I do worry about the nature of Oledski's injury. Same shoulder as before. Rohan’s been really vague on when he might be back. Would not be surprised to hear he's having an operation and is out for 8 weeks. Just hoping my paranoia is groundless and he's back and playing well either this week or next.

Yes forgot about that, it is a blow for Leigh. As Arthur C says, I'm concerned about Oledski will be missing too..

I expect the Catalans pack will be too much for us. Even if we had everyone fit and available it would be a big stretch but our front row is decimated and with the weather (and pitches) how they are at this point in the year I’m struggling to see how we can compensate the lack of grunt.

If we are within 2 scores at the end I would be quite surprised. Hope I’m wrong.

There's also a total mismatch in Roberts v Johnstone on the wing, especially when you factor in Abdull's kicking. Really going to have to start well and get the crowd behind them.

Way too much water to pass under the bridge before that game to predict absentees!
We've got injuries, suspensions and the obligatory late pull outs to factor in yet.
Coupled with not really believing what Smith says in his pressers regarding progress on injuries.
No way will we only have Lisone and Fusitua missing.

If we've got four props and we should have if he puts faith in TNW and Ruan then I wouldn't be going with smith at prop but again playing him more direct.

Agreed. Time to give these lads a go.

Abdul to Johnstone doesn't have to be any more threatening to us than Croft to Handley is for them. Handley has been in sensational form this year - England winger form.

Tariq Sims was someone I really hoped Leeds would sign, he's awesome on his day and the kind of second row we really lack. Whether he stays on the field consistently is another matter.

I'll be happier IF Holroyd is back and mostly fit. He provides some aggression and mass and he's difficult to play against.

Echo the concerns over Oledski - the way he reacted on the field indicates he felt it was bad. We have such terrible luck with injuries at Leeds honestly.

Yeh, let's give them both 7 minutes each

3 and a half each.

We have a lot of close games - lots of backs to the wall defence, lots of fatigue, avoidance of slowing the game down. It won't explain them all but neither will it help.

If we can stay reasonably fit we are a chance of doing well this year.

Most of us said about being another prop short - it's OK Rohan saying "oh well, injuries..." but props are in heavy traffic and likely to get injured (or banned, is it turns out). This situation was quite predictable, and he doesn't sound confident that there is much in the academy behind TNW, or that Hudson will play soon (or even if Hudson will make the grade at all). When we have to resort to Donno at prop in round 2, we can say it's gone wrong.

We have academy/reserve cover in most other positions other than prop. It currently looks like we came into this season with TNW as the only genuine prop reserve, and he is a couple of years off maturity at SL level. Ruan is big but is he more of a second row again really?

Anyway with injury clouds over Oledski, Holroyd and Lisone banned, this game looks harder than it might have been.

They would be favourites if we were fully fit. Very tough game now, but great challenge too. Let’s see….

We got this

Like the confidence, but that’s not based on what we’ve seen so far!