Farrell hurt his ankle at Leeds on Friday and will miss Hull and possibly the next Leeds fixture as well. Only Pettybourne is a chance of being back for Friday by all accounts.

A couple of tough weeks coming up I reckon but as long as these injuries clear up come the Cas cup game then that's all that matters.

Great! Yet we have extended Hopkins loan deal at Leigh, why?

Think we will struggle at hull, they will have a bollocking after letting a 16-0 lead slip with 25 mins to go vs Wakefield.

Strongest team?

Bowen
Manfredi
Goulding
Sarginson
Burgess
Green
Smith
Taylor
McIlorum
Crosby
Gelling
Bateman
Clubb

Powell
Dudson
Sutton
James

Bowen
Sarginson/Manfredi
Goulding
Gelling
Burgess
Green
Williams
Taylor
McIlorum
Crosby
Bateman
Hughes
Clubb

Smith
Sutton
Dudson
C Farrell

I wonder if Wane will be tempted to give Rhys Pugsley or Rob Lever a game on Friday?

Amazing how in just a couple of seasons, 2nd row has gone from our strongest position to a real problem area.

what about connor ? hes been in a couple of squads recently

Just what we need! I'd go:

FB 1 Bowen
RW 31 Manfredi
RC 3 Goulding
LC 5 Gelling
LW 32 Burgess
SO 6 Green
SH 7 Smith
P 8 Taylor
H 27 Williams
P 16 Dudson
SR 25 Bateman
SR 24 Clubb
LF 9 McIlorum

S 14 Hughes
S 17 Crosby
S 19 Powell
S 22 Pettybourne

I know McIlorum at LF is a little out of leftfield but he's switched there before during games and done fairly well IIRC, I toyed with the idea of moving Gelling into the back row but that would mean Sarginson at centre who just isn't up to it defensively atm. Connor Farrell would be another option but surely we would have played him v Bradford, Dewsbury or Hunslet if he was ready for this level

Decent suggestion that Grimmy. I don't mind McIlorum in the back row at all and Williams could do some real damage out of dummy half with a good enough spell afforded to him.

I'd go with the same team but bring Crosby in for Sutton.

I forgot about Crosby! Will edit now

Clubb's lack of mobility worries me when he plays SR. He's much more effective playing down the middle, but our lack of SR options means he'll probably have to play there, unless he plays LF again. I think giving McIlorum a run at LF is a decent shout.

As apollosghost said, how we've got in to this situation where one SR out means we either have to play someone out of position or throw a youngster in is unbelievable. At the back end of 2011 we had Hoffman, Hansen, Hock and Farrell, with Joel Tomkins playing in the centres and Tuson in reserve, less than 3 years later we've got 1 out of 6 left.

We knew Hoffman was leaving, the Hock situation developed as it did but these and the sale of Joel are far enough back in time for the club to have a plan in place for the back row.

Part of that plan should have been retaining Hansen which I believe the club could have done quite easily. Would it have meant paying more than they first envisaged in wages? Probably but now perhaps people can see that if one of Bateman, Faz or Lockers are out we are stuffed and so trying to do it on the cheap doesn't work.

Perhaps they thought Clubb and Hopkins were good enough in the back row so they didn't need to. If so that was was an error of judgement.

You keep using this as stick to beat the club with DaveO, but you have no proof whatsoever that Hansen would have stayed.. Hearsay yes, proof, no.. Much as i wish he was still here, he would have had as much to say in where he played as anyone.