I know this is a recipe for abuse, but I am a believer you get your talent on the field and if they are good enough, then you go well.
Given nothing but last season and reputation to go on at the moment, if the first game was tomorrow I would field:

Mathers
Youngquest
Dixon
Arundel
Owen
Chase
Orr
Huby
Milner
Emmitt
Millington
Thompson
Ferris

Bench
Clarke
Whoever else is chomping at the bit and bang in form..... It could be Nash, Snitch, Jackson, Massey, Holmes and Jones are smashing it in training, it could be McGoldrick has got his head right and from the bench gives us options. You have GOT to reward people who train well and are committed, they have to get a shot.

Also I have selected Millington on reputation, if he is taking time to settle and manage conditions, no point rushing him in and breaking his confidence or his bond with the fans, let him settle.

Yes, I do, but on balance the aggregate best quality in our backline is on the field in my view in my example.

So if you pick Owen at FB, you can't pick Mathers for the wing or centre in my opinion, unless you are going to give him a good run at it, which then means you are going to pick McGoldrick to drop his 2nd row channel runner off inside twice every set, so on balance, I go with my pick!

Of course, the unknowns are how Goldy is training, Griffin and the general squad, it could be Richie Mathers is not in contention, so it fixes itself. Personally if I had to compromise anything, I would compromise a proven full back with winners medals and play Owen, who has to plan in my view, on the wing.

I think we have a strong squad, not forgetting the very young side that were winning virtually every game at the start of the season are now a year older. I think I may be too passionate however after reviewing how I acted last year (like an idiot sometimes).

I'm surprised that Snitch isn't featuring very highly for you guys.
Is he not in the plans this year? The games I saw early on I thought he was going pretty well.

Snitch was great for us in 2010 but looked a much poorer player in 2011, i'm hoping with a new coach and it being the last year of his contract we see a return of his 2010 form which be like getting a new forward. With thompson, ferres, jones, millington, mcgoldrick, mitchell, snitch, holmes, davies, hudson and emmitt all capable of playing backrow there will be lots of competition for places so no one really knows what are back row will look like apart from him and probably not even him yet.

I agree that a player playing for a contract is a different beast to one in the middle of a long term deal, but I hope we would see through that at the end of the term and not allow that to happen again - unless there were coach, relationship or injury concerns in that mix we're not aware of, I would allow the player to walk away, if year 2 is not as important and motivating as year3 or 3, then perhaps the motivation is wrong.

Only other concern with this post is I am not sure Goldy would and should be in anyone's back row, thats a power and skill and size game running a channel and that isn't him..... Although if the Stand Off or Centre dropped him inside on those hospital unders twice a set for a few games, he might be less inclined to do it to them! That is without a doubt the most frustrating play of the McGoldrick era.

I was thinking loose rather than second row for goldy, personally i wouldnt play him there but he is an option. i agree about snitch to an extent but we cant fully know the reasons for his dip in form and i would gladly see a return to his 2010 form where he was one of our best forwards.

My personal backline would be owen, dixon, thompson, arundel, youngquest out of what we have at the moment (though i would like a centre brought in), with mathers kept back as cover as i don't think he could do a better job than any of the players in those positions.

Fair points well made even though we disgree, I know that accepting someone elses view point and agreeing to differ is not allowed on this forum.
God forbid us actually discussing where to pick our players and using this like a discssion forum - I am expecting a PM warning me me and Pyeman to be less considered and bicker more!!

In the interests of balance, I think you smell and you are a Rovers fan in disguise pyeman.

How bloody dare you! hope you get bummed by a camel