Great start for the new season, he misses 10% of it before we kick a ball.

If Wales select him in their World cup squad he would be available for the start of the year...

If that isn't possible, can't friendly games be used to count against it? Sure that happened start of this year to someone.

I wouldn't be surprised if our new superstars spend a fair bit of time on the naughty step. Should be plenty of chances for the young lads to shine next season.

I think only one friendly counts. Wales could pick him, I suppose, but would he even play a game?

He would definitely feature in the Wales team, if it was based on players available from Super League and Championship teams, but there could be NRL based players who will be available because of their Welsh origin?

No, I meant if he had a 3 match ban
.

There are 3 games in the group stage, so they would be selecting him to play in the Qtr finals onwards.

....although if Wales have a friendly warm up game that too could count, so he would only miss 2 group games?

Do you think Wales are going to finish above PNG and Tonga?

Given PNG put 50 on them at the last World Cup, doubtful unless they find some NRL players with Welsh ancestry!!

Be awfully nice of them to include him in the squad though!

He could be back for their last game vs PNG if he can count a pre World Cup friendly in his ban, might be worth their while.

As I said back in September .

It looks like these are the two Powell wanted to drop but can’t.
Big lumps can win games . Big useless lumps can’t

Powell should be sacked , if only for signing these two

But iirc, most fans were pleased we'd got 2 big units after a year of struggling in the forwards (ironically including Holmes, Hughes and Mulhearn - the 1st two came in for massive criticism from fans).

Kasiano in particular was seen as an impact prop but one with more than a little skill.

I thought we'd got 2 too many props so even losing Mikaele and Maguire we weren't exactly light IF Powell got them playing in the right way.
Vaughan, Bullock, Philbin, Kasiano, Dudson, Harrison plus Green.
On paper thats not bad.

Harrison back for the Leeds game so for the love of sanity drop Dudson.

I assume Bullock will be back too if he’s over his thumb injury. Likely we’ll revert to Mikaele starting, Crowther did ok for me so

Vaughan
Clark
Mikaele
Currie
Nicholson
Crowther

Walker
Philbin
Harrison / Bullock
Kasiano

I would have said Kasiano would be dropped for Bullock, but Chambers talked him up a bit after the game for his effort stopping the Catalan try in the corner at the end. Chambers is big on that, so I guess he’ll stay in. I don’t think with Kasiano it’s a lack of effort, some stupid play and far too many errors, Dudson on the other hand just doesn’t seem to want to put a shift in.

I had no issues with us letting Holmes and Hughes go, Mulhearn however I thought was good enough to keep but I understand (from posts on here!) that we didn’t offer a good enough deal.
I agree with your comments on the perceived strength of the pack though.
What amazes me is that players who were devoid of confidence last season are playing with vim and verve at Leigh whereas totally new players to our team are devoid of confidence, I can’t see how this is anything other than a coaching issue.

I would personally say it's 3/5 coaching, 2/5 recruiting aging journeymen. Sometimes you are lucky, but by and large they have no buy in to the club. I would loan Dudson, who must surely be nicknamed 'dud' to Swinton. That's the standard at which he seems comfortable.