When everyone is fit I would go with

Lomax
Gardner
Turner
Percival
Meli
Gaskell
Wilkin
Laffranchi
Roby
Puletua
Manu
Soliola
Wellens

Bench

Hohaia
Flanagan
McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Perry

I'd agree with that

When everyone is fit I would hope that we rotate the pack and not pick the same players each week.

That aside. Given what I've seen so far my choice out of a fully fit squad for a Final would be.

Lomax, Ade, Turner, Percival, Meli, Wilkin, Wheeler
LMS Roby Perry Sia Laffranchi Flanagan
bench
TP Manu Clough (Lance or Walker)


This is only so far and I am open to changing my mind.
Those I would say are not dead certs
Ade (awesome going forwards but has been too flappy hands with the high ball)
Percival, (hard to judge the guy from one game)
Wheeler ( has put his hand up more for this role than Gaskell and Lance so far, but time yet)
Flanagan ( Wellens could play a stormer, we just don't know)
Walker for me has shown real enthusiasm and aggression, I like his tackling, but Lance can't be ignored despite not setting the world alight, he can tackle and run well from dummy half so could be a good interchange hooker in a final, Keeping Roby running at 100% for the time he is on. Lance also gives us cover in the backs in a final.

He's pretty much always been the same, unlike Makinson who is brave under the high ball and pretty sure too. Gardner was also a shocking tackler on the whole, missing most of his tackles. That he made two humdingers didn't make up for that lack in my opinion. I'd still rather have Makinson on the wing and put Gardner in the second row. I remember him having to play there once because we lost about 20 people to injury in one match and he looked good there.

I think defensively Garder is better and I'm much more sure when Gardner plays. You say to basically ignore the two marvellous tackles he made? Why? If he makes a good play, why ignore it? Or is it because it goes against what you think?

You say Makinson is brave under the high ball and pretty sure? I disagree with that too: look at what happened vs Hull when he went to FB, couldn't catch a cold.

No, it's because he was poor for the rest of it but he shouldn't be because he has years of experience there.

But you always bring up the one game a season where Meli has an off day ( unfortunately it just happens to be grand finals ). You seem ready to discard facts which contradict your argument and cherry pick incidents which support your argument. If you are honest with yourself you must accept both sides of an argument and not dismiss the facts which are contrary to your argument.

Most of the people on here have their own opinions on all the players in the squad. We do not see the players in training, the coaches do and are in a far better position than us to judge a players abilities and strengths. Brown is the man who is paid to pick the side, and while I may not always agree with him I have to accept he is in a better position than me to select the 17 players every week. He will ultimately be judged on results and therefore we must accept his decisions and support the team.

Gardner is a far better winger than Makinson at the moment. Fact. Makinson continues to disappoint me with his lack of development to be frank and is starting to look as though he'll struggle to ever fulfill his early promise.

However the discussion of the thread had moved on to who we would pick, not what Brown may pick.

I put Laffranchi in at 2nd row, but I doubt Brown will be looking to do that.

Id have Laffranchi at Loose Forward.

Agree we you makinson been poor and was poor last season Apart from a few drives in the corner I can't remember him ever going full length of the field to score

I can't remember either winger doing that! In fact, I can't remember when a winger at Saints went the full length of the field to score!

If you ever watch Phil the Pie and his stats you will see quite clearly that we play most of our rugby to the left of the pitch, regardless of who is our right winger. Had Makinson got more ball during his time in the team then maybe he would have scored a length of the field try! (Although to do that you have to have halfbacks and a fullback who can create opportunities and a pack that works its socks off to create space, stuff like that).

Makinson scored a length of the field try against Salford in our opening match of the season at Langtree Park if memory serves.

Meli goes full length a few times in a season Gardner I can't remember because he always gets injured like I never seen makinson go full that I can remember

Full length = ?

His defence was not poor, was it, really?

His defence, along with the rest of the team, was superb. I don't know how you can comment on that facet of the game really.



Not really, I have highlighted a time when he has not been 'sure' under the high ball. How is that 'pathetic reasoning'? Is it just because it goes against what you think?