Currently we have Dodd's, Ratch, Bailey, Ben Evans, Laithwaite,Ben Harrison and Toby King all injured but most are expected to return in the near future with only Toby, James Laithwaite and Ben H returning in the medium term.
The chances of us having all our squad fit at the same time is minimal, but what would your 1st choice team look like.
Mine would be......

Ratch
Tom
Rhys
Ryan
Matty
Kurt
Chrissy
Hilly
Daryl
Ashton
Hughes
Ben C
Super Ben

Dwyer
Westerman
Dodds
Ben Harrison

But most of the above could lose their spot if form dipped with only Kurt, Sandow, Hilly , Daryl, Super Ben and Ratch untouchable.

What would your 1st 17 be?

Harrison out for most off season. What about cox instead of harrison

Harrison out for most off season. What about cox instead of harrison

Not bad what a nice dilemma for Tony Smith but I would go with.

Russell
Ratchford
Evans or Penny on the wing Evans being the stronger and no slouch but Penny has that elusiveness.

As Hatfield points out Harrison would have to get in over Cox.

1. Russell
2. Lineham
3. Ratchford
4. Revans/Atkins
5. Penny
6. Gidley
7. Sandow
8. Sims
9. Clark
10. Hill
11. Currie
12. Hughes
13. Westerman

14. Dwyer
15. Harrison (title says when fully fit after all)
16. Dodds
17. Westwood

I don't think we'll see Harrison again this year, if he gets himself fit he will probably go out on loan to a championship club I expect, Smith won't risk him at the back end of the year.

I think Ratch has to play when fit and I think he was playing injured for a lot of last year so I'd give him another shot at full back - I don't want to break up the Gidley/Sandow partnership, playing him on the bench probably means Westerman wouldn't feature and we would lack a bit of size.

Ratch
Lineham
Evans
Atkins
Russell
Gidley
Sandow
Hill
Clark
Sims/Dodds
Currie
Hughes
Westwood

Dwyer
Cox
Dodds/Sims
Westerman

1. Russell
2. Lineham
3. Evans
4. Currie
5. Penny
6. Gidley
7. Sandow
8. Hill
9. Clark
10. Sims
11. Hughes
12. Westwood
13. Westerman

14. Dwyer
15. Dodds
16. Cox
17. Ratchford

all i know is Ratchford wouldnt be at 1,6 or 7

Going off the whole of last season's poor-ish/average form of Ratchford at full back and the impactive running game of Russell, I don't see a single reason why Russell should be dropped for Ratch.

He'd be lucky to get in anywhere. Maybe drop Westwood to the bench and push Currie up to the back row to give Ratch a shot at centre. But even then, why?

Russell could have the same impact returning the ball as a winger. Penny would be dropped, Russell would be moved.

1 Russell
2 Lineham
3 Atkins
4 Ratchford
5 penny
6 Sandow
7 Gidley

Forwards depends on who were playing. For Hull/Cats/Wigan/Pie
8 hill
9 Clark
10 Simms/Dodds&


11 Super Ben
12 Currie
13 Westerman

14 Cox
15 Philbin
16 Sims/Dodds
17 Dwyer


Anyone else bar stains-

8-Hill
9-Clark
10 Sims/Dodds
11 Super Ben
12 Jack Hughes
13 Currie

14 Westerman
15 Simms/Dodds
16 Cox
17 Dwyer


And line up for stains
1 Stevie Wonder to mark the stains runners
2 A doctor to tell Makinson that he's good at catching, but being a good catcher isn't good for your health in St Helens.
3 A poundstretcher team leader to make Dominique Peyroux feel at home.
4 Angela Merkel to help encourage Turner into believing that he's good wherever he plays and his contribution is always valid no matter what position he's in.
5 Promotions officer because no-one's probably heard of /know who the f÷÷k it is.
6 Stephen Hawkins to counteract the speed and vision from whoever saints select at so.
7 Bernard Matthews to farm Luke Walsh in.
8 A sess pit operator to get Walmsley out the sh$t.
9 Boss of Rolex to tell Roby that he's wasting his time at stains.
10 A holiday rep because without one Thompson's going nowhere.
11 A pubic hair to stop Wilkins making any more than his grand total of 5m gained v Salford.
12 A social worker to tell LMS that he's not a drop out and that he shouldn't get upset and fall on the ground if someone says "dropout" because it's not directed at him.
13 My ex misses because anyone can play there.

Where is Rhys Evans?

Based on what I've seen so far this season, and assuming everyone's fit and in form then:-

Russell
Lineham
Ratchford (he should concentrate on being a centre, IMO not good enough for HB and behind Russell and maybe even Johnson at FB)
Atkins (if he can get back to something like his best)
Penny (pace and his infectious enthusiasm outweigh any deficiencies)
Gidley
Sandow
Hill
Clark
Sims
Currie
Westwood
Westerman

Dodds
Cox or Bailey
Hughes
Dwyer

having thought about it, his best opportunity, probably is to force competition at centre, though i'm a believer in keeping the shirt, so i wouldn't drop evans, certainly not for a while unless he has a couple of stinkers, left centre should be up for grabs at the moment and atkins should(already) want to play out of his skin.

Another interesting point, following comments made last year, Penny and russell, starting wing and fullback respectively, when penny has been playing fb pre season (and looks a good fit there) and matty was earmarked for wing last year, thats obviously a tactical decision, a or whether we've now decided to change our style of play to fit the players we've got, rather than the players we had.

Russell
Lineman
Ratchford
Atkins
Evans
Gidley
Sandow
Hill
Clark
Simms
Hughes
Currie
Westerman

Dodds
Westwood
Dywer
Cox / Bailey