I think it all depends what sort of mentality you want to play with.

In attack Cusack and Dowes wont test Saints at all whereas I believe Moa would. To beat a Saints side you need to give them something to think about and not try to contain them. Its looking like we're going into this game with a front row of 3 grafters and 1 buster which isnt our best option IMO.

Either way this alone wont cost us a game and its just my opinion. Hopefully I will be wrong.

Maybe he's playing a winger at stand off and a stand off at loose forward like justine

Well from what I've read Longy has been advising Agar about how Saints play, what their moves are etc so the team selection has probably got a lot to do with his input.

Slight Hamstring tear - not serious but not worth risking at this stage.

I would like to have seen sam in the 17 but hope I am proved wrong by 7.30 on saturday we will know .

Moa did more at the backend of last season and in preseason to deserve a spot ahead of Yak. He should be playing, otherwise our front row is the same old with Ogre in there.

Why the hell Calderwood would be dropped to play Hall out of position I don't know, if he is not injured then it's a baffling decision.

It's still a decent team we will field (from the info I was given) but it just reinforced my belief that Agar will not make the right and sometimes tough decisions that are needed when everybody is fit. Yak, Dowes and Radford will always get picked it seems.

Also think it's criminal to leave Washy out. Why not play him at 13 and leave Tickle out!

Ah the old "slight hamstring tear" line. Funny how that's always the injury when a player is dropped oppps I mean "injured"

What makes you so certain he's not Robbo?

I'd rather not say TBH and I can't obviously be 100% certain on it. People should make their own mind up really.

i can understand the mentality of heavy pitches and therefore going for 3 grafters in radford, dowes and cusack but leaving washy out is the worst part.

Washbrook should be playing LF every week barring injury and form. If tickle is indeed leaving at the end of the year then tickle would be my backup second rower. I'd play a backrow of

Manu
Fitz
Washy

with Lauaki on the bench

I'd really like to see whiting given a shot to impress in the back row as well as he deserves an extended run in his preferred position.

This is before you even consider we have burnett twiddling his thumbs.

You could be right i suppose i guess the 19 squad release is only a ruling of the RFL saying that the team sheet has be released 2 days before a game.Maybe Agar has named his 17 behind closed doors so the players can mentally prepare for the game.Lets hope he has got it right.

We obviously want to play the Australian way, that's to have a 3rd prop at 13 and a ball player at FB. Unfortunately this means that washy will miss out a fair few times. I think that Danny will end up leaving (which would be a crime) to get his starting place, especially if Fitz extends his stay.
On the flip side of that Agar may see Fitz as Washy's finishing school, spelling the 2 and telling washy to learn from him before the role becomes permanantly his next year!