Backs as expected with Scott back to centre.

Taylor/Brown
Dwyer
Fash
Savelio
Lame
Cator

Lovodua
Brown/Gardiner
Satae
Staverley

I guess Dwyer will want to impress his new employers so I expect a decent performance from him.

Deliberate mistake?

Shaul, Jebson and Barron to drop out for certain and then one of either Gardiner or Staveley if Tag is playing.
I'd like to see both play regardless personally.

After seeing the 21 man squad I'd go

Litten
Swift
Sutcliffe
Scott
McIntosh
Trueman
Clifford
Taylor/Brown
Dwyer
Fash
Savelio
Lane
Cator

Satae
Brown/Taylor
Staverley
Gardiner/Lovodua

If Taylor is declared fit for the game then he has to start, if there are any doubts with him then Gardiner comes in to the 17 in place of Taylor. Same with Staverley if he is 100% then time for him to come in to the 17 in place of Lovodua.
Cator can move to 9 to spell Dwyer with Fash can filling in at 13 if needed rather than using Lovodua as the interchange 9.
I'd probably still go with Staverley and Gardiner even if Taylor makes the squad, though think Smith would likely leave one of them out in favour of Lovodua. Just feel having Gardiner on the bench allows TS to rotate the forwards a little more, particularly if there's a slight question over Taylor.

seems strange to include Shaul
just wonder if he will give Litten a break this week

I think he could do with it, Hudds and Wigan have both put him under heaps of pressure and bashed him about putting us on the backfoot in exit sets.

Possibly, wouldn't be the first time this season.
Although I'm not sure who else he would name in the squad given the absentees.

i think Balmforth must not be ready for SL- we have to trust TS on that else h'ed have been in. Big step up from Newcastle plus its a very responsible position to play (not that they all arent). Therell be reasons

Maybe going to play his natural position at hooker.

Yeah been told bench is Brown, Lover, Shaul and Gardiner, so I'm guessing Satae and Fash props. Tag out, I reckon reason Shaul plays is purely to do with the Salary Cap.

Would Staverly playing affect the salary cap, seeing he has already, although that was in the cup.

Must win game this one, lose and the 6 has gone IMO, don't fancy us with that bench, particularly looking at the Warrington squad.

Quote: Dave K. "Would Staverly playing affect the salary cap, seeing he has already, although that was in the cup. '" There was a rule (that was suspended during the pandemic), that any player earning less than £15k wasn’t eligible for SL. https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-le ... m-21940219 I can’t be bothered to search for it, but I have a vague recollection that the threshold might have been raised slightly since then. I don’t know how much academy players or first year reserves earn, but if a club has to shell out say £5k or £8k to have a lad run out for a few minutes in a late season game it might not seem like great value for money. So not so much the cap as the wage bill. Players outside the top 25 don’t count on the cap iirc.

Quote: Dave K. "Would Staverly playing affect the salary cap, seeing he has already, although that was in the cup. '" There was a rule (that was suspended during the pandemic), that any player earning less than £15k wasn’t eligible for SL. https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-le ... m-21940219 I can’t be bothered to search for it, but I have a vague recollection that the threshold might have been raised slightly since then. I don’t know how much academy players or first year reserves earn, but if a club has to shell out say £5k or £8k to have a lad run out for a few minutes in a late season game it might not seem like great value for money. So not so much the cap as the wage bill. Players outside the top 25 don’t count on the cap iirc.

Hope I'm wrong but I think we have too many first choice starters out to get the the win today

Pretty much my feelings for today, without Taylor, Sao, Houghton and Carlos on top of no replacement for Evans and letting the most consistent performing SR go in Griffin. It’s a big ask as that’s half a starting 13 missing.

The bench looks scarily weak and lightweight