right i'll do it properly now. assuming ellis gets a ban, and one or two players return from injury. also i'm approaching it largely from the point of view that most of the players who were so abject on sunday get one more chance to put it right

shaul
colbon
crooks or arundel
yeaman
talanoa
horne
miller
watts
houghton
carvell (if fit)
whiting
tuson
westerman

thompson
feka
heremaia
pitts


rankin a bit unlucky but i want forwards on the bench for this one. note also that the players are in their correct positions

Shaul
Talanoa
Crooks
Arundel
Colborn
Horne
Miller
Watts
Houghton
Pitts
Tuson
Westerman

Heremaia
Paleasina
Thompson
Yeaman

Seriously lightweight team, and I can't see Miller doing much to be honest as there'll be no platform for him. I'd be tempted to go with Rankin instead to protect Miller from criticism.

Yeaman to play as a makeshift second rower.

Gonna be a long night.

Carvell just tweeted, no adverse reaction from training, could play Friday.

Shaul
Colbon
Arundel
Crooks
Talanoa
Rankin
Miller
Watts
Heremaia
Carvell.
Whiting
Tuson
Westerman

Houghton
Paleasina
Pitts
Thompson

Could be a close game this. Salford have been building performances from day one, but still haven't had a great performance this season. Rangi back has given the team a lot more direction. We're missing Hock badly but still have a big hard hitting pack, which could make the difference.

However, we've been very inconsistent this season so far, which was expected after bringing in a whole new team. We could have a no-showing as well as a barnstormer. Is the Hull side depleted as bad as some make out?

Not really - just Paea, Carvell, Lineham, Green, Bowden, McDonnell, Ellis and a few others.

Struggling for props, rest of the team (On paper) is fine, If Carvell is fit, this will give us a massive boost.

Here is version 6 of the team I would like to see play.

Rankin
Talanoa
Yeaman
Arundel
Colborn
Horne
Miller
Watts
Heremia
Thompson
Whiting
Tuson
Westerman

Pitts
Feka
Houghton
Carvell (Hadley)

It was a genuine question, not me trying to make a point.

Carvs will be fit for the week after.

Rankin
Colbon
Crooks
Arundel
Talanoa
Horne
Miller
Watts
Houghton
Pitts
Tuson
Whiting
Westerman

Feka
Hadley
Heremaia
Thompson

The most important change is putting Heremaia back to hooker. I wouldn't mind too much whether we go Shaul, Horne, Rankin at 1,6,7 instead, but we need our best hooker to actually be playing hooker.

Heremaia absolutely has to go back to hooker. I wouldn't throw Miller in now but would go back to Horne and Rankin in the halves.

Horne and Rankin are too similar in style for me. I would much prefer to see Miller involved either partnering Horne or Rankin. However if Horne-Rankin means Azza gets back to his best position of hooker then I'm all for it,

Rankin
Talanoa
Arundle
Crooks
Colborn
Horne
Miller
Watts
Houghton
Carvs (if fit)
Whiting
Tuson
Westerman

Azza
Thompson
Pitts
Feka

If no Carvs, Pitts to start and Kent/Hadley/Shaul to come off bench.

I would have liked to have seen Miller and Rankin from the start of the season but I think its the wrong time to throw Miller in now.

Maybe but when will be the right time? The longer we leave him out the more rustier he's likely to be. It's a tough call.

So true.
Shaul to FB Rankin to 6 and Horne to bench in place of Hadley. Horne can cover/rotate anywhere down the spine of the team including loose man which could be useful to give spells to our back rowers who will need to take on more front row work because we're lacking our big men.