Idea nicked from Rico. Since no one has initiated a thread on it, what’s everyone’s starting 13 and bench?

I need to work mine out over lunch.

1. Ratchford
2. Ashton
3. Mata’utia
4. King
5. Charnley
6. Widdop
7. Williams
8. Cooper
9. Clark
10.Mulhern
11.Currie
12.Holmes
13.Magoulias
14.Philbin
15.Undecided til after lunch
16.Undecided til after lunch
17.Walker

I want Thewlis in there more often. Just not sure how the bench should look under Powell.

1. Thewlis
2. Charnley
3. Matautia
4. King
5. Ashton
6. Widdop
7. Williams
8. Cooper(captain)
9. Clark
10. Mulhern
11. Currie
12. Holmes
13. Longstaff

14. Ratchford
15. Philbin
16. Bullock
17. Margoulis
Very harsh on walker, but I've put ratchford on the bench as utility cover.

I'd take your pre lunch 15 EW and reticence about leaving Thewlis out.

However, here's the rub with Hughes the two spots could be any two from Bullock and Harrison (not to exclude Doro and Butler with another year under their belts) if we go down the prop route. Whereas a forward/utility approach will throw him up against Clark, Davis Wrench and Longstaff...

1. Ratchford
2. Ashton
3. King
4. Ma'atautia
5. Charnley
6. Williams
7. Widdop
8. Cooper (C)
9.Clark
10. Philbin
11. Currie
12. Holmes
13. Magoulias

14. Mulhern
15. Bullock
16. Longstaff
17. Walker

Not unhappy with your picks Moe either and highlights concerns re Hughes as captain and whilst typing CW8 with probably my selection apart from Mulhern to start with Philbin impacting.

Really impressed with what I've seen from Longstaff and seriously not looking for a straight selection from anyone based on your first 17 without Hughes. If he's in anyone's 17 I'd be interested to know why, am I genuinely missing something?

For 2022 I am hoping for much better from these we could consider shoe ins.

King (2nd half of season - 1 try)
Philbin
Currie

This is almost what I came up with, except I had Magoulias at 13. Thewlis is the future, and Ratchford was very average last year. Time to make that call. Walker will get game time at the start of 2022 with Clark being absent, and there will plenty of other opportunities.

Ratchford
Thewlis
Matautia
King
Ashton
Widdop
Williams
Cooper
Clark
Mulhern
Currie
Holmes
Margoulis

Philbin
Bullock
Walker
Longstaff
I have possibly been harsh on Charnley but he has a lot to do to redeem himself after last season. I have offset that by putting Thewlis in, I’m not ready to consign Ratchford to the bench…yet.
I’ve put Margoulis on at loose as I assume the club have brought him over for a reason ( not totally sure why I make that assumption) but I can easily see Longstaff coming in.
I do wonder if Powell will put Hughes on at 13 though given he has named him as captain. Or maybe he will leave him in the second row, use Holmes at 13 and Margoulis from the bench. Who knows?

Nobody found a place for J Clark yet? And what about Matt Davis? This coaching malarkey may be harder than I thought.

Some interesting opinions, the one thing that stands out as clearly as dog’s balls though is the props situation. Dire sadly

I think bullock and mulhern will make a good pairing off the bench. Also Cooper will set a standard for Philbin to match. I don't think Philbin has been great last year and I certainly think this 'impact' has been questionable. He has as much to prove as Bullock IMO, I hope he gets back to the form from a couple of seasons ago.

Hughes hasn`t figured in any suggested squads yet and if Magoulias is to play at 13, then there doesn`t seem to be a backrow position for Hughes.
With Powell`s captaincy decision, surely it is his intention to play Hughes. I wonder if he intends to select Hughes to play at prop forward?

Ratchford
Minikin
King
Matautia
Ashton
Widdop
Williams
Cooper
Clark
Mulhearn
Currie
Holmes
Hughes

Walker
Magoulias
Philbin
Clark

I just have a feeling that Charnley isn’t Powell’s cup of tea. He/his team made a point of exposing Charnley last season, game 1 was a car crash in truth. Minikin has been brought in for a reason, I can’t imagine he was peanuts money either

Maybe the masterplan is to start Hughes and then allow him to play himself out of the side, then a new captain must be chosen but nobody needs to be upset about it?