Sport is cruel, if he picks the ball up cleanly he goes 80metres and has a dream debut. Gutted for him.

On Friday it sounds like same again + Hastings minus Field.

Hardaker
Bibby
Isa
Farrell
Hanley
Hastings
Tommy
Havard
Powell
Singleton
Smithies
Bateman
Partington

Shorrocks
Bryne
Bullock
Smith

Is how I would go, think we could do with Havard starting games.

These bad bounces of the ball are getting tiresome.

I honestly thought Bateman had done his ACL in that game as well.

Couldn't believe Bateman played on. His leg looked really twisted and when a hard player like him stays down you fear the worst.

Couldn't believe Bazza and co didn't want the Leigh players hung drawn and quartered for their tackle technique

Just unfortunate IMO. You do see a lot of those. I wonder whether they will start to rule that the defender at the bottom needs to allow the legs to rotate when he has the attacker stood still? Probably too high a standard to expect from defenders given that the attacker might break free if the defender loosens his grip round the legs.

I've just seen the Leuluai one back too, nothing wrong with it, first contact is well above the knee and he never takes the legs outside their normal range of motion. It reminded me of the Hansen one that injured Ratchford in the 13 Grand Final that Wire fans wanted him binned/sent off/banned/beheaded for.

No issues with disciplinary, in fact no-one from any club cited

Hardaker
Bibby
Isa
Bateman
Hanley
Hastings
Leuluai
Singleton
Powell
Bullock
Farrell
Smithies
Partington

Harvard
Smith
Shorrocks
Byrne

That looks like the team we’ll probably have to go with. It’s going to be all about attitude if we’re to win the game. That side can defend its socks off, the whole lot of them (Hanley aside and probably Smith from the bench) have proved it and the aim has to be to keep them to a couple of try’s at most. If we do that we should be able to cobble enough points together to win the game.

Hard to see where points are going to come from, hell of a performance if we can get the win.

Johnstone is in form and a match-up nightmare. Feels like whoever we put against him will either be slower than him, or both weaker and slower than him. I don't like being that kind of team but it might be a good weak to try and turn it into a scrappy up the middle game. Lots of pushing and shoving to slow things down, find touch with our kicks rather than keeping it in play.

Bibby did a decent job on him in the last game against them last year. I recall him hammering him in to touch and keeping him about as quiet as we’ve managed, so I’d look to get him on that right side again and hope we don’t get smashed territorially because I don’t fancy them raining kicks down on Bibby with Johnstone against him. I fancy a junior against him even less though.

We can’t afford to go 18-0 down this week that’s for sure. It would be great if we could sneak a win and then get through York without too many heart attacks. If we win these next two by any means possible then it’ll be a job well done and the season should be set up nicely.

Didn't Johnstone get injured in the last game? Maybe I'm getting mixed up, I've got in my head that he got an elbow injury. Although I do remember a wonder try against French. Agreed Bibby needs to line up against him and do whatever he can to make life difficult. If he gets space against him we're done though.

I probably am, just recall one at the HJ against them. I remember him hurting his elbow but think that may have been in an earlier game at Headingley IIRC.

Either way it’s got to be Bibby you’d think.

Hope Jai isn't too downhearted - can't be easy flying halfway round the world only to get a bad injury in the first 20 minutes. Sure the club and players will support him and hope he can give us a little turbo boost at the end of the year.

Yeah you're right, I'm thinking of the Headingley one (exciting game!). It's weird thinking mainly about defence when you look to your wingers but that's exactly what I'm thinking here. Damage limitation and hope the pack can grind out a win.