Merrin is quality and easily worth Marquee player status, I just hope he settles in ok!

My first choice back row too Mark
3 cracking footy players and with plenty of pace too.

Lets buck the trend of using 2nd rowers as nothing more than battering ram type players who aren't encouraged to play what they see during the game.

I just hope that our fans will be patient with our transition should we suffer a poor start or if we lose games along the way.
Let's start the integration of our juniors with the goal of being back at the top table within 3 years and any success prior to that will be a nice bonus

As a fan after watching the 1977 and 1978 CC final wins i had to endure plenty of barren years before we finally became consistently successful

Not often that 8th/9th placed teams are noted for entertaining rugby. I get your point though.

Can I please ask what possible impact you think JJB and Ablett will have off the bench?

A hell of alot more than Ferris . Donaldson , Suttcliffe , Mullaley ,ect .

All together, "Let's do the time warp again......"

Exactly this. You can't have your cake and eat it in RL - if you're losing the energy battle and failing to go forward, you will incur more penalties, more errors, and be out of gas when on attack. We played compressed most of last year because the pack wasn't up to it and some individuals came up with errors consistently (Sutcliffe being one).

Totally agree but our BR cant play if our front row isn't doing it's job. This is why we keep having second rowers sucked in to playing a prop role - we don't have enough proper props. Give us three high-impact props on rotation to create some dents in defences, and then watch Merrin, Ward and Smith go.

We don't know how well Cas will travel this year - we're assuming they'll be up near the top again. I do like the way Powell coaches his sides I have to say.
I do think the friendly showed Leeds being far more competitive already than the ragtag side which limped through the second half of last season.
Cam Smith has to be in the 17 even if not starting, because he's shown he can cover 6/7 as well as BR.
With Hurrell and Watkins here, Sutcliffe is left battling it out with about 8 other players for 3 or 4 BR shirts. I think he needs to go out on DR and get game time at this stage in his career.
In terms of impact and average metres gained per carry (I know that's just a stat, but...) - I'm starting to wonder whether our best starting front row might be Oledzski, Parcell, Crosby. Cuthbertson and Singleton/Peteru off the bench perhaps.

Crosby seems to get overlooked quite a bit. Not sure why, like you I have him down as one of our better FR options. Oledzki: we definitely can't afford to overlook the dent he puts in the opposition defence line. Cuthberstson is a bit soft for a starting prop for me and Singo is better against tired players with his quick ptb than he is against fresh ones where this is less effective. So yes, I pretty much go with what you've said. Peteru I'll reserve judgement on until I've seen him have a good, injury-free run. I think he might turn out to be an asset. Then again, I've said much the same about Ferres...

I agree entirely and I would love a meter making prop like a Walmsley prior to his injury or a fully fit and committed Garbutt to give us the grunt up front

But then I wonder how the hell Wigan managed to win last years grand final with Sutton,Flower,Clubb and Navarette as their props as none are really what you would call "meter munching props"?

Wasn't Wane's philosophy that he wanted his props to go to ground without any leg drive and to then get a quick play the ball which then went wide on the next play?

Wigan always seemed to make their big inroads when they went wide to players like Bateman and their outside backs and gained their territory that way
Either way it proved successful

I'm intrigued by the new 8 interchange rule and to see how it works for each side over this season

Wouldn't say Clubb was a slouch at making metres, he usually makes good ground.

I personally wouldn't wish to sign Clubb or any of the other Wigan props mentioned

I didn't say I wanted to sign him though we could do worse. The others I'm in full agreement on.
Anyway, who could forget Clubb's GF "bomb"?