Which is where Owens comes into the equation. If in 5 weeks time SMD and/ or Lomax haven't pulled through to the required standard (or sooner depending on how preseason goes), there should be some pressure from below to take the spot. Same with Peyroux (whom on an unrelated note scored a great individual try vs Tonga for Samoa this year which I saw for the first time recently), and Turner for the centre spot

I think it will be:

Owens
Makinson
Percival
Peyroux
Swift
Turner
Walsh
Amor
Roby
Walmsley
Vea
Greenwood
Wilkin

Fages
Tasi
Savelio
LMS

I don't think there is much else in the squad worth changing many of those above. If Peyroux is marked down for the backrow (Most of his career has been in the centres, and he's not a physical presence, so I can't see why we'd buy him to play second row) Burns could come back in and Turner back to centre, or even Fages to the halves. But all the signs seem to point to KC not rating Burns or Turner in the centres for that matter. He was rightly criticised for his poor defense, dropped and when he did come back he played a variery of positions. Lomax could potentially start the season at fullback if he has returned to what he was two years ago, but even then I was far from convinced about him having a future at Saints. If you remember back that far he looked tired all the time and had little pace to start with after his first major op despite his obvious talent. As mentioned above, what is going on with him? Is he on track, ahead of schedule? Were the rumours about long-term hip damage true, or confused with Wello? What about the rumours of the recent operation? Were they true?

I'd like to see Luke Thompson take Richards place and be the go-to youngster as backup for the pack. I don't think Richards is going to make it and if he is he needs a lot of game time to develop so I'd prefer him to go out on loan in Super League if possible.

Is it true we're starting pre-season two weeks after all the other Super League sides? Will that transpire into a poor start?

According to the Swift interview in the last article Saints put out last week, preseason starts in the next 2 weeks. Whilst I don't have every teams schedule, it doesn't seem later than anyone else ...

I'm pretty sure I read on Twitter that every other club is already back in pre-season bar Saints and Leeds, whose season only finished two weeks ago.

That's not right mate. Wakefield start back tomorrow for example.

All the new youngsters and new signings start tomorrow (9th). The rest come in a week later on the 16th.

I don't what it to happen, I expect it to happen

Very difficult to pick a side at the moment with so many possibilities up in the air. I expect one or more of the youngsters who emerged in the pack last season to really kick on - which could cause some welcome selection headaches. No idea where Fages is likely to play. No idea whether either of our fullbacks will recover sufficiently. So aside from the definites (Roby, Walmsley, Walsh, Percival etc.) I'm really in the dark insofar as the starting 17.

Would be nice if we didn't pick up any season-ending injuries early this season, tho.

If all declared fit for the first game.

What I want -
Lomax, Swift, Percival, Turner, Makinson
Fages, Walsh
Walmsley, ROby, Amor
Greenwood, Vea
Wilkin

Tasi, Savelio, LMS/Thompson, Burns
(I'd actually consider dropping Walsh for Wilkin and cementing THompsn in the 17, but hopefully he'll start the season back to somewhere near his old self)

What I think KC will go with
Owens
Swift, Percival, Peuroux, Makinson
Fages, Walsh
Walmsley, ROby, Amor
Wilkin, LMS
Turner

Vea, Tasi, Greenwood, Richards

Owens is a shoe in for obvious reasons and there's no way that KC would leave Savelio out of a bench spot.

What's going to happen with Burns?

And Walsh if he doesn't improve? Could we end up with SMD, Lomax, Burns and Walsh all outside the 17? Enough cap spend there to sign a proper player.

What obvious reasons?

Lomax and SMD being injured for the start of the season?