Not sure what team Brown will go with ( i only got it right once last season) but i would guess it would be

Brett Hodgson
Cudjoe
Whatuira
Lawrence
David Hodgson
Brown
Robinson
Mason
Faiumu
Griffin
Gilmour
Fa'alogo
Horne

Crabtree
Raleigh
Lunt
Grix

he might start with Lunt but i think Lunt would be better coming on when the Bulls forwards are a little tired.

Quite like Grix on the bench as he can cover so many positions.

the other possibility would be Jammer for Lawrence but as there is so little between them i like Lawrence as he will be the future centre when Jammer leaves.

Fa'alogo also needs to do some fitness work this week as he looked a bit of the pace to me at Cas.

With Wild, Kirmond and Drew to come back there is competition all over the pitch.

Read your choice and the thing that came to mind (which you said) is to replace Jammer with either Lawrence or Grix. Jammer would add more weight and experience into either the 2nd row or centres. Mind you same we have Gilmour now.

If you're interested, this is how I think McNamara will choose it, although I would play Whitehead instead of Worrincy.

Halley
Sheriffe
Sykes
Nero
Reardon
Kearney
Orford
Lynch
L'Estrange
Scruton
Langley
Worrincy
Menzies

Godwin
Hall
Donaldson
Crossley or Crookes

That looks a very poor bench to me.

I'm not sure Fa'alogo was fit enough last week. I'd be tempted to get him up to speed with a couple of hit outs in the 2nds, because if he keeps getting penalised for offside, laying on etc, it will cost us dearly. he was done 3 times that i remember. It's not as though we don't have fantastic cover. When he does come into the side, he will then do himself justice.

Isn't Reardon out??

Hall will provide some real impact, and is capable of playing upto 80 minutes, Donaldson is coming on in leaps and bounds, and looks threatening every time he has the ball, Crossley has the size to play in SL but we'll have to wait and see about the ability.

Hmm...

Godwin was hooker in our (too) late surge last year, when we were probably the form team of the competition. Few will have stronger at 9 on the bench IMO.

Hall is a player most teams would likely have in their starting 13 let alone 17 - he can play prop hence I presume the view of having him on the bench with Sculthorpe injured. I seem to recall, amongst other things, Jamie Peacock saying he was the toughest player on the park in the WCC last year?

Donaldson - already had several pretty successful outings for the first team last year and this, and has to be a strong candidate for young player of the year and a future international in the eyes not just of many Bulls fans. Most of us have been very impressed with his progress. Just need to make sure expectations do not run ahead of what we have any right to reasonably expect.

Crossley or Crookes - If Platt and Sculthorpe were not injured then we'd likely see one or both on the bench. Crookes looked promising and would probably have been a regular in the 17 last season before his injury at Wakey early in the season. Crossley has to step up this year or he'll miss the boat - not an ideal game to throw him into, I'd agree there.

Time - and the match - will tell, but I think to describe it as a "very poor bench" suggests limited knowledge of the players and certainly not having seen them play recently? Most of us are more worried about whether Reardon will have recovered from a dead leg and about Sheriffe generally...

I would pick (injuries permitting):-

B Hodgson
L Cudjoe
J "Jammer" Lolesii
P "Fatz" Whatuira
D Hodgson
K Brown
L Robinson
K Mason
S Lunt
D Griffin
L Gilmour
D Fa aloga
S Wild

Bench any 4 from (injuries permitting)
E Crabtree (Definate on bench)
A Raleigh
G Horne
M Lawrence
D Faiumu
D Kirmond
M Aspinwall
S Grix
B Drew (would be on bench if fit)

I would start Lawrence everytime over Jammer or Fatz ,i think by the end of this season he could be pushing
for international selection

It looks a very poor backline to me ,Halley and Sheriffe will be targeted with kicks and on the back of our pac
k dominating Orford and Kearney will have little or no impact

Halley is solid under the high ball, and its one of Sheriffe's few strong points, however running straight at Sykes and Sheriffe wouldn't be a bad idea .


Just to clarify, why are you so sure your pack will dominate?

As Ewen said...although you know about Nero and Reardon will surprise a lot of people this year IMO - if he is fit to play, of course. You'll not find any Bulls fans I don't think who would pass up on the chance of good centre and a good winger though, but we passed on the chance of the latter to get Orford. Maybe Sheriffe, and Sykes in the centre, will be a revelation this year...

As for the pack...yours is as strong as anyone's IMO. That said, HKR like to tell everyone what a cracking pack THEY have, but that did not stop Orford from running the show or us grinding out a win at their place. Bit light on props for Friday, so will be a hard battle up front but it always is against your lot anyway. Watch out for Orford and Kearney putting Worrincy into space near the line...

Because even with our injuries its bigger,harder and faster