My point exactly. We also have to remember that he has made the step up from the Championship to the Super League so that transition will take time as will the combinations with our core combinations.

Half a game how do you work that one out.

How many SL games has he played? How can you assess if he's able to perform in SL conditions unless you give him a few games? Do you base it all on how he's done in National League or in the U20s?

Kearney
Ainscough
Platt
Royston
Ah Van
Briggs
Herbert
Hargreaves
L'Estrange
Lynch
Whitehead
Elima
Langley

Subs: Diskin, Scruton, Kopzcak, Walker

I'd rather Royston remain at centre and Walker be moved into the second row. Olbison, Sibbit and Donaldson can fight it out for places when the squad is rotated.

At the moment there's still a lot we don't know about the squad. However I think we can say that Ah Van is better suited to the wing, which means there's a lot of competition on the fringes as we have 3 decent players vying for two places. At fullback Kearney is first choice and centres I think Platt and Walker are my top two but if Sykes plays like he did versus Cas then he'll be knocking on the door.

At halfback it's up in the air. A lot depends on how Kearney is used. At hooker it doesn't really matter to me who starts as both are very good players. At prop is seems to work well with Lynch and Hargreaves starting and Scruton coming off the bench. The 4th prop seems to be Koppy at the moment but we have players in Crossley and Burgess who can put pressure on him. The backrow looks settled being Whitehead, Elima and Langley.

Personally I'd go with:

Kearney
Ainscough
Platt
Walker
Ah Van
Herbert
Briggs (I think they'd be better off that way round with Briggs' organisation and kicking)
Lynch
Diskin
Hargreaves
Whitehead
Elima
Langley

L'estrange
Koppy
Donaldson
Scruton

If we are ever full strength which is unlikely TBH the way the game is at the moment.

olbison has played his way into the team. Donaldson will have a hard time getting a shirt.

Agreed but in a perfect world that would be my starting 13. Right now to drop Olbison or Royston would be very unfair. If Sykes gets another couple of games and plays as well as yesterday the same goes for him too.

Given the amount of injuries though that any team gets in a season they'll all have their chance.

There'll also be Halley to throw into mix soon....

Selection headaches in the outside backs at Bradford?

It's a long time since I remember that being the case

Last year you could garuntee at least 3 of the 4 3/4 line. (Sheriffe, Reardon, Nero)

He started the first game of the season, didn't complete it and has been absent every since

You are obviously including friendlies which can't really be a full basis to make such a decision, can it? I'm not trying to get into an arguement here but merely suggesting you give the lad a chance? We've not seen enough of him really but what I've seen, I think he could add to the team.

1) Kearney
2) Ainscough
3) Platt
4) Walker
5) Ah Van
6) Briggs
7) Herbert
Hargreaves
9) Diskin
10) Lynch
11) Elima
12) Whitehead
13) Langley
14) L'Estrange
15) Scruton
16) Kopczac
17) Donaldson/Olbison

Still too early to say yet.

Kearney is ocnstantly shifting from 6 to 1, Herbert & Briggs not featured enough & not up to speed yet. Walker could be better in centres or second row for us.