Yeah, from an attacking point of view Sinfields game is pretty much the same as it has always been, whether you put 6,7, 13 or 9 even 8 on his back he is pretty much playing that game. The whole move to stand off has pretty much been a defensive change to take some of his defensive work away from him. He can still pick it up for 20/30mins a game but he just isn’t up to doing that job defensively 80mins a game 40 times a season like he used to. But he can defensively cover for burrow for a portion of a game.

Burrow starting on the bench as he can also give cover to the halves. Therefore for me it's a choice between Mcillorum or Roby starting with the one missing out relegated to water carrier.

If McIlorum isn't playing the full 80 I see no point in playing him. His strengths lie in his aggression and durability over a full game. I'd also say using Liam Farrell for just 20 mins a game is a little pointless as well tbh.

Roby to start with Burrow on the bench for me and I'd also bring in Lee Mossop for Farrell so that we can leave Sam Burgess in the backrow for a full game.

Neither.

Roby for 80 and Turgess on the bench.

We need size off the bench to match what the Kiwi's have. McIllorum seems to slow our play down and Burrow will get slaughtered in defence. Roby is by far the best hooker we have and should be on all the time.

I'd go with Widdop and Sinfield half backs.
Roby at 9 with Burrow on the bench.
Mossop back at prop so S Burgess can go to 2nd row.
McIlorum is best doing 80 mins where he can and does play any other SL 9 off the park and has done for the past 4 years.
If he's not going to play 80 then leave him out.
To me the main decision is Widdop or Chase. Widdop and we can get to the final.
Play Chase and it's all over!

Agreed regards Farrell and McIlorum.I think they are fine club players but are in the 80 minute grafter mode and provide limited impact from the bench.

Burrow should certainly be one of the subs.Even if he only comes on for 5-10 minutes in each half, if it is while we have the momentum his 10 minute spell could be the gamebreaker.

I have this feeling he may go back to Tom Burgess for a bench spot to add more bulk.I wouldn't be against this but he would hope he cuts out the basic errors.

Wouldn’t that leave us trying to bully NZ off the park with a smaller set of forwards? My view on it is that NZ are bigger and stronger than we are, Tom Burgess off the bench isn’t going to change that if he is going up against someone like JW-H.

There are three ways to beat a big pack, be bigger, be faster, or be smarter. Im not sure that even with 4 forwards on the bench we will be bigger.

Wigan were far better with Leuluai at 9, McIlorum was a bit part player til this season. I am struggling to understand how McIlorum playing 80 minutes, as good an engine as he has, would be better in any way than Roby being on the pitch at any time. We are playing NZ, not a SL team. As soon as Roby came on, after about 25 minutes, he started making yards. Something McIlorum failed to do.

Sinfield used to defend fourth man in when he played loose and we had Burrow and Mcguire in the halves. All that's changed for Leeds now they play Burrow at hooker, Mcguire and half and Sinfield at SO is that he plays three in, having swapped with the centre. Burrow and Mcguire play 2nd man in. With anyone else other than Burrow at hooker for Leeds, the hooker plays in the middle and the two halves play 2nd man in, inside the winger and outside the centre.
England could play the same formation: A half and Burrow on one side of the defence and the other half the other side. It's no different to what teams used to do when they had a pivot at loose forward.

Where's all this McCollorum is an 80 minute player come from? Hasn't he spent most of his career being spelled with Tommy L, and Logan Tomkins?

McIllorum has been terrible so far. His distribution is far too slow and he cant scoot from DH. Roby to start with Burrow as teh impact player. Anyone who says Burrow cant defend hasnt seen him play. He is one of the best tacklers in the game

Think Roby started off sharing hooker role with Cunningham.

Positions 8 -17 in no particular order

Graham
Roby
S.Burgess
G.Burgess
Westwood
Hill
O'loughlin
Burrow
Ferres
Mossop

In 2012 Tommy Leuluai was at scrum half for half a season and injured for the other half so McIlorum played 80 minutes most weeks and had his best ever season. He has been rested and rotated this year up until the play offs when he played 80 minutes each week and it was probably the best little patch of his career he has put together.

This thread confirms to me he's the most under-rated player in superleague. That's coming from somebody who wouldn't pick him in the next two games but he must be. There is only James Roby ahead of him in the British game IMO and even he has been outplayed in the vast majority of games when facing McIlorum (as have the whole Saints team to be fair). The things he brings to a team won't add short term impact though so playing him for 20 minutes here and there just won't work.

He's is (well was now Tomkins has gone) the 3rd most important player in the double winning Wigan team after O'Loughlin and Sam Tomkins so he's not all bad.

Burrow