1. Tansey............ 1. Briscoe
2. Briscoe ........... 2. Fox
3. Whiting............ 3. Welham
4. Yeaman........... 4.Webster
5. Sharpe............ 5. Colbon
6. Horne............. 6. Green
7. Long.............. 7. Dobson
8. Fitzgibbon....... 8. Clinton
9. Houghton ...... 9. Fisher
10. O'Meley........ 10. Vella
11. Manu........... 11. Newton
12. Tickle.......... 12. Galea
13. Westerman... 13. Murrell

14. Washy......... 14. Mason
15. Lauak..........i 15. Lovegrove
16. Moa............. 16. Cockayne
17. Radford........ 17. Wheeldon

A bit early yet but we look very good against the warm up team. Think Hull are saying its a good time to play us as we will be a bit rusty. But man for man we look far superior. For a minute I was starting to feel sorry for them but it soon went. Come on Rovers cannot wait.

Still waiting in the wings are

Hall
Netherton
Hodgson
Watts
and all the young lads.... Justin has a massive job to pick the best 17 from a very strong squad

The only to fear is complacency - we're different class man for man.

It's still the first game of the season though which will be a leveler.

I think we are just about the better of the two teams, but I would say that. That said Hull can't be written off. To focus on their team, Tansey is unpredictable, but when he's good, he's good. Briscoe is forever a thorn in our side but the half back situation at Hull is as unpredictable as Tansey. We know Horne can perform, and Long has more than enough experience but does he have the legs for it any more. In the forwards, I think Berrigan is a big gap to fill in the team, but Danny Houghton is probably the best young hooker in the country, IMO. Fitzgibbon is a match winner on his day, and Manu, again another Hull player who is up their with the best, can turn any game. O' Meley will have a season over here under his belt, and that Hull bench offers plenty in strength and defence but very little in attacking options.

I'm confident of a win, but I wouldn't want to think the team is over confident. Our match winner in all of this is Morgan. And with that, I rest my case.

it's great to be in a position to compete. not just a pre season friendly to swell the coffers ending in a one sided scoreline! we are back!

Different class man for man?

Matt Cook too, and I'd like to think Taylor could push for place this year also. On a possibly heavy and churned-up pitch there might be a case for 4 forwards on the bench. We've got decent depth to the squad now, in any case.

2 things I'd 'fear'. Hull can still put out a decent 17 - their depth won't be too tested in round 1. Secondly their squad isn't complete and I'd expect them to add 1 top player or 2 pretty decent ones.

The biggest advantage we have over Hull at present is squad depth. That is a commodity that will benefit us over the course of the season but wont have a bearing on the result in Cardiff with two fully fit sides.
I still think that our first choice 17 is stronger than Hulls and we will beat them in Cardiff but it will be close. They also have the added motivation of redeeming themselves after the play-off loss.

Its a good 6 weeks away yet, plenty of time for our injury room to become packed to the rafters

If you'd have done the same at the begining of last season and compared Hull's 17 with saints 17 then you'd have said it would be a walk over for saints. Sometimes results aren't based on supporters views of how much better they are than the oppo. Personally I think we're pretty well matched and FC will have very few changes to their team. Add to that FC have started really well the last 2 years and derby's are always a close run thing and I think it'll be a tough one. I'd take a 1 point win now.

ITS HAMMERING TIME AGAIN. SAME OLD FACES SAME OLD MOVES ONLY ONE FEAR TOM BRISCOE. ONLY DECENT PLAYER THUNDER HAVE. THE AWESOME POWER OF OUR PACK WILL MEAN NO BALL IN HAND FOR TOM.

If we go into the game with the wrong attitude, we are likely to be beat! Our squad does look in far better shape at the moment and player for player, we are the better team. I was confident about beating them every game last season but it turns out we lost both league matches but won the one that really counted, so I am again very confident we will turn them over in Cardiff.

O'Meley is the man for them, led them superbly last season and barring injury he will do that again for them this year.