
5. Hodgson
6. Green
7. Dobson
8. Clinton
9. Withers
10. Taylor
11. Mika
12. Galea
13. Hodgson?

Subs
14 lovegrove
15 o hara
16 paea
17 Horne/murrell

Pretty good. I would have Taylor coming off bench as an impact player though.

How about
same backs

8- Clinton
9-Withers
10-O`Hara
11-Horne
12-Galea
13-Lovegrove

14-Paea
15-Mika
16-Taylor
17-Hodgeson

Mika seems to spend a lot of time off the field (40 mins a game by my reckoning) so we need him coming on offloading when defences tire. Also imagine Paea, Taylor and Mika coming on 20 mins gone, would add some massive impact, which in todays game is so important.Also Lovegrove to be used as an extra prop and a tackling machine, similar to Hoffman/Dallas Johnson. If an extra ball playing forward is needed I would add Murrell (ala sinfield)

Edit-- Best bench in Super League?????????

Clinton back in? Will we see him in a Rovers shirt again?

Why not? rumours of him going are tripe. Wont get a new contract at end of season though.

Or do you mean injury wise?

Started the season strongly but it hasn't lasted imo. O'Hara's back in the frame, Watts (last couple of games have been much better) & Cox both sat out last week & Green must be getting close to a game. I think he's starting to slip down the pecking order.

Really? What's it made of?

Fallen out with Sandy after his last 'blastoff' about been injured. 100% hasnt been injured for the last 2 games and hes not played.
=#FF0000Edit RBA. Not comfortable with the last sentance mate.

We need our strongest pack starting the game, nevermind a strong bench, as wigan tend to blow teams away early doors. If we can weather the early storm then you never know.

Assuming the likes of Webster, O'hara and the antichrist Clinton are fit, we're more or less @ full strength.
It'll be interesting to see how CS views his/or our current best 17.

Watts/Murrell/Cox/Horne/Netherton all arguably battling for one/two spots on the bench. Personally I'd add Mika to that bunch too.
For me, on current form Murrell has to play some part.

Agree, however do we actually know what that is yet?

Paea
Clinton
Taylor
Other - O'Hara/Netherton/Lovegrove/Watts

Paea is great when we've got field position/control of a game. On the back foot, which is possible vs Wigan - I'm not sure. If we cough up loose ball too much vs Wigan, we may not get it back, and certainly not in positions where he can make a big impact.
Clinton - we're a better team with him on the pitch. I don't want to get dragged into the Clinton is he/isn't he debate. If fit (mentally or physically) he starts for me.
Taylor - off the bench, as shown many times this season.
The rest - O'Hara won't be ready for long minutes yet, can we start him? / Watts - the same questions in sort could be labelled at him as much as Clinton / Lovegroove - has been the stand out recently / Netherton - he'll do a job.

I'd imagine CS will go with Paea/Clinton combo.

As much as I like the pre-match team selection debate my judgement is clouded by the fact we have such damaging lapses in defence, both as a team and individually.

Taking a glance (or should I say a wince) at the missed tackles ladder, we have 6 players in the top 25. Then add 3 more just below 25th we have 9 players in this category!

Apparently, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I have been informed for the first time this season the team showed improvement by recording 18 missed tackles against London (22 against Salford) – the season average is 28 per match – against FC it peaked at 37!!!

Let’s hope this downward ‘trend’ continues starting with Wigan!

I think the dip is relative to who we played.

I think Sandercock has inherited a squad which is full of crap tacklers, watch the rugby on Sky and its very rare you'll see the top sides make a 1 on 1 tackle, where as we get left in those situations far too often. Teams seem to be able to get outside of us to easily too.
Hopefully we will keep improving though.

Netherton must surely play to shore up some gaps in the middle then?

If only it were that simple. The problem is with 9 'suspect' tacklers in the 17 it is a nightmare scenario for Sandercock.

If the decision were mine I would live with Welham, Dobbo and Paea's frailties and drop 3 of the remaining 6 - that would be Mika, Murrell and Withers. Each of these players have other individual qualities but they are front-line players who the opposition target.

I really hope O'hara makes an immediate impact - Galea has - and maybe Netherton could work in tandem with these players.

Sandercock has some big decisions to make.

Murrell could change the game by putting Hock into next week with one of his hits.

Withers, who would you have in the squad instead?

I think the way to improve our missed tackles isn't so much about personal, but our defensive techniques, we have to stop 1 on 1 tackles, get 2 or 3 in every time like the top sides do.
I've also mentioned this before, people bang on about Nethertons tackling, but when he does play he doesn't even do that many tackles, maybe we could play him the full 80, sacrifice his running and just let him tackle lol.

Isn't that what we have Lovegrove for?

Re Murrell; emphasis on COULD! Up to now he hasn't been consistent in defence - he made a quarter of the missed tackles against London!

I'm not convinced by Withers. He came to Rovers with a big reputation but for me for every good play he makes he returns it with 2 bad ones, and for good measure throws in indiscipline and missed tackles!

Give Carlile a chance to impress - this kid can tackle if nowt else.

Murrell ain't big hit anyone for a while now unfortunately.

Dangerous game playing with stats.
Withers has missed 7.2% of his tackles compared to

[list
[*Kris Welham, 14.5%[/*:m
[*Con Mika, 14.4%[/*:m
[*Scott Murrell, 12%[/*:m
[*Graeme Horne, 8.1%[/*:m
[*Micky Paea, 9.7%[/*:m
[*Michael Dobson, 10.3%[/*:m
[*Jason Netherton, 2%[/*:m
[*Josh Hodgeson, 7.2%[/*:m[/list:u

Withers is also 22nd in the try assists table too.

I'm glad you've said this.

Truly shocking defence from 2 1st team regulars. Welham is an easy target for any opposition coach.

That is the one thing that has stood in Kris Welham's way of playing international RL IMHO.
You only have to look at the London game where Dorn runs right through him as an example of this.