I'd have said throw Gildart in before Leigh but he really struggled defensively in that game. He's a top young player and I'm sure he'll go on to become one of the best centres in superleague but it's very early days. If look to get him some games this year but I think I'd wait for a cup tie against lower league opposition or a team struggling in superleague before throwing him in.

I'd go Bateman or Burgess but it will be Tomkins.

I think he'll go with Logan Tomkins on the bench tbh and rightfully so on pre season form. He looked lively and as though he had a point to prove.

I could see Hampshire starting at fullback with Bowen being held back a week due to the pitch. There doesn't seem to be an increased number of injuries on it to my mind but Wane's never seemed like he trusts it and I could see Bowen along with Lockers and Mossop being held back.

Isn't Tautai a second row? Or is he another one we've "converted" and gonna ask him to just plod it up and not risk an offload while claiming we have the most mobile pack in the league?

Played prop for most if not all of last season at Wakey and was very effective. There's also a bit of talk that he in particular has been given a licence to offload the ball a little more.

I'm with you in that I feel we're a big forward short but later in the season, as the pitches firm up, there is a lot to be said for having a mobile pack. I don't agree with Lenagan and Wane though that we've recruited bigger forwards since the WCC. Mossop is a pretty big bloke but Patrick and Tautai aren't when you compare them to guys like Walmsley, Masoe, Sims, Peacock etc.

After the Leigh game I would have agreed about Logan but against Saints his one-handed carry worried me and I recall him needlessly turning over the ball 2 or 3 times. Plus having a halfback on the bench gives us another option if Williams is struggling. Team I expect in black, team I would like in red
LW 5 Burgess
SO 6 Williams 20 Hampshire
SH 7 Smith
P 8 Crosby
H 9 McIlorum
P 17 Clubb
SR 14 Bateman 11 Joel
SR 12 Liam
LF 13 O'Loughlin

S 16 Powell
S 24 Tautai
S 25 Patrick 28 Sutton
S 31 Connor

*edited after seeing the 19 man squad*

Neither Joel nor Bateman is ideal to play centre but I don't think Bateman would be wrong-footed as easily as Joel seems to be. Plus Joel's size will be handy in the pack given we have looked a bit soft in pre-season

Hampshire is the best 6 at the club now IMO. Really don't get how he keeps being overlooked. Surely even if they want him to make it at FB long term he would at least benefit from SL experience at 6 (as Sam Tomkins did) whilst also improving our team in the short term.

I've not seen a lot of Patrick but Sutton looked the stronger of the two in pre-season for me so I'd give him the nod, and in doing so hopefully send out the message that new signings have to earn a spot in the side just like academy players.

Fair dos. Remember watching a highlight video of him from his Cronulla days and he was wearing either 11 or 13 and did a lot of running out wide.

And yeah we do have probably the smallest set of props. I find it odd that Wane prefers that rather than a bigger/more harder hitting pack. IMO we have the weakest front-row out of the top 4 (or 5). Thank god for McIlorum and I honestly dread him getting a lengthy injury.