Just look at the pack even before they get injuries:

Flower - Had a good career with us but wasn't always making the 17 last year. Good signing for them nonetheless.
Hood - Championship journeyman, out of his depth
Ioane - Again just a bog standard Championship player. Did nothing of note for London when they were in SL then they got rid.
Hellewell - As above. Two of their best forwards are from the team that got London relegated.
Thompson - Has plenty SL experience but he never really did anything of note. Made the natural move to the Championship after opportunities dried up in SL. Like Flower he's a good guy to have in the side but not as one of your best players.
Bell - Unknown quantity (or to me he is anyway) as he's still very new to first team rugby.

Wakey - Fifita, Wood, Arona, Ashurst, Tanginoa, Westerman
Hull KR - Vete, Parcell, Sims, Takairangi, Linnett, Hadley

Flower walks into those teams. Thompson maybe pinches a bench spot. The rest of that Leigh pack would be sat in the stands even at Wakey or KR unless they had injuries. I feel bad for Leigh because they had inadequate time to prepare for SL. I don't want them to do badly but I'm struggling to see how they're on a par with Wakey or KR. I think people are getting mistakenly thinking we're up against the same Leigh that last got relegated from SL. That side had Hock, Higham, Patterson, Stewart, Hansen and Tickle in the pack and still only managed 5 wins. I'm not saying this time they will finish on 0 points but it's a possibility IMO.

I think you might be thinking about the game in May which could be the first one where fans come back. Friday's game is at Headingley.

So it is......

Had the jab yesterday, can I blame Astra Zenica?

Without a shadow of a doubt & that team beat us early on in 2019

No way is this going to be an easy game.

For us I think we need to ensure our defence in the early rounds is at the level of the end of last season. If it is then we’ll be able to grind some results out and hang in there until the attacking players start coming back in. If we let that defensive attitude slip though we could be in for a tough few weeks. It was only a friendly but the Salford game showed the challenge we’ll face in attack with second rowers at centre, potentially kids on the wing and Hardaker at fullback, who with all due respect just doesn’t have the pace for the position anymore IMO.

Remember about 3/4 weeks ago and certain posters talking about leaving half the team out as we should beat Leigh easy etc. ?
It was a ridiculous statement then, and anyone who takes any team lightly deserves what they get
Well need to be as good as we can be Friday, as we will most weeks.

News from the coaches press conference today - Hastings and Gildart classed as doubtful but Field looks set to play. Bevan not in the country - back in the next couple of days.

Field is probably the one who helps us the most regards balancing the side. I’d go with him at fullback and put Hardaker in to the centre. If Hastings isn’t ready then Harry Smith to start.

Only Manfredi is a winger, Gildart and Field are not. Hanley and Halsall are not wingers either. It is not one of those things it is pp planning.

Think you’ve nailed this team mate, although expect Clubb and Byrne to be above Clark is the pegging order despite a good showing against Salford.

I'd have to look back but pretty sure I suggested giving Kilner and one of the backs a go on the basis that I expected them to be needed later in the season so would rather them get experience against Leigh than being thrown in the deep end when injuries force it. Otherwise you can end up with a situation like we had with Jack Murphy in the 2012 SL semi final against Leeds. Obviously at the time I only thought we would be missing Marshall. Now I'd go as full strength as we are able. IMO we would have won the Grand Finals in 2011 and 2012 if we hadn't fielded our best available team every week.

Hardaker will play at fullback. So if Field plays, perhaps on the wing or maybe on the bench?