I think the balance is better this year. Paea was often played in 3 stints whereas Taylor is more suited to longer spells. We have Ellis as a rotation at prop this term, a luxury we didn't have last year, whose intensity is still excellent, then Feka's impact can be optimised. Backing up we then have Green, Bowden and a couple of academy players who've debuted. In the back row Mini can probably still do 80 and we have loads of depth here. On balance I'd see Ellis as a prop, which means we've upgraded year on year (Taylor and Ellis for Paea), and we still have plenty of options in the back row, where Pritchard and Manu replace Ellis and Westerman, with Mini starting and back up of Washbrook, Hadley, Thompson, Whiting, Yeaman, Turgut etc.

If everyone is fit then my four props would be Taylor, Watts, Ellis and Manu. Who starts I am undecided.

Manu at prop?
Back three or off the bench for me.

If fit you could easily go with just three props in Watts, Taylor and Ellis, as all capable of big minutes.

Personally think the 4th spot is a three way battle between Feka, Green and Bowden.

Big year for the last two as a big year needed to get a new contract.

Why would you want to go with 3 props? Similar to our over use of our back rowers, you may have players who are physically capable of long minutes but it doesn't make it the right thing to do and you are inevitably storing up problems for later in the season as we've seen plenty of times in recent years. I presume that radford's thinking is 4 props, possibly including ellis, with abdul and a back rower on the bench. I wouldn't be at all surprised if washbrook is a shoe in for 13 then gives houghton 10 minutes early each 2nd half with manu, pritchard and mini rotating back row. ellis could also flit between front and back row as needed. Problem is we have a lot of forwards the wrong side of 30 so we need to be looking after them properly, nurturing them through the season and not flogging them for 80 minutes each week.

I personally wouldn't but it's an option. Hooker apart plenty of depth and options and as you say, no forward needs to be flogged and play 80 minutes.

Really tough to pick a starting pack and bench.

Not really. houghton, ellis, mini, pritchard, manu, taylor, watts and washbrook will all play when fit. Only really one place up for grabs in the 17 assuming abdul gets a bench spot

Manu or abdull IMO will start looseforward

The scott taylor thread on the Wigan forum is interesting reading.....

I still don't believe abdull will start at 13 despite the squad number. Will have had to have been a monumental shift in the coaching staffs thinking during the off season. Plus in a single off season he'll of had to become 20/30% improved in defence. More than that in physical stamina and more again in physical strength and dominance to cope with the endless stream of big men the opposition will purposefully direct at him.
If he can achieve all these I'm on board with the idea. Apart from 1 small thing imo.

He looks like(in the way he plays) a half back. A very good half back. And his unconventional build isn't gonna brainwash me into thinking he's a 13

Not really. We all know that he has bags of ability. We also know that at some point during his time at Wigan he decided he wanted to come home. What we don't really know is how it was handled by the two parties. Did Wane spit his dummy out and say if your heart isn't in it we don't want you? Or did Taylor display a poor attitude in order to try and push the move through? Simply deciding you want to leave a top side doesn't make you unprofessional or lacking in ambition, although I can see why Wigan fans might take that view.

Whatever you think about the quality (or lack of) in the Salford squad, the fact he took all their awards tells you something about his attitude. It would have been very easy to coast through last season doing the bare minimum.

There look everyone...a reasoned response.
My take on it. He's wasted a massive opportunity at Wigan to have a stellar career. He's blown that and he certainly didn't look after himself physically during his second season at Wigan and turned up at Salford over weight. He could go well for you but there are serious doubts about him for me over a long period.

So why are you bothered about him??....surely it should be us that is bothered but he wants to be here and he should go well for us.

The thread about him reads pretty positive to me, big part of a double winning team and one of the best props in the league if he wants to be. Let's be honest he had one disappointing season on his career at Wigan and that's because he had a fall out with Wane. For whatever reason he wanted to move home and play for us, maybe he should have stayed at Wigan a couple more years, but if he wasn't happy there then he has made the direct decision. ( I had a great job abroad, but gave it up to move back to be near family)

Anyone who knows Scott, knows he is a great kid, he is very smart and hard working and I'm sure he put 100% into his time at Hull and do very well.

Stop talking sense mate,Burton will only come and have another meltdown.As for falling out with Wane,not a hard job there.