Penny seems to be very good at fullback in this current team.

Word on the street is Russell won't make it but Westerman and Gidley will play.

Well if one player put down his cards to say I can play fb over Easter it was Penny. He took high ball after high ball at Hull, never dropping and always making yards. Solid in defence and very involved with play.
I'd rather see Penny at fb than Ratchford.

Maybe TS doesn't yet know who will be fit enough to play.

Well guys I've done my hamstring in tonight - grade 1 though - so should only be out for a few days (a week max), so TS can include me in the squad after that then.
My wife refers to to them as 'whingeries', but took sympathy and made me an egg and bacon sarnie as I iced the area.....
9First time I've done my hamstring - it's usually calves.....

Penny the second coming is a very well balanced player, still quick, not in the way he was but I doubt I'd still beat him to the ice cream truck.

There is no other player I want to succeed in rugby more than him.

Got a lot of time for Kev Penny,he has done it the hard way and probably never been anywhere near the top earners

He has graphed and waited for his opportunity and seems a nice guy to boot,do we know what is celebration is all about?

For what it's worth I can't see Ormsby or Philbin in the 17 and hope Matty makes it

I've slated him to death to anyone who would listen ever since we brought him back. Never thought he was a player of Superleague standard..

...Eating my words this year.

If he is out of his depth at this level then he shouldn't be picked end of. Our rivals rarely put a youngster in who looks out of his depth. Last season he didn't look out of his depth. Making 3 changes in the back line when one move is all it takes is madness.

IF Russell isn't fit it's not complete madness imo. Has/can Penny play at FB and has Ormsby played on the wing? Sure there are potential changes, but, it's not like you're completely shuffling the team asking Westwood to go back to Centre to allow Evans to go to FB.

I think that Johnson started shakily, but, played alright after their first try. He's still a player and you've got to trust TS to manage him, its a balance between Wigan Away being a big game and denting the lads confidence by leaving him out.

I think Wigan away is too big a game for Johnson, in fact it is 3rd behind both finals, not the game you want to be throwing rookies in.
If Russell isn't fit for Saints next week Johnson should play, it's a home game with the home support behind him, at Wigan though Penny and Orsmby are experienced and is absolutely the correct choice.
It's not even major disruption..Penny has played fb many times and Gene slips straight into his natural position.

Sorry guys I disagree, changing the team is such a way upsets the balance when you don't need too. Leave Penny where he is and he can continue to form his partnership with his centre. There is a bench player who has played at full back and that is Ratchford. If Johnson is not up to it then keep him well clear of the first team until such times he is.

I have no doubt that Penny and Ormsby can come in, but I personally am vehemently against changing players to suit when there are other options. How about Ratchford at SH and Gidley at FB?

Then you're saying play Clark for 80 mins and more of the same sub standard half back play that was on show at Hull.

We have to move players around no matter what.

Stef at hooker
Gids/Sandow halves

Ormsby who has played nothing but wing and is a cracking finisher...don't see the problem sticking him outside Atkins.

Penny adjusts his role slightly, he'll still play the same game on the exit sets, he can still chime in the line and he is brave and confident under the high ball.

Absolute no brainer for me

You've every right to disagree of course Snagg's, but, then you say that you are against changes, want to continue form and partnerships and then suggest moving Gidley to FB and putting Ratchford into the halves?

There are changes, adn there are [ichanges[/i.

Penny to fullback isn't the latter, and doesn't necesarily weaken the team elsewhere, moving gids or removing our replacement hooker.

Penny's played at fullback many times now over the last 18 months, and done pretty well there, so much so he looked like he was going to be keeping russell out pre season, and i don't think putting him there disrupts the team in anyway, he's a much more known entity and as yed mentioned he's an older head who will deal with the pressure of the pie dome a lot better.


PS, i liked johnson a lot last year as well, he'll have his time.