Good post. I chose my backs in an earlier post but shied away from the forwards because of the plethora of talent we'll have, don't know where to start. Here goes, Ellis at prop, starting with Watts, spelled by Taylor and either of Green or my choice, Bowden. Mini and Pritchard plus Manu at 13. think Washy will spell Houghton and Thompson to back up at prop or second row, the mind boggles. Green really needs to step up and I think Bowden grew as the season went on last year but so did Hadley and there's no room on the bench for him

There you go again bulling us up, getting really exciting when Dobbins think we're as good as 2006, you Bantersaurus Rex you.

Shaul
Fonou
Carlos T
Logan
Tuli
Pryce
Sneyd
Watts
Houghton
Ellis
Mini
Pritchard
Abdul

Taylor
Bowden
Manu
Washy


Is what I reckon will start.

I just don't see Abdull starting at 13. The way we play with Sneyd and Pryce didn't work with Westerman, why would it work with Abdull? Much more likely that Manu will play at LF.

Because Abdul can pass a ball, break tackle , and can make things happen. And wont have to hard behind the bs excuses of not been able to play as a 3rd pivot blah blah tee. Depends what Radford wants from his 13 , a playmaker or another prop, which I don't mind as long as he can bust a tackle and as a decent off load

And without the ball?

Abdull's missed tackles came to 39, which was 12% of the tackles he attempted, he missed.

Some other possibilities for loose man came in at:
Whiting: 7%
Ellis: 6%
Thompson: 9%
Hadley: 4%
Green: 6%
Westerman was at just 6%.

Whilst the jobs of a 13 & 6 with the ball in the oppositions 3rd can be very similar, which Abdull more than has the skillset for, the job of a 13 without the ball (a huge defensive effort down the middle) and with the ball in own half (making yards) is massively different to the job of a 6.

Adbull just isn't ready for playing long minutes and game after game at 13. He might be spelled there, more than likely in games we're on top, but for me he's an out and out 6, and doesn't play like a forward at all. Maybe this will change in the future, but not by 2016. People think because he's a big lad, that he should be a forward, but it doesn't work like that

At least I'm not with knockersbumpMKII in cloud cuckoo land.

Dean Hadley will start at 13

The back line is an unknown quantity at the moment, particularly Tuimavave and Fonua.

I'd go with...

8. Watts
9. Houghton
10. Taylor
11. Ellis
12. Mini
13. Manu

I would like to see a strong pack to start games, get us on the front foot.

Bench could be Washbrook, Abdul, Pritchard, Bowden/Green.

Given they probably won't provide cover at 2nd row or Prop, is a bench with Washy & Abdul too lightweight???

I wouldn't be against him playing there at all looking at his defensive record, and I think he's getting better in attack too. Not a ball handler by ay means, but how many SL sides do play a ball handler at 13 these days? We've been spoilt by Knocker and Jason Smith, and to a lesser extent Westy, and I think we as a group of fans subconsciously expect one.

Shaul
Fonua
Tuimavave
Logan
Talanoa
Pryce
Sneyd
Watts
Houghton
Ellis
Mini
Pritchard
Hadley

Manu
Taylor
Abdull
Bowden

Wouldn't be a bad team at all.

abdul is nowhere near fit or physically strong enough to play 13 for long minutes. I can't see where we can use him effectively tbh as he's a waste of a bench spot and puts too much pressure on the rest of the forwards to do long stints for me. He either stats at 6 or isn't in the 17 IMO

Good point.

I think we'll see Abdull at 6 more often than not due to Pryce's fitness. I included him on my bench more out of "I'd like to see him in there somewhere" rather than the practicalities. Realistically, it'll be Washy I think to sell Houghton and the back row.

Let's not go making wild predictions of where we'll finish. It's a big ask to go from a team that finished 7th/8th to Top 4. Yes, we've improved our squad but other teams will have improved as well. Can we challenge? Possibly. But we have no right to say that "anything less should be seen as failure" given our recent standings. Personally my main concern is that the quality of our back line doesn't look as good as the quality of our forwards which I think could be our undoing next season. I hope I am very wrong about that though.

Love the various combos people are suggesting. I look at one 17 and think that's what I'd go with but then see the next suggestion and change my mind! Good to have so many options.

Is it 2016 yet? I can't wait for the season to start .