This would be my team. Having Hampshire on the bench offers a bit of "X Factor" if things are going badly. It also gives us a plan B to mix things up a bit if the halfbacks are playing poorly - take Green off, put Sam to Stand off and Hampshire to full back.

Hopefully we wouldn't need to, but something radical will have to be done if we turn up in the same as form as the past few weeks.

As this a Team for Wembley thread I thought I would take a bit of a liberty and post a bit of news from the Hull board.

Ben Crooks has taken part in a training session today and is expected to take a fitness test later, Hull fans now seem confident he will line up at Wembley.

Sam
Charnley
Goulding
Gelling
Richards
Green
Smith
Mossop
McIlorum
Flower
Hansen
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Taylor
Tuson
Crosby
Logan/Dudson

I would as well.

Except that as the lad has only had limited exposure in the first team would he buckle to 'Wembley fright' and freeze ?

Times without number over the years I have seen very good players at both RL and football, 'freeze' when playing in front of a huge crowd at Wembley.

I suppose we could say this about all our players, even Sam. Even he might freeze at Wembley.

Crooks Arundel Tickle Yeaman and Lineham were said to be injury doubts. Either some kidology involved, or Hull will be weakened or they will play with players not fully fit.

To be honest that's just as likely to happen to Logan or Hughes which are the other two likely options, at least Hampshire has looked good recently

Arundel came off last week with a dislocated finger and suspected broken hand. Yea man was carried from the field last week. Tickle will play, crooks and Lineham are anyone's guess.

Based on an outsiders perspective- I haven't seen how hard they train, what their attitude is etc etc

Tomkins
Charnley
Goulding All pick themselves and are class backs.


God Knows. Real quality issue here. If I absolutely have to then Thornley on the basis that Hughes and Gelling are a liability.

Richards - He's spent, but purely for dropouts and goal kicks.

Green
Smith Worst halve partnering in a Wigan team since the days of Denis Moran.........but who else have we?

Mossop
McIlorum
Flower
Hansen
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Dudson
Taylor
Tuson
????? A back preferably. Maybe Powell or Hampshire? Who has been putting the most into training?

Arundal has confirmed this morning he is definatley out. He is having an operation on his fractured hand this morning. Lineham is also expected to be ruled out. Although Ben Crooks could be in for a surprise return 4 weeks early

Do you prefer Dudson to Crosby, or is that just on the basis that he's been playing recently? For me Crosby has been better than both Mossop and Dudson when he's played. I think it's a real shame that he'll probably miss out

Tomkins
Charnley
Goulding
Gelling
Richards
Green
Smith
Taylor
McIlorum
Flower
Farrell
Hansen
O'Loughlin

Mossop
Crosby
Tuson
Hampshire

Haven't we only had 3 partnerships since then?

Barrett and Leuluai
Smith and Leuluai
S.Tomkins and Leuluai
Finch and Deacon*
Finch and Leuluai

*Leuluai at hooker, then moving to the halves when McIlorum came on for Deacon

To be honest though that's a pretty decent set of players. I don't think anyone could have expected Smith to be better than Leuluai/Deacon or Green to be better than Barrett/S.Tomkins.

Green and Smith aren't terrible, they just haven't played to the standards we have become accustomed to. Long term I can see us letting Green go at the end of his contract and letting Hampshire partner Smith with L.Tomkins or Williams coming off the bench.

I think Dudson will get the nod, and "probably" has a bit more potential (though this can change with effort etc).

I'd prefer Lauaki to Dudson, as I've mentioned before defensively he is a nightmare in that he gets left on the ground too often and the two Hull hookers (Houghton and Heremia) would target him. Of the three I would probably prefer Crosby but he doesn't yet have the same physical presence of Dudson or Lauaki. A lot depends on Laukis "state of mind"