I know most would be tempted to give Savelio a run on Saturday, but I'm not sure it'd be to his long term benefit. The week after against London yes, but the cup tie at Leeds is for experience in the main.

Lomax
Makinson
Jones (right side to deal with Moon)
Turner
Swift
Hohaia
Walsh
Amor
Roby
Walmsley
Flanagan
Soliola
Wilkin

Masoe
McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Wellens
Greenwood

Lomax
Makinson
Turner
Jones
Swift
Hohaia
Walsh
Amor
Roby
Walmsley
Soliola
Wilkin
LMS

Masoe
Savelio
Greenwood
Wellens

For me (ideally)

Lomax
Makinson Turner Jones Swift
Hohaia* Walsh
Amor Roby Masoe
Wilkin Greenwood
Soliola

Walmsley Richards Flanaghan Savelio

*hohaia is based on previous form, I didn't see the game today, so depending on the highlights it may be wheeler.

This is the first game we should not play wellens - that's no comment on his performances or his form, but we need to win games without him eventually, and I think this game is the best time to start that process.

Jones has been the best centre so far this year, Percival will be lacking match practice, so it seems a no brainer for me, let Percival play 19s for a few weeks and regain fitness.

4 props is a must for me - LMS just isn't cutting it, he has to be dropped. Richards outplayed him on Good Friday (not hard, so did I!) so he gets the call - he played well vs Leeds in the league as well.

We seem surprisingly lacking in the back row now ... By all accounts, Savelio offers an option, but only plays short minutes - coupled with soliola, who played both Easter games, were lacking minutes - which is balanced out by Wilkin and Flanaghan playing long minutes (even though both are lacking in form)

As much as I'd like wheeler/ lance on the bench, it's not going to happen,

LMS is copping some flack, as he did last year before moving to loose forward, where he was a revelation. This year, everyone but him has had a run a LF. Put him there and give him chance to prove himself, particualrly while we are struggling for back rowers.

But this is the problem we need props to do the hard yards, not everyone can play in the loose position.

We have LMS/Wellens/Wilkin and Jones (maybe flanaghan and Savelio too)

I'll be honest from the stats this week I know who I would drop.

When things are going great everyone looks fab, but in a way this bad run shows you where your real strengths and weaknesses are.

I would not pick LMS for this match and neither would I pick Wellens. Not sure how fit Savelio is, but he could be a game breaker for us, to me he has earned his place on the bench. In a poor display and limited minutes he did a huge amount.

I think we need to be a little more moneyball and less anecdotal. The stats do tell a story.

Everyone has put Jones who is excellent in attack but poor in defence in a similar way to Turner. I hope Percival is back to replace one of these.

Jones is 4th in tackling this year, and was 3rd overall last year, the stats show he had a poor game defensively vs widnes, but overall he's the best defensive centre we've had for years.

Percival is no great shakes in defence and is just recovering from injury and not match fit - why throw him into the biggest match of the year so far?

I put Percival in!!!!!!!!!!







Having said that, Jones is generally very good defensively. It was 2 games over Easter so you would expect a drop off from those playing twice.

Also as has been pointed out Percival will not be match fit.

So although I did pick him, I may have to go back on that now.

My one man crusade to leave jones at centre continues



In the long term (when the 100k rule comes in and koukash goes and buys every Salford grown player in the league), a 3/4 line of Makinson Percival Jones Swift is a very exciting prospect - and once again a credit to our youth system!

And vs's the goons.

13 tackles 2 marker tackles 2 misses is bad? It's in line with the team average (which is admittedly, poor for him, as he's usually above average)

I'd also suggest in both games the fringes struggled, as the forwards didn't do their job on the inside, which makes outside backs jobs far harder to do.

As an aside (as I've just been looking at the tackling stats) Roby is insane 370 tackles, compared to our second top tackler (Wilkin) on 219 - dear god someone help him out!