If Powell needs a week off it would be a great opportunity to see Harry Smith alongside Hastings. I watched the Widnes reserves game and he was a level above in that first half. I suspect Shorrocks would get the nod because he could spell Tommy at 9.

Joe Shorrocks?

Surely we can't have TC and GB in the same 17?
GB if injured needs to be as you say 100% but TC hasn't been 100% for years and how he gets selected ahead of Kilner or Havard is a complete mystery to me.
When TC plays its like starting with 16 rather than 17

If Sam has passed every head test known to man I still wouldn’t play him, the guy was knocked out cold, you can’t mess with that, I’d be quite willing to give him a couple of month off, like a boxer really if they get ko’d they usually don’t fight again for a good few months , we need to start treating serious head knocks like a serious knee injury out for a good while.

Agreed, think within the next year our pack will be made up of Partington Bryne Havard Kilner and Burgess if he can manage his hip. It’s certainly the best set of forwards we’ve produced in a while

Yes and let’s pack them in cotton wool while we are at it. If a player passes the HIA then he is deemed fit and safe enough to play. Protect the players by all means but rest them for a few months is way over the top IMO. The game is already going soft as it is. Whatever will we have next, a players mother coming on and kissing it better!

I fully understand anyone who says he should get the week off but a couple of months is OTT. It’s pointless comparing to boxers who get knocked out because even if a boxer wins in 1 round, he then gets weeks/months off.

Clubb managed about 5 mins in the Leeds friendly and about 15/20 minutes against Warrington. We’ve had little option but to play him in the past few seasons but that’s not an issue anymore and he’s as un-selectable as George Burgess on Friday for me.

He needs to get himself in the right frame of mind and condition to do his job. The thing that frustrates me with Clubb is that he has proper props performances in him, he showed that in a spell of a couple of months last season, when we were down to the bare bones minus Flower and Bullock and with Tautai (I think) and Hamlin off the books. He forgot the hard man routine and concentrated on solid defence and strong carries. He was a far better player for just playing the game and not concentrating on taking kickers late, trying to put shots on (and missing) and becoming embroiled in verbals with the opposition. He seems a very popular person but that can’t buy you a place in a top level side.

Sharrocks and Mitch Clark in reserve if Powell and Burgess can’t play according to lam.

Interesting to see Clark over Bullock, though bullock has outplaying him in 3 games so far this year.

Maybe plying Clark against his former club might be a good move, or the opposite if he gets targeted

I can understand wanting to give Clark a crack whilst we've just signed him, thought he would be in last week to be honest. I'd have Bullock in there as well though personally, particularly if Flower is still out. Massive opportunity for Shorrocks, if he doesn't take this, then I think he'll fall behind Smith in the pecking order and not get another first team game.

Bullock must be wondering what he needs to do. He looks much fitter than last year and has looked our best prop in two friendlies and a reserve fixture. His face doesn’t seem to fit. There must be reasons behind it but we’re still a team crying out for go forward in the middle and he’s our best option by a street in that regard.

Shorrocks over Harry Smith would be a real safe bet but understandable given how tough a place Cas is to visit.

Well I'm not a rugby coach and I'm not there at training so you always have to acknowledge we dont have fully informed views as fans. But from what Iv seen I would have go the other way on both decisions - Bullock over Clark and Smith over Shorrocks.

Hard to get my head around the Bullock decision, we're crying out for a prop who can make yards after contact and he does it.
You've got to wonder if his face just doesn't fit with Lam, I reckon he'd have an absolute field day at Saints coming on at 3rd prop when Walmsley/Thompson need a breather.

1 Zak Hardaker
2 Liam Marshall
3 Chris Hankinson
5 Joe Burgess
6 Bevan French
7 Tommy Leuluai
8 Tony Clubb
9 Sam Powell
11 Willie Isa
12 Liam Farrell
13 Sean O’Loughlin
15 Joe Greenwood
16 Morgan Smithies
17 Ollie Partington
20 Liam Byrne
22 Mitch Clark
23 Jake Bibby
27 Jake Shorrocks
28 Harry Smith
30 Ethan Havard
31 Jackson Hastings

Harry Smith in the 21's

I can’t understand the decision to play an ineffective prop in Clark over a proven effective prop in Bullock. It weakens our pack IMHO.

It’s done nothing for my confidence in Lam in a week where after our performance v Warrington and despite the win, we needed to come back stronger. We got lucky with a red card and a sin bin v a dominant Warrington, Cas will not offer us those opportunities.