Why when we can have Kev & Rob interchanging at 9?

Seriously though, I'd prefer Sutcliffe & Rob in the 7s and Kev at hooker.

Oh and before I'm called a McDermott lover I too think it's a bad call to drop McShane.

Hmm - It's the right call in my opinion.

He's been average to dire pretty much all season - again, IMO.

He either passes to first receiver, runs and knocks on or attempts that little scoot over from dummy half on the last tackle which rarely works against the decent teams.

He's had a couple of games where I've thought, "OK, he's pushing on" and some of his kicking has been good. But for a starting number 9 these games are increasingly few and far between and sadly he's rarely backed them up.

The sharper distribution and better DH running was there for all to see when Mcshane started more games at 9 when RB reverted back to 7.
He had a stinker last week and to be fair the Coach is well within his right to drop/bench him this week if only he had the nadgers and consistency to enforce that policy squad wide!

It would be perfectly understandable had he brought an hooker in also. We have been playing all season with McShane at least on the bench to come on at hooker. Thereby even allowing for him being dropped you would expect at the least Burrow to hooker and an interchange hooker.

Having so many backs, and nobody specialist in a key position is a wrong decision.

Well its one thing to drop him from the starting line-up but from the whole 19 is pretty harsh.

However its just further evidence that the McDermott/McShane relationship isn't and hasn't been good. Like others have said this year and last, some players get away with bad games. My guess would be based on McDermott's high regard for a player's attitude and what he's like off the field as a person is that something about McShane doesn't tick those boxes (as well as maybe some on field attributes too).

I guess McDermott sees Burrow as a specialist hooker capable of the full 80. Wrong IMO, but I can see that as his view

So Minns and Duckworth to miss out.

It's a credibility issue.

Nantwich does himself no favours.

It's far from ideal when a SL club sends their No9 to a championship club

It also confirms to me that Liam Hood had has been released I was told that the coach has only spoken to him a handful of times since December and then only to say 'morning' no wonder he hasnt progressed as you would expect strange coaching technique if you ask me

No idea if Liam Hood has been released or not but there's usually a price to be paid for decking a player who ranks higher up on the club seniority list.

Regards,
N. Scruton.