Assuming no LOD, Browny or Sean Lunt (yes i know he's out for the season... my pick would be...

1) Grix 2) McGilliveray 3) Wardle 4) Lawrence 5) Hodgson 6) Cudjoe (stand off was his best match of the season at the Shay) 7) Brough

Crabtree 9) Robinson 10) Mason 11) Gilmour 12) Raleigh 13) Fa'alogo

Bench

Faiumu (if fit as 2nd hooker) Patrick Kirmond Ferguson

Reasoning; Leroy played well at stand off on his one outing there in the game at the Shay. Griffin looks disinterested and I believe is the sower of 'bad' seeds in the group now as everyone knows he is off to Leeds so I wouldn't play him. A lightweight bench with some speed would work at 'Cas'. Use Eorl and Keith etc to set the tone and then bring on the lighter faster men after 20/25 mins. Andy Raleigh will put in 100% effort. We tried to bludgeon them 2nd match of the season and it failed to work so we have to play clever, tight and kick well.

I also nearly started this 'thread' as the negative effects of a long contract..... because Crabbtree in particular has gone massively backwards since he signed his but the real worrying thing is that a lot of our 'malaise' has started from the early issue of long contracts to various players and letting Griffin skip out of his maybe taking away the 'edge' of having to earn something.

Something is wrong and whilst I have had nothing but good to say about NB this is his first real crisis and his handling of this should help decide as said in a previous thread if next year is 'one too many.'

When the cup draw was made the odds would have been Hudds 4/7 Cas 3/1 however I reckon now it is even money or that 'Cas' would start just favourites based on the last four games. Its time for us to 'show up' and put that right...

no griffin?



wouldnt mind seeing cudjoe at stand off he does well when he plays that position

raleigh should get a shot for this game i think

hope faiumu is back

I could be wrong but Griffins Pysche since tattoo gate seems to be a 'take my bat and ball home' he has been one of the big under perfromers in the last few games. At Warrington in the second half it was LOD, Doof and Mason that dragged our pack back into the game. If we had another prop i'd consider canning Earl too as he has lost that edge he had early season when he played the best I have seen him at Prop his form does seem to have dived since he was left out of the England squad

I Personally think Crabtree has been by far and away our best forward in the last few games. He is the only forward looking to take a drive near his own line (the rest seem quite happy to leave it for the backs)
He made some good yards yesterday and a couple of half breaks when no one supported when he looked for the offload.
Griffin was woeful yesterday dropping off tackles all game (although to be fair it was his first really bad game of the season)
the other props Mason and Patrick offered very little go forward.

Certainly wouldn't drop Eorl...as long as he runs straight & hard he's great...no need for the step that's crept back into his game...he does a ton in defence too.

agreed with the sidestep but watch his first play against wire at millenium magic and he ain't anywhere near that now as like the rest the aggression has gone..... i did pick him in my team i said if we had another prop I might not ... which we ain't I would only leave Griffin out as he has been playing 'total pants' and andy raleigh has a big point to prove ... might shame the rest into playing...

I really cannot understand the whinging at Eorl. He has been consistently good throughout this bad spell. One of only a handful of players appearing to be giving 100% effort.

Not disagreeing with you 1961...you make a fair case. I myself would go with this...

1. Give Raleigh a shot in the 2nd row...surely his best position

2. Put Bruno back in the three quarter line...totally out of his depth in the pack

3. Hope Fooey is fit...we need him big time now Lunt's season is over.

4. Teach the whole team how to tackle ....this seems to have totally deserted them.

It's time to go back to basics.

Bruno to the centres. This is not the time of year to make this kind of switch and we have a plethora of second rowers who know the role sat in the stands.

Something has gone on and the players aren't happy. Whatever it is it needs sorting out before the season turns out a total waste.

I agree fartown fan and i'm not questioning earl not giving 100% only he's not doing what he was earlier in the season and mainly since he got left out of the Exiles game....

We know what Cas are going to do Sunday now.... rangi will run across our defensive line looking to open it up !! At the Shay he got taught it was a painful thing to do hence he disapeared from the game for long spells at 'cas' in the wet we stood off and watched him and lost....

They will try to front us up with 'Jacko' 'Rob Parker' Stuart Jones etc etc.... and then kick us back to our posts and hope we cough it up near enough to our line to let Rangi work his magic.... assuming we don't clobber him early and by that i mean good hard tackles

Crabtree, Mason, Gilmour, Fa'alago Patrick Raleigh and yes even Griffin how can we not 'smash their pack ???? What can go wrong ?? ... yup it can bloody rain again..... or we just do not turn up..... if professional players can't get outa the line and tackle and front up two matches from Wembley the whole lot should go now !!!! OK a bit drastic but you know what I mean..

Grix
Jerry
Wardle
Lawrence
Hodgson
Cudjoe
Brough
Mason
Robinson
Crabtree
Patrick
Fairbank
Faiumu

Wood
Kirmond
Raleigh
Fa'alongo

Great post (I agree with everything you've said).

At the moment, we seem to be playing too many relieving sets. I think there was a set within the first 5 minutes yesterday where our outside backs took the first four tackles. I wasn't the only one in our section that was asking where our forwards had gone.