Not sure why most people start Sia and bench Manu for impact. Manu is much better defensively and Sia better suited to a hard running impact game.

Either way I'm not overly concerned. I just felt that that bench would give us some really impact. I also like the way Sia controls the tackle. Recently he's been outstanding at holding the man up in the tackle, then dropping him just before the call of held. It's given our defensive line a lot more time.

TP does this too. So I'd rather we had at least one on the feild. The chatter in the tackle is good to see too. You could see Walker doing this last week also, so it's great to see that communication and control. Making sure we are holding but not giving away any penalties.

6. Lance Hohaia
2. Ade Gardner
3. Jordan Turner
30. Mark Percival
5. Francis Meli
7. Jonny Lomax
12. Jon Wilkin
14. Anthony Laffranchi
9. James Roby
27. Alex Walmsley
4. Sia Soliola
13. Willie Manu
15. Mark Flanagan

10. Louie McCarthy Scarsbrook
11. Tony Puletua
16. Paul Clough
19. Josh Jones.

from what I have seen, Manu is awful defensively. He doesnt so much miss tackles, as completely avoid them.

I agree: I was saying at the back end of last year that we were seeing Soliola have a far greater impact when he came off the bench into the game and didn't have to do long spells defending. I still feel the same way.

Defensively he is woeful and that's a massive problem, especially against the better teams: e.g. Leeds on Friday who skipped round him for two tries: he missed two vital tackles on Burrow and Sinfield on separate occasions - he was not the only player to be blamed I would add.

I was informed that his tackle success rate is 88% for the season so far; that is clearly not good enough. I'd suggest spelling Soliola and Manu to get a better impact, leave Flanagan at LF for the entire game (as I think he could, and we'd benefit far more in him doing so).

So, I'd go:

Lomax
Gardner
Turner
Percival
Meli
Hohaia
Wilkin
Laffranchi
Roby
LMS
Manu
Jones (although I am not a fan of him in this position)
Flanagan

Soliola
Puletua
Clough
Walmsley

Greenwood and Walker to miss out.

Lomax should be nowhere near the halves now. Anyone wanting to move him back there needs their heads testing.

Hohaia back in the halves is the lesser of two evils. Would rather waste the remainder of his Saints career than potentially ruin Lomax's by moving him back there.

Agreed.

Saying that, he won't have a choice when the erosion of the British coastline returns as Fullback.

There is a huge difference between playing #6 than #7, especially when you consider Wilkin will be organizing things.

30 tackles and 0 misses against leeds. you dont make 30 tackles by avoiding them

Some people see stuff that is never there. Others miss stuff that's right in front of them.

I just hope it's entertaining.

Percival isn't playing tonight. Jones and Turner are centres

Interesting, what's the team in full?