As a Fev fan there's not much wrong with the pitch at the moment, it's what you'd expect from a grass pitch in February but certainly not in any way a risk. With the weather fairly dry recently, it's been not remotely like the Challenge Cup game you might have seen against Wakefield last year - when it chucks if down with rain for hours, as it did then, the pitch does get very boggy but most of the time it's fine.

That said, maybe somebody has in the back of their mind the fact that Hull picked up a few injuries in that feisty CC game at Post Office Road a few years ago, but that was a bit of a freaky game and generally you don't see more injuries at Fev than anywhere else.

The squad seems a sensible approach. Hopefully Asiata and Cust can be taken off at half time.

I’ve said it before, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having the last 32 clubs in a bag and having an open draw.

Sometimes you’ll draw Wigan away, other times you’ll be at home to a lower league team. It’s the magic of the cup and adds to the excitement when the draw opens up for done teams or pits two bigger clubs together in an early round.

Thing is Steve do we really need to be paying anyone to come up with a revamped C/C competition
I agree the RFL are pretty useless but in this digital age all they had to do was ask fans for their ideas about revamping the C/C.
using this approach rather than spending what is likely to be millions on the Speadsheet Charlies IMG who know sweet FA about the game would most likely have come up with far better solutions to enhance the sport than what IMG have so far delivered.
Lets hope the NRL come in sooner than later and get rid of IMG before they bankrupt the RFL

Something needs to change with it, for me and I imagine most other fans, it doesn't really get interesting until the quarter/semi final, even then, given the small no. of top flight teams, it gets boring playing the same teams over and over.

If we're paying for the 'spreadsheet Charlie's' for the next ten years, we might as well use them, rather than listening to chairmen that care about themselves only

The CC has been dying on it's ar$e for a few years now and change was needed but I don't think the changes the RFL /IMG have made will stop its decline .
Both need to go back to the drawing board asap to come up with a better plan .

It’s about going through drills they’ve learned on the training ground and having a ‘game head’ on, giving players match fitness. So there’s every point imo

I think maybe as the word suggests img we’re consulting. Ie a discussion with rather than a directive to the clubs. Img are amongst other things trying to make money for the game. The clubs are trying to make money too but can’t do this by having players play too many games. If most teams can develop sizeable squads filled with youth then fair enough. For me clubs need to have a reserve team and at same time be able to afford a sizeable squad. It’s a conundrum. Given that there is a limited reserve league then the cc certainly needs some youth in it. But clubs need to imprint their training on match day. I’m sure Cartwright knows all this better than us

Don't think that's far off, although Johnston is a centre I think, so I'd play him there and Jebson off the bench, maybe instead of Ashworth.

Anyone know of Wainhouse is injured, not seen him mentioned at all during pre season?

I think fan input is great as we want bums on seats but img etc have the responsibility of using the competition to market the game and make money amongst other things. Whatever you think of the RFL and IMG they have a tough job. We need the game on terrestrial tv but not Wigan v Isle of Skye ARLFC

It was in the HDM last week that he was back in full training after his ACL rupture. I don't think we will be rushing him into anything after such a long recovery.