In my (limited) experience as both an amateur player and coach. I have found that it's preferable to name a team as soon as possible. A player needs to focus and prepare for the big game, not worry and fret over whether he will be picked or not. Some players such as Kirke/Ali/Eastwood/JJB may even have to prepare to play in a different position. This takes time. Letting your players know who's doing what on the eve of the game is poor management IMO.

Of course Bluey will have left himself open to be persuaded by efforts in training this week, but if he hasn't named the team by now I'd be very surprised.

I think the squad is strong even without Biffa and Jp but personally i would leave Kirk and Donald out nothing against either and they do a good job for us but i think were stronger with Smith and Ablett/Clarkson playing. Would't like to have to pick though and if JP and Biffa were available that would make it even tougher.

Burgess wouldn't make the 19 if Peacock was there, tbh. The only difference (a big diference, admittedly) in a full-strength 19 would be Peacock for Clarkson or Kirke.

I stand corrected - there is a first for everything - but it was obvious to most that for Peacock to go off at Cas it had to be a serious injury - I don't think you can hide something that bad?

I agree somewhat but it just seemed a strange announcement to let Warrington know so early that we would be missing a key man.

Dont think we needed to announce anything and could have covered it up. He walked off didn't he?

Why not let them make plans for him only to scupper them a couple of days before. Every little helps and all that.

He needed help walking off and didn't put any pressure on it. I can see what your getting at but Tony Smith, particularly because of his time at Leeds, will know a lot of people in the scene and would of found out that it was knee ligiments I reckon.

A fair comment , but it does presume that TS would make specific plans for Peacock .

Maybe ruling him out early sends a message to Wire that mind games are beneath the Rhinos .

Ablett,Clarkson,JJB and EAstwood are in the team for Saturday.

smith has to play over donald.

Makes more yards when he takes the ball up.

without 2 props we need all the help we can get.

Knowing what smith was like at leeds, he wouldnb't have made plans to neutralise peacock. He'd be treating every leeds player as dangerous as the next.

Besides, you don't neutralise peacock. He's a machine, he takes the ball up, tackles, takes the ball up, tackles. You don't neutralise that.

Its a close call all round which is a great position to be in! I think i'd go with...
Webb
Donald (slightly more pace and better on the turn out wide than Smith imo, but very hard to choose)
Delany
Senior
Hall
McGuire (Lance Todd)
Burrow
Leuluai
Buderus
Bailey
JJB
Clarkson (great find)
Sinfield

Bench
Ablett
Lauitiiti/Eastwood (who is the fittest?)
Diskin
Kirke (Prop and 2nd row)

Im not sure if Eastwood is 100% his knee gave way last week and he went to ground twice (late in 1st half and midway through the 2nd). He has also spent a lot of time in the treatment room this week.

Which ever 17 go out there the spirit will is back which is the main!

Eastwood over Ali for the bench for me!

I agree - if it was a player like McGuire, Sinny or Burrow then them being missing might effect Smiths plans but you can't plan to neutralise a player like JP.

What about Ali and Kirke?

JAMIE PEACOCK'S NOT PLAYING????????