I think the first choice 17 will be fine but I'm not too sure about the quality in depth once the usual injuries kick in.Also as well as improving our scoring average we also need to improve home form.Too many points dropped at home this season,11 in total.That just isn't good enough.We will do well to finish in the top six imo,lots of strengthening going on in the teams around us,Oldham will be up there,Donny,York, Bradford to name a few. We can't afford to make the same mistakes next season as this season, we certainly need to improve our points for.
FB Owens
WG Ince Butt Sumner
CB Edge Fleming Jones tbc
HB Lyons Gilmore Patton Brown
PF Kirk Reilly Murray Bennion Bailey
SR Lloyd Bent Langtree Roberts Lannon Buckley
HK Johnstone Fozard
LF Gregson Hall
So this is how it is shaping up. I have no idea whether there are any more on the way, but I would say we still look light in the centres.
Definitely stronger than last year and a better coverage of positions, which means we can pick on form rather than availability (hopefully) and reputation. In my opinion that will be a big step forward, but I also want to see us defend and attack as a team rather than rely on individual's creativity and skill, because that is just too easy to counter. If we are going to compete with Toulouse and York we need to match them across the park, not just because we have a couple of skill full players.
I have heard that Jack may well be an option for one of the centre positions.
Heard off who?
Paulie xx
Iirc in another era it was none other than Alex Murphy who said that 'You know that Widnes will hit you hard from the start, but you also know that they will still be hitting you just as hard at the end!!!!!'
Alex Murphy. I didn't see him play, but some of his commentating was hilarious, especially on our Canberra game. In one game he was talking about a banana shaped umbrella defence, it ended up as a quote in Private Eye's Colemanballs, if you remember that. No reference to Alan, of course.
The depth is good and promotes challenge for places, and I hope that the young forwards learn from Kirk and Murray who are stalwarts in any teams pack but I would be worried should they both get injured. Reilly was good at batley but not seen enough of him yet to judge and bennion isn’t the biggest but a hard worker.
other positions we seem ok in terms of experienced cover
@scouseviking55 as another poster has said Bennion is massive. We have 4 big props now in Kirk, Murray, Bennion and Bailey. The only one that isn't big for a prop is Reilly, and Bent if Coleman continues to use him in the front row.
I think he’ll spell Bailey throughout the season and I can see us dual reg with a league 1 club to keep players match fit until needed. As mentioned Owens could fit in well as a centre but will probably be starting fullback. I believe one or two more signings
Bennion isn’t massive at all. He’s tall and of muscular build whether his weight is high doesn’t mean anything 🤣 he can still get run over by the likes of batleys packs
I’m not criticising the lad just pointing out compared to the build of Kirk, Murray et al he isn’t the same to me
@scouseviking55 you sound like someone that's read too many Swinton comments on bennion... permanently injured but played final 11 games season gone...17 in total ...yes he's had injuries but who hasn't ..we think Reilly is great and he's played for us twice ...they also seem to forget that in a game of s##t or bust Vs hunslet he was by absolutely light years their best player on the pitch (well maybe bar the saints lad in a skull cap ) ...think he'll do a great job for us .. probably off the bench
Honestly you’re taking this way too deep 🤣🤣
it’s my opinion.
on a player I’ve seen play multiple times against Widnes and against other teams when Swinton have been on streams/summer bash.
Never said he wasn’t a good player, never mentioned injury struggles, he’s just not my type of prop. It’s that’s simple
tou think he’s massive because of his weight and height statistics you’re entitled to that opinion, I disagree as previously mentioned
If you don’t want to accept others also have opinions that differ to yours, your in the wrong place pal
@scouseviking55 nobody said your not entitled to an opinion ...calm yeself fella ..you said " he wasn't the biggest" ..I pointed out his height and weight ...let's hope there's 7ft 9" players that are 30st out there so there big enough 👀😂