Hull V Saints

Quote: Paul Youane "Not belittling but trying to cut through the rubbish.

At the start of the season your first choice 13 would have been something like
You have forgotten Flannery, Perry and Moore, all of whom would have been in the starting 17. Perry did play, briefly, but he was a question mark due to being out with a groin strain for three weeks previously. Eastmond was also a question mark due to being ill for two weeks with a chest infection. However, neither Moore nor Flannery played. Meli and TP are now doubts for this weekend, both of them playing with injuries yesterday as we have no players left.

What you miss is that Pryce is a long term injury absence. He hasn't played even half a match since June last year (discounting the friendly in which he sustained his groin injury). Because he is a long term absence, we played another stand off in his place. That stand off became our first choice stand off. Lee Gaskell. He got injured with a broken ankle. Meanwhile, Pryce continued to be injured. We then played Gary Wheeler, who was taken out by Hoffman and so could not play. Meanwhile, Pryce remained injured. Eastmond, in the meantime, was suspended due to behaving badly and general attitude issues and so Lomax became our first choice scrum half. Lomax was played even when Eastmond was back from suspension and in the u20s. Then Lomax got injured. Eastmond was then recalled but uncertain due to his chest infection. In addition, while Wello is our first choice fullback, he picked up an ankle injury which meant he went off during the first half against Wigan, due out for 3 to 4 weeks. So then Makinson became our first choice fullback. Makinson then got a deadleg in the match against Castleford so Armstrong was called in. He usually plays centre on dual contract with Leigh. He was thrown in at fullback for most of the game against Cas. Then Armstrong broke his nose during our game yesterday and our club's last fit back who is ready for first grade was thrown in at the deep end for his debut at fullback (Ashe is a fullback in the u20s).

It needs to be noted that next season Royce Simmons wants at least four halfbacks available to play. If we had all our halfbacks fit, then it is likely this season we would see four of them play, by choice rather than due to injury.

You wanted to 'sort through the rubbish': well, there it is sorted through for you. We have no stand offs left at all, so Wilkin has had to play there. We are hoping Nathan Ashe remains fit, even though he is only just back from injury himself, because we have no backs left who are fit to play now.