This is the week, poor performances so far, unhappy speccies, Sia laid up, this is the week we pull it all together and in a few week time we'll all be apologizing for doubting Royce so heavily.

I think it will be a good win for Saints.

Saints to win.

Flannery and Meli to be dropped completely for the rest of the season and move Wello into the second row to allow a younger, faster player fulfil the Full Back obligations

We should be OK. We're bang out of form but we have enough class in the squad to start producing results.

You feel this has to start this weekend as we're not going to get much change out of the next three games . . .

I'd like to see:

Makinson

Gardner
Shenton
Meli
Foster

Wheeler
Hohaia

LMS
Flanagan
Perry
Laffranchi
Dixon
Wilkin

TP
Clough
Magennis
Lomax

Lomax playing the Burrow role as hooker from the bench in Roby's absence. Magennis to get a run to try and inject a bit of hunger and enthusiasm.

Potentially bring in Wello at centre in place of Meli.

That's a quality Saints squad and Bradford have injuries all over the place.
Also Sammut may get a ban.
Saints by 12+

Sammut's banned for this week's game.

We aint gonna win much untill we get away from the "Back on the bench" nonsense, who by the way is lucky if he gets 10 mins play each game. We have lost our best forward this week and it is critical that we have four forwards on the bench, all being rotated correctly. Lets face it we have not got the strongest pack in the game even at full strength.

If Sia's not playing, we'll have to take all 5 frontrowers.
Potter will play narrow, so beef will be needed.
No way Wellens will get dropped for this one - is Makinson fit yet anyway?

I haven't watched the Bulls HKR game yet, but against Wire they had quite a bit of success with a short passing game around the ruck, but struggled to put anything together out wide.

Why not choose Meli as your bench back, he can always make a cameo in the 2nd row to help the forwards? I assume Magennis isn't fit?

We need more personnel that will strike from anywhere on the park and with the current Left Flank problems and Sia's injury I would like to see us line up like this:

FB: Makinson
RW: Foster
RC: Shenton
LC: Gaskell
LW: Gardner
SO: Wheeler
SH: Hohaia
PF: LMS
HK: Flanagan
PF: Perry
SR: Dixon
SR: Wellens
LF: Wilkin

INT: Clough
INT: Puletua
INT: Laffranchi
INT: Lomax (replacement Hooker)

although Gaskell is out of position it means we have more strike in our backs and just about enough platform laying from our forwards.

to god that we have more structure and organisation this week

I reckon we'll win, however I do er on the side of this being a temporary loss of form. So I've been expecting better each week. Defence wise and forwards wise I think we are doing ok, but it seams we can only do one or the other. To start the season we where scoring plenty, but letting loads in, the last 2 games we defended well enough, but could not land a killer blow. Catalan came between all that and was half of one half of the other.

no Roby,no Sia= no chance

Bradford 50 - 0 Saints.

Nailed on.

I'm backing it!

Amazing how coaches like Des Hasler often seem to disagree with all the expert fans on this. Hasn't done his career much harm.