What would people have as their match day 17 this season if everyone was fit? (Yeah, I'm bored! Can't wait for the season to start). Or maybe I should ask what you think our strongest 17 is

I'd go:

Hardaker
Briscoe
Watkins
Moon
Hall
Sinfield
Sutcliffe
JP
Aiton
Singleton
Ablett
Delaney
Ward

Burrow
Leuleuai
Bailey
Achurch

I would probably agree with your 17 but in reality I think we will see mcguire in for sutcliffe and burrow at 9 with aiton getting the token 15 minutes from the bench.

No JJB? You been listening to Gotcha again?

I was just about to post no JJB and that he would be earning the wrath of certain posters.

As it happens, from his seventeen, JJB would have been in mine.

regarding jjb
"if" he is fit and "if" we make the big games,then imo he will definitely make the starting 13 without a doubt

my best 17 when the big games come

1 hardaker
2 briscoe
3 watkins
4 moon
5 hall
6 sutcliffe or mcguire <one misses out totally if not selected>
7 burrow
8 delaney
9 aiton
10 peacock
11 ablett
12 jjb
13 sinny
14 ward
15 singleton
16 bailey
17 leuluai / achurch

1 hardaker
2 briscoe
3 watkins
4 moon
5 hall
6 sutcliffe
7 burrow
8 delaney
9 aiton
10 peacock
11 ablett
12 jjb
13 sinny
14 ward
15 singleton
16 bailey
17 leuluai / achurch

I cant believe you are all binning Mags, unbelievable

1 Hardaker
2 Briscoe
3 Watkins
4 Moon
5 Hall
6 Sinny
7 Mags
8 Singleton
9 Aiton
10 JP
11 Ward
12 Delaney
13 Ablett

14 Burrow
15 Kylie
16 Bailz
17 JJB

Think we are too second row loaded so can see in some games Delaney, Achurch and JJB playing prop. Some players to be disappointed if everyone fit, i.e. Clarkson, Kirke (who was our best player at back end of season) Achurch, Sutcliffe and all the kids who had an impact last year. Hopefully Mac will follow Wigan's example and rest players when we play some of the lower placed teams.

Exciting season ahead though. We have the best backline in SL so lets see if we can finally get some tactics to utilise them fully.

I'd go with:
1. Hardaker
2. Briscoe
3. Watkins
4. Moon
5. Hall
6. Sinfield
7. McGuire/Sutcliffe
8. Leuluai
9. Aiton
10. Peacock
11. Ablett
12. Delaney
13. Ward

14. Burrow
15. Achurch
16. Singleton
17. JJB

I'd be starting off with McGuire but steadily using Sutcliffe more and more over the season. Hopefully by the end of the season Sutcliffe will be the starting half and not McGuire. (By that I mean I hope Sutcliffe will have developed sufficiently to take on that role). The benefit being that Burrow can step in at times and take some pressure of Sutcliffe if needed. By the end of the season I'd have hoped to have started Sutcliffe roughly around 15 times over the whole season.

I'd look to do similar with Leuluai and Singleton. Steadily increasing his game time over the season.

Alex Foster, Thomas Minns and James Duckworth have gone to London on loan for next season.

The team I put down is what I expect brackets for players I would have personal preference for:
Hardaker
Briscoe
Watkins
Moon
Hall
Sinfield
Mcguire (Sutcliffe)
Leuluai
Burrow (Aiton)
Peacock
Jones-Buchanon
Delaney
Ward

Aiton (Burrow)
Singleton
Ablett
Bailey(Achurch)

To be fair with all the people I would prefer from outside the chances are because of injuries they will most likely play

Hardaker
Briscoe
Watkins
Moon
Hall
McGuire
Sinfield
Delaney
Aiton
Peacock
JJB
Ablett
Ward


Burrow
Singleton
Achurch/Bailey/Clarkson/Kirke/leulali (2 from)

A lot of love for Ward who, whilst highly rated, hasn't shown as much at 1st team level as Sutcliffe did. Sutcliffe gets the 13 position to start with.

totally agree.

Hardaker
Briscoe
Watkins
Moon
Hall
Sinfield
McGuire
Singleton
Aiton
Peacock
JJB
Ablett
Sutcliffe

Delaney (as front row)
Leuluai/Bailey
Ward
Burrow

Whilst I, like others, think Delaney to have a try at front row is a decent shout, the fact Clarkson was put there for the Boxing Day game whilst Delaney stayed at 2nd row perhaps means that'll be unlikely.

Ward was holding his own the minute he came in the team, I am not sure Sutcliffe has quite shown the same yet. To add to this, one was doing it doing the hard work, the other had the opportunity to show their skills.

An unfair comparison, and extremely short memory.

Both are very good players, but Ward IMO when fit is above his competition for the team. Sutcliffe whilst I would like to see there, I can't definitely say is above his competition.

When everyone was bulling up Delaney first quarter of last season, Wards stats more than matched him.