It doesn’t offend me, it certainly doesn’t surprise me - however it does baffle me aa no one ever gives an explanation.

As a team we have been consistent. We’ve created and retained our best players. We’ve recruited strongly again yet we are continually told we will go backwards this season. No other team would get that reaction imho.

Then you compound it by suggesting you’ve moved dramatically forward despite lacking most of the things we have. We have proven assets whilst yours are for now purely speculative and hyperthetical -do you see my issue?

On recent form which is the only real indicator we should be ranked to finish 6th. Whether we will who knows but logically for now that is the only reasonable conclusion that can be reached imo.

I think you are just a bit sensitive after years of hardship and now after 2 decent season think you are entitled to automatic respect or the title "Big/Top Club "not unlike our neighbours. Youve had years of Leeds Cas Hudds etc belittling your set up and team but built on having the biggest pack in the league now are going toe to toe. That's fine by me. Well done... Our 2 games against you last year your pack absolutely mullered ours through sheer size difference. I/we are just speculating that hopefully those days are gone.It remains to be seen if it works out that way?

Wakey may have finished well in the Super 8's comp, but they only finished the regular season 4 points ahead of us. Don't get me wrong we were soundly beaten in both games by yourselves, but had we won one of those we would have finished the regular season on the same points. This was a season when we had a horrific run of luck and injuries and were only saved by having one of the deepest squads in memory. For context you used 26, while we had to use 36.

If i was a Wakey fan the performances in the Super 8s would rightly have me feeling confident about finishing ahead of us and you are right there is obviously some real quality in your squad. No caveats it's a good team.

It will be interesting to see how all teams but especially wakey adapt to the 8 interchange rule. Big forwards like paulo, fifita and england are not big minute men, so only have shorter number of subs may have an effect on their impact if they need to do longer minutes.

Although no big beasts like them, im hoping we have enough staying power for long minutes other than Mose, who i expect will do 20 before half time and around 10-15 after every game. We defo have people who can play big minutes in mulhern, scruton, greenwood, lannon etc

Fifita usually plays around 60 out of the 80, on 2 occasions last year Pauli Pauli played the full 80 with out been taken off once so not too sure where you get that from? I would have agreed had you said Huby etc but with the signing of Kopczak I imagine he might be down the pecking order in 2019.

Drinkwater strengthens further. Personally I would not have Scruton starting anyway so I think we start with Garbutt. Drinkwater in and Atkin hooker.

This would be MY team for the first game.
1- Dagger
2- Shaw
3- Vaivai
4- Keinhorst
5- Hall
6- McGuire
7- Drinkwater
8- Jewitt
9- Lee
10- Mulhern
11- Linnett
12- Tomkins
13- Hauraki

14- Masoe
15- Atkin
16- Garbutt
17- Greenwood.

Leaving Quinlan, Wallis, Oakes, Crooks, Wardill, Lewis, Scruton, Lannon, Johnson, Lunt, Lawler, Addy, Rooks, Harrison.

Obviously if Lunt, Scruton and Quinlan were fit they would be in the 17.

I just have a feeling that if we can avoid long term injuries, we have a squad that can do some damage this year

Think this is pretty much my choice too, though I’d swap Greenwood & Linnett just to give a bit more utility off the bench, I guess the friendlies will be the deciding factor on how TS goes into game 1.
Point to note:
How strong does this team look on paper? (I know games aren’t played there), but look at the quality of player not even making the squad above.

It looks okay, I think. Lunt and Quinlan will likely be big misses, early on. If Drinkwater carries his 2018 form over into 2019 that could be huge though. And obviously, for the first time in a while we’ve got a pack with a bit of oomph (hopefully). I’m very happy and relieved to see that. Another year of ‘mobility’ might have broken my heart.

The backs aren’t exactly going to scare opponents, maybe Vaivai apart, but there’s some pace there. Crooks would be very close to a spot based on the form he showed at the end of 2018. There’s nobody to do Justin Carney’s old job (unless Wallis or Oakes claim a spot), but tbf Carney himself didn’t do it all that often because of injuries.

I didn’t get to see Wallis at all last season, I like Iakes & want him to push on now. The times I have seen him though I would say he definitely needs to improve under the high ball....especially when the floodlights are on. Hopefully that area is being worked on.

For all Justin Carney did in "exit sets", making good ground, he wasnt as prolific in scoring as he was at Castleford. In Shaw and Hall, they are PROVEN try scorers and will more or less guarantee you 20 tries between them in a season. Why Ryan Shaw doesnt get the praise he should is a dissapointment. His tries alone make him a real threat and has pace to burn.


I think if Sheens wants a Carney/Sio type winger then Will Oakes is the man for the job. Elliott Wallis is the one who excites me the most as i feel he has the best of both worlds in being strong in exit sets, and is apparently the fastest player in the squad. He is the one I feel will go the furthest out of all the wingers we have, just needs to sharpen up on the kick defence as does Oakes.

I am amazed Tommy "Turnstile" Lee is still getting a spot in any 17 in SL.

Same here! Personally I'd put Lawler in at nine and Aktin off the bench

it will probably be his last season ,unless he excels

100 per cent.