Tommy to start at scrum half. (Deacon and Finch are too similar). We need Micey Mac to start to do some damage defensively. One of our tries today came on the back of a superb tackle from him direct from a kick off

Hopefully Coley will be back, as we need four props.

Id certainly think about playing Amos at 1 next week if it meant Sam being fully fit and playing at 6 alongside Deacs at 7.

Agreed. Some of the stuff in the last 20 minutes against HKR was very easy on the eye.

My main concern for Friday is 4 props though, Saints' pack is very, very good.

+1

He's our best 7, start him there and move him to 9 after 25/30 mins.
If were going to play Mickey Mac then he needs to start, the best part of his game is the defensive stuff and that's where we need him Friday in the first 25/30 mins.
Let's not waste Tommy's energies in there, let him run at em after MM has done the Hard graft!

It sounds like things are just going round and round in circles. Leuluai has been played at scrum half and was fairly poor except in broken play. His kicking game was especially poor. Leuluai has played well at hooker when allowed to start in that position, much better than when he moved to hooker part way through the game.
McIlorum looks tired and hasn't offered much going forward for a while which is exactly why it was felt that Leuluai had to move to hooker.
Now that it seems that Finch and Deacon are too similar in the halves people are suggesting the team is switched to one of the combinations that already hasn't really worked
I still think there's a player that could add attacking options into the halves, allowing 2 hookers and Sam to remain at fullback but we'll probably never find out, at least not in the near future.

I'd be so tempted to bring Sam back in at 6 in place of Finch and leave Roberts at fullback. I didn't think Roberts did alot wrong yesterday and whilst he has alot of confidence building to do he can't be expected to get back to his best without gametime.

Another reason I'd be tempted to do this is because Finch is still blowing abit hot and cold for me. He's pushing too many passes for my liking and needs to be more patient. He needs to try and put an element of doubt in defenders minds by taking on the line abit more. He is too easy to read at the minute because teams know he's getting rid of the ball regardless of the position he finds himself in. I believe he can and will improve but hand on heart I don't think he warrants a place in our best 17 at the minute.

Agreed with all of that Rogues. We cant go into this game light upfront. Mickey Mac needs to use the aggression we know he has and stop Roby from playing cause everything comes off him.

TBH i think if we show up in the forwards we will win, but if we dont we will get hammered.

C.

I am going to be a bit controversial.
On Friday it has got to be horses for courses.

Amos fullback with Sam at standoff, now for the controversial bit.
Deacon,Finch and Tommy to share the scrumhalf/hooking role.
Otherwise if Deacon and Finch are 6 and 7, I can see Lomax and Gaskell
being to quick for them.
Finch for me to be ideal to play the same type of game as Monaghan at Warrington (the hooker not the winger)

If I were Royce I'd go with:

Wellens
Makinson
Shenton
Meli
Foster
Gaskell
Lomax
Puletua
Roby
Graham
Flannery
Soliola
Wilkin

Bench

LMS
Perry
Magennis
Eastmond

Must have missed this bit, I don't remember him being fairly poor at any point in the last 2 years at 7?
As for him being better when He started at 9 than when he moved there, any particular instances you'd like to mention?
Tommy and deacs at HB for me with Finch coming on after half hour (Although Finch starting andDeacs on Bench I could live with).

My views exactly.

Tommy hasn't really stood out at any point this year when playing at scrum half. I think his best game at 7 came at Bradford where he made use of some broken play. Every single game he's played in at 7 his kicking game has been absolutely appalling, probably the worst of any halfback anywhere in Super League and whenever the other halfback didn't perform Leuluai generally didn't either. He never provided any creativity, even with Deacon and Finch out it was left to O'Loughlin to play the role of a true halfback.