With just over two weeks till we play the bulls in Cardiff, there is a few injuries in the squad at the moment, so what do you think the squad will be when we play them. With Danny McGuire and Jamie Peacock the obvious absentees, then there is injuries to Jamie Jones Buchanan, Ryan Hall and Ryan Bailey. We could also be without Weller hauraki and Kylie Leuluai as they wait for their visas.

We could run out something like:

Brent Webb
Lee Smith
Brett Delaney
Kallum Watkins/Keith Senior
Ben Jones Bishop
Kevin Sinfield
Rob Burrow
Ben Cross
Danny Buderus
Luke Burgess
Keith Senior/Jay Pitts
Carl Ablett
Chris Clarkson

Paul McShane
Ian Kirke
Ali Lauitiiti
Jay Pitts/Brad Singleton

What do others think?

Kylie and Hauraki will play, Hauraki certainly seems confident on his twitter.

Webb
Smith
Delaney
Senior
Watkins
Sinfield
Burrow
Kylie
Buderus
Cross
Ablett
Hauraki
Clarkson

JJB
Ali
Bailey
Burgess


Id also put my money on JJB been fit.

Webb

Smith
Delaney
Senior
BJB/Watkins (whoever's not picked I think will miss out completely, i.e. No bench spot)

Sinfield
Burrow

Leuluai
Buderus
Burgess
Kirke
Ablett/Clarkson
Ablett/Clarkson

Bench...
McShane
Cross
Lauitiiti
Hauraki

And the 50/50 club as follows if fit;
Bailey to replace Burgess
JJB to replace Kirke
Hall to replace BJB/Watkins

Don't think he'll start Cross & I think Leuluai/Hauraki will be fine visa-wise.

I take it most people assume we're running a two-hooker system again this year.

I admit the evidence thus far indicates that BM will have McShane as interchange hooker, but I'd still like to see us line up with 4 big men on the bench.

Still far too early to be 2nd guessing the squad imo we still have another game on friday and 2wks re-hab for Jjb ,Bailey and Hall.

& more chances for injuries!!

I really hope not. I've said it many times before - when Leeds play a ball playing lightweight loose forward (Sinfield) and two hookers it simply leaves us too light in the pack. Albeit Clarkson/JJB/Ablett will be playing loose for the first couple of months.
And is McShane really SL 'title contender club' worthy just yet? He would have to improve a lot, especially in defence for a week in week out spot.

I would agree wholeheartedly with all you say here.

Webb to stand off; BJB at fullback and Watkins on left wing (if Hall injured) for me. Leave Sinfield at LF. Won't happen though

Plus the big one at York next Wednesday, lest you forget.

I'd love to see us play with one hooker.

I was responding to the "[iso what do you think the squad will be when we play them.[/i" bit, and I think the squad will have McShane in which is why I've put him in mine. I hope it doesn't though. I agree with RhinoNeil & others. McShane isn't quite there yet for me. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see him get a decent amount of game time this season, just not to the point where you assume "if he's fit, he plays" like was the case with Diskin (remember him!? What's he up to these days?!).

I thought he'd retired from the game?

Looks like Hall will be fit for you guys, which is certainly a big boost. FWIW, I imagine we'll line up something like:

Kearney
Ainscough
Walker
Ah Van
Raynor
Briggs
Herbert
Lynch
L'Estrange
Scruton
Elima
Whitehead
Langley

Diskin
Hargreaves
Kopzcak
Addy/Sibbit/Donaldson/Platt

You're probably right.

Whilst we're on retirement... I hear the ex-Manly scrum half, Matt Orford, has come out of retirement and signed for Canberra?!

I hope you do line up like that. That has to be the shortest pair of wingers in the league, expect them to be in for a lot of high catching practice....

Leeds [iby plenty [/ias a once great troll on here used to say.

Good squad for the game yesterday. Might be the squad that plays in the first game:

1. Brent Webb
2. Lee Smith
3. Brett Delaney
4. Keith Senior
5. Ryan Hall
13. Kevin Sinfield
7. Rob Burrow
8. Kylie Leuluai
9. Danny Buderus
15. Ben Cross
22. Jay Pitts/11. Jamie Jones Buchanan
14. Ali Lauitiiti
12. Carl Ablett

24. Paul McShane
18. Luke Burgess
17. Ian Kirke
21. Chris Clarkson/20. Weller Hauraki

21. Chris Clarkson/20. Weller Hauraki
22. Jay Pitts/11. Jamie Jones Buchanan