It's easy to say that in hindsight, but who thought Buchanan would be anywhere near getting a game this season?

Connor
Faraimo
Scott
Griffin
Naulago
Kelly
Sneyd

That would be my preferred 1-7, although I have a feeling Radford will prefer Logan to Scott.

There is no way he would (Or should,) have put a player who has never played FB at the top level in a game like this, I know he has played a massive 3 games or so at FB for Doncaster 2 in a part time league, but that's about it, his main position us centre.

I'd be more worried if we had him at FB than Scott or Logan at centre.

Trust me. We are awful outside the second rowers so we won't exploit anything. We have even dropped Eden!! For Clare!!

No McShane for us but we have Rankin, Jesse and Cook back. Still no Moors or Millington though.

McShane missing is the big one. Thought he was the difference when we met early in the season.

When I have watched Castleford recently they seem to have gone completely away from the expansive style that has suited them in the last couple of years, and seem to be playing a very basic, forward dominated game. Not sure if that is a conscious decision or if it's due to the current players not being good enough to execute the old gameplan. Either way, I aren't as concerned about having a young centre in the side against Cas as I would have been two seasons ago.

How this goes will depend on the forward battle. This is where Castleford have the edge on is and If we get beaten up down the middle and allow too many quick play the balls we could get overrun like we did in round two, McShane or no McShane. If our forwards can hold their own then I think we have far more quality in our pivots and backline. Just got to control those play the balls and not allow them any momentum.

you mean like we did with Connor Wynne? He did a reasonable job on debut

I just think we get more from Jake Connor when playing at centre rather than full back.
Connor must be a wingers dream for the chances he creates and is the only player we have that can get on the end of a Sneyd kick to the corner when at centre.
Logan should not be in the team as a centre.

Harris is captaining the reserves tonight, so hopefully LR is more than confident that Sneyd and Kelly are ok.

If he's taken off after 30 minutes, then things might not be quite so hopeful.

100% agree.

Decent squad that. And great to see Bowden back for the reserves tonight. Any news on Carlos?

Only Bowden's, Carlos and shaul missing against an injury hit cas. No excuses for this one

… maybe add Savelio and Lane to that list.

Savelio maybe but lane wouldn't be picked ahead of mini, manu, westerman, hadley and savelio

… if everyone is 100% fit then fair enough, but the whole idea of a decent squad is to rest players when they're carrying injuries, not to play them when busted, which has certainly been happening in the last 9 months.

I like lane but no way is he 1st choice and radford needs to pick his strongest side for a cup game

Wynne has played FB, always his position, compared to player who is a centre.

Plus when he played against Salford Connor wasn't fit, so there was no other option.

FB is a more pivotal position, Connor will get his hands of the ball more, I sometimes think he is wasted at centre.

Yeh Latrell Mitchell is wasted at centre at the Roosters, I see what you mean centre's a great position to have a strike player, especially in a team that struggles to create much out wide, think it shows your lack of of confidence in Radford and not much expectation of us to play decent rugby. Possibly is wasted in a Hull team, but I have no doubt Connor could be a world class centre and I'd be playing him there