Smith's attitude this year has impressed me more than anything. Seems to really want to nail a spot down in the team and has given everything he has when he's played. He'd got the wing spot ahead of BJB at the start of the year but picked up that injury and couldn't take the spot back. He's obviously doing something to catch BM's eye!

For those who are interested.....

Saints 19

1. Paul Wellens, 3. Michael Shenton, 4. Sia Soliola, 5. Francis Meli, 6. Lance Hohaia, 7. Jonny Lomax, 8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Chris Flannery, 14. Anthony Laffranchi, 15. Mark Flanagan, 16. Paul Clough, 17. Gary Wheeler, 18. Shaun Magennis, 21. Tommy Makinson, 26. Josh Jones.

Common consensous on the Saints site is that Josh Jones and Magennis to miss out. Some debate over the starting line up in terms of forwards. But something similar to this would not surprise me..

1. Paul Wellens, 21. Tommy Makinson, 3. Michael Shenton, 17. Gary Wheeler, 5. Francis Meli, 6. Lance Hohaia, 7. Jonny Lomax
8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 14. Anthony Laffranchi, 4. Sia Soliola, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin
10. LMS, 15. Mark Flangan, 13. Chris Flannery, 16. Paul Clough

In terms of teams we are quite even in points for and against.

In terms of form it's been a bit broken up by the Cup Games. But league form since we last met, but not including our game is

Leeds LWWLL
Saints WWWLW

Yes key forward Delaney has to start and I go along with your selections rhinoms. Except I would perhaps go with Hauraki over Griffin on the bench based on Griffin's drop in form and a dislike of 3 props on the bench. Having said that Bailey has looked good in the back row so he could cover those spots after his first stint at prop. But Hauraki has got great impact potential (positive and negative I know!) and I am a believer that the bench should provide players who are first and foremost capable of making a game changing contribution should plan A be failing.

Again I have to agree with you

Fair points JC but having been out so long i have doubts over Hauraki been match sharp enough for ST's hence i left him out with TMFMISL taking a sting in the BR.

Looking forward tommorow need to start putting some form together

The next 3 games are going to be crucial as to where we end up at the end of season.
Since the 8 team playoffs were introduced to finish 4th its taken 35 points in 2009 & 2010 and only 32 last year.
Currently Leeds have 14 pts so need to win around 10/11 of their remaining 15 games to be in with a good chance of top 4. If Leeds can put in a great effort over the next 3 tough games, SAINTS (h) BRADFORD (Magic Weekend) and WIGAN (h) and come out with the 6 points then that would leave us needing 7/8 wins from the following 12 games -

Warrington - A
Wakefield - H
Castleford - H
London - A
Hull - H
Bradford - H
Wakefield - A
HKR - A
Widnes - H
Catalans - A
Salford - H
Huddersfield - A

Highlighted the obvious difficult ones away to Wire, Catalans and Hudds, but POTENTIAL to win all the others. Given its Leeds we will probably slip up in 1 of those other games, possibly Hull KR away as we haven't travelled too well there recently. But like i said a big effort in the next 3 games from the team and top 4 is a great possiblity, its going to be tough especially against Saints and Wigan but we are at home, also we have lost are last 2 games against Bradford but we haven't lost yet at a Magic Weekend.

IMO Leeds will finish one place higher than they currently are. They won't pick up enough points against the current top six sides to mount that much of a challenge for fourth, but I can't see Bradford picking up enough points over the rest of the season to realistically displace Leeds from the top half of the table.

I suppose sixth might be attainable at a push if say Hull FC or Saints hit a bad patch, but the current top four are better than the rest of the competition IMO.

Are you actually suggesting Kirke shouldn't have been dropped?

I've no idea....I asked the question. DID he or BJB especially deserve to be 'dropped' ?

McShane is obviously not as good as Lunt or Burrow, but I certainly don't think HE deserved to be 'dropped'.......I'm talking about the terminology used by Frosties.

Thats a little pessimistic. If we win our game in hand on everyone we go 6th, winning our game in hand on the top 3 would only put us 2 pts behind 2nd. If we can win 10 of our last 15 games that will give us 34 points which will put us roughly 4th (based on previous totals). I think that would be a fairly unambitious target for this squad of players.

Webb
Hall
Watkins
Ablett
Hardaker
Sinfield
McGuire
Leuluai
Lunt
Peacock
JJB
Delaney
Bailey

Burrow
Smith (making Ablett effectively another rotation forward)
Hauraki
Moore/Griffin/Clarkson

with probably Griffin and Clarkson to miss out for me.

Nantwich posting a team thats not made up of people under twenty. Am I going

(I agree with you BTW)

As a little aside sub-plot tonight keep your eye on Super Leagues Premier Soft-cock moaning little girl - John Wilkin. Lets see if he meets TMFMISL down the middle, or will he avoid him and knock up a cringe-worthy press release?

(I'm back. Been out of the country on a stag-do. If Hangover 3 needs any ideas I have a bucket full, not just full of sick and other bodily fluids. Happy Monday as well guys.)

Have those players been dropped, or just not picked. Bit of a difference