There won't be a choice for Patton to be dropped.
He'll have a 2/3 game ban reduced to 1/2 with a egp.

Ratchford in the halves and Jack Johnson to full back.


Johnson
Lineham
Goodwin
Atkins
M. Brown
Roberts
Ratchford
Hill
Clarke
Hughes
Murdoch-Masila
Cooper

Crosby
Akauola
Luis Johnson (if we are being adventurous) or Westwood
Smith (literally our only back spare)

So you're dropping Brown?

Brown had a great game against Wigan. Whether you’re a K Brown fan or not that was the best half back display from one our players this season and he has to be given a chance to do it again against Saints. Roberts needs the game time and the training sessions to get up to speed and lets hope the weather is a bit more up his street for next week.

Brown on the bench then instead of Smith.

Patton needs to buck his ideas up pretty quick as he is looking like a poor mans Gaz O'Brian at the moment. His tackle(??) at Hull was verging on pathetic whether this was born out of some kind of frustration I don't know but he didn't do himself any favours.
Toby King has had wretched luck with injuries but I think there is a classy if not top notch centre in there somewhere. Remember Catalan away last year ( I think). Livett looks real class, looking forward to seeing him develop over the next couple of years

Tbf to Russell he didnt get binned by Hull. He was only ever on loan with us. You see more of him than me but I always think you guys are a little harsh on him. I think he is a decent player. He lacks size to be a winger in the modern game though. I think you would go better with him at full back and Ratchford at 6.

I've seen very little from Patton to suggest he is good enough though. Generally, if a back or half isn't showing anything by 21, he isnt going to make it. Forwards are different, they generally need a few years to become battle hardened for want of a better phrase. But name me a back who went on to be top class who wasnt already a star in his early 20's. They are few and far between.

Indeed he does and, with reference to the Academy thread, you wonder why he hasn't had more first team rugby as yet. If we was at Wigan would he have been bloodied by now?

Luke Gale.

Not that I’m suggesting Patton is a half-back at that level, but Gale only shone through these last couple of years didn’t he? Can’t think of many others though so fair point!

Brough, also think Akins at Rovers has potential aswell.

I'm not a big fan, but there is also case for Jamie Ellis.

Apparently there in no egp anymore?
Didn't know until this weekend.
Thought I'd get it up before BBW to save 2 minutes of his waste of time.

To this day the best game I have ever seen Brough have was 2005 away at Warrington in the playoffs. He might have had a few years in the wilderness after that but that was more down to attitude than ability. Ellis is a decent SL player but not what I would call top class. Atkin looks promising, remains to be seen whether he will press on. Gale was a good shout though.

Late blooming backs do exist. I am just saying they are rare. All the greats I can think of were already outstanding players very early in their careers. King and Patton are coming up to 22 and 23 respectively. My point is that if they arent showing much quality by now then the odds of them ending up as anything other than average journeymen arent great.