I'm not going to make any predictions until I've seen all new guys play a couple of games rather than seeing highlight reels. Bit surprised so many are dropping ainscough to accomodate pryce . Would have thought ainscough deserves first shot at a spot and pryce needs to wait until ainscough or kear put in a bad performance before he gets a go.

BK,KP,Chev,Luli,Purt,Samut,Gale,Kop,L'es,Scrut,Oli,White,Langers..Tom,MnM,Diskin,Sibbit/Bateman.

Why does Kear get straight in the team ahead of Pryce.

because from what I've already seen of him in 4 nations and in a couple of games for crusaders he's at least as good a player if not better and has a better attitude. Karls got a lot to prove, particularly with regard to his attitude and poor defense, and I've seen plenty of his games to form an opinion of it. Its down to him to change that opinion through performances. If either Kear or Ainscough arent performing then KP is waiting in wings, pun intended.

Kearney
Ainscough
Purtell
Lulia
Kear
Briggs
Gale (GK)
Kopczak
L'Estrange (C)
Hargreaves
Elima
Whitehead
Langley.

Bench - varies from game to game.


Catalans game (providing no more injuries):

Kearney
Ainscough
Purtell
Lulia (if fit) if not Walker
Kear (if fit) if not Pryce
Briggs
Gale
Hargreaves
L'Estrange (if fit) if not Diskin
Kopczak
Langley
Sibbit
Donaldson

Sammut, Burgess, Bateman, Scruton

both will do for me too, BB2011, tho Scruton and Diskin if fit would pretty much always be on the bench, MnM having played prop and 2nd row is a third choice, the last spot is a bit more dependent on the game. Is Hargreaves as hinted in the TnA article going to be playing longer stints this season?

Scruts and Diskin on bench but if Stranger isn't fit for Catalan game then Diskin obviously has to start. MnM injured for catalan game. And Hargreaves should start because he's not an impact prop but rather a settling prop like Lynch.

No issues with the Cats 17, was referring to the first 17 assuming all players available. which they will not be. TnA article says Sammut cannot be picked as he has not got his visa yet, tho I suspect they are saying that now because they feel its not far off coming

Sammuts actually quite a difficult player to accomodate if we're looking to use him as an impact player. IF we use him as one of halves its not a problem, although I'm not convinced it would be our strongest pairing yet. If we use him off the bench then we either use him in place of 2nd hooker and starting hooker does 80 minutes (or maybe gets a rest if Addy or Langley are on field and could cover hooker for a spell). Or we lose one of bench forwards which could leave us looking a bit lightweight against some of the teams with big packs.

Does anyone know if Sammut has ever played hooker? he's been mentioned as either Half,FB annd possibly or LF, although I think LF is maybe a bit of a stretch.

It's going to be interesting to see how Potter makes use of him TBH. I see him as a sort of luxury player, like Solomona was, who you can bring on to change a game.

Spot on imo
The problem we had with Solomona was that nobody seemed awake enough to act on any thing he created, and Sammut will be just the same

The fact that Sammut has that "X" factor that can change a game is imo, exactly what we have been missing for seasons now. I would have him in there every time.

I see Solo has fractured his ankle while training over in Oz, I think it is more due to prolonged exposure to Nandos...... wonder if that could explain our long and continuing injury list???

just look at my tongue in cheek avatar to see if hes played hooker, a reference to Potters misquote about him able to play any position from 1 to 9. It is going to be very interesting to see how he is used, whether Potter goes for Gale and Sammut as a kicking and a running half back pairing on the pitch or, as you say against lighter packs, have him on the bench for impact. This is the problem of a starting 17: starting against who, and BB2011 is right to say that the bench would vary opposition to opposition, even the 13. At least we have options such as big and little wings, different types of half back, different LF's, I'm expecting Potter to mix it up a bit more with this squad.

That's interesting. When I saw Lulia, albeit on Big Pond highlights he was playing right centre and just assumed (perhaps because our right centres have been so dire) he was signed to shore up a persistent achilles heel. Other than that the only change I'd make is to drop Sibbitt, put Langley into the second row and have Hargreaves lock the scrum. That would give us real size in the pack to face Cats and I like the idea of Walker in the second row. My guess is he'll go with Gale and BJ but I'd go with Sammutt as well. The extra man on the bench would be Joseph as when in doubt 'go large'.

Yeh I read an interview in one of the RL rags with Lulia and he said he prefers to be left centre but could slot in on either side which will be handy for the squad I suppose. Not sure if Purtell has a preference but fairly sure he was playing on the right last season.