Let's have som fun, and see who has the mystic ability to read the Nathans mind...

Some gloating points if you are the winner...

Grix
McG
Leroy ( due a good game soon)
Lawrence
Hodgson
Brown
Brough
Robbo
Crabtree
Griffin
Gilly
Fa'alogo
LOD

Horne
Fiaumu
Lunt
Patrick

( this starts off easy but gets more difficult as I approached the bench )

god knows what 17 he will put out,im hoping he'll start to field our best 17 soon though.personally i'd go with

grix
mcgillvary
lawrence
simpson
hodgson
brown
brough
mason ( if fit)/crabtree
lunt
griffin
fa'aologo
o'donnell
fauimu

subs: gilmour,robinson,patrick,horne

Too hard to name the 17 against Wire as the injury situation is not known particlarly re Fa alogo and Mason.

I will have a stab at what i think our first 17 should be but even there it is difficult as there have been so many changes and different players have different strengths but i would go for


Grix
McG
Leroy
Wardle
Lawrence

Brown
Brough

Mason
Robbo
Griffin
Gilly
Fa'alogo
LOD

Horne
Faiumu
Eorl
Patrick

Robbo is a 70 minute player so do you need a second hooker on the bench for 10 or 15 minutes ie Lunt. If you wanted a bit of mobility you could swap Horne for Kirmond or Fergie.


Wardle may be controversial but he looks sound defensively and seems better suited to being a centre than what we have available. With a few games under his belt i think he could turn into a very shrewd centre. I wonder if he could be paired with Jerry as last season the Leroy / Bruno combo seemed to work well with them switching on attack and defence.

I just having a guess but I think it will be

Grix
Jermaine
Leroy
Wardle
Lawrence/Hodgson

Brown
Brough

Mason(if fit)/Crabtree
Robbo
Griff
Fa'alogo
Gilly
LOD

Fuey
Lunt
Larne/Horne
Simmo

So much talent to pick from!!!

There is 20 players in your 17!

Ok to make it 17 I'll take out Hodgson,Horne and the other is based on if Mason can play if so eorl to sub instead of simmo.

Grix
Mcgillvery
Cudjoe
Gilmour
Lawrence

Brown
Brough

Mason
Robinson
Patrick
kirmond
Raleigh
O'donnell

Crabtree
Griffin
Faiumu
Lunt

Grix
Mcgillevary
Gilmour
Lawrence
Hodgson

Brown
Brough

Raleigh
Robinson
Crabtree
Fa'alogo
O'Donnell
Faiumu

Griffin
Horne
Lunt
Ferguson

Assuming Mason not fit otherwise Mason in the starting pack and Raleigh to drop to bench for Ferguson

What about Larne though?

Close to what I'd go with but, for me, Larne would go in ahead of Raleigh although not to start.

Jeez we have options, big time.

interesting that most people seem to have picked cudjoe over hodgson,im sure thats not based on form.
but as dan says there's just too many options,it doesn't seem that long ago we were struggling to name a 17!

Hodgson must be in as otherwise he would have played today.He would not be in my best 17 , but Nathans cv is better than mine.

This has got me thinking about how much opposition managers think about this angle. And if so they are going struggle with this as much as us.

I have a sneaky feeling that Nathan may throw in a couple of wild cards - Simpson and wardle perhaps.

Grix

McGilvery, Lawrence, Wardle, Hodgson

Brown, Brough

Crabtree, Lunt, Griffin
Gilmour, Fa'alogo
O'Donnell

Horne, Faiumu, Patrick, Robinson

Assumption: Mason unfit for selection.

If Fa'alogo is still having injury issues then I would swap him out for Ferguson.

If all fit then;-

Grix

McGilvery
Cudjoe
Lawrence
Hodgson

Brown
Brough

Mason
Lunt
Griffin
Gilmour
Fa'alogo
O'Donnell

Robbo
Faiumu
Crabtree
Patrick

I agree with the post above but start robbo instead of Lunt, and Mason out for ferguson

Possibly however I think Raleigh did enough yesterday to keep his spot and with Mason out we need a more solid hard worker rather than an impact prop which I feel Patrick is. That would allow Eorl to play more an impact role rather than the grafting role he played last year. However reading the Examiner it appears that Fa'alogo will probably miss out so move Horne or Ferguson into 2nd row and Patrick on the bench, or Gilmour into 2nd row and Cudjoe or Wardle to centre or..... my head hurts, It's no wonder NB lost all his hair.