Buzzing for this now. It?s true, they can beat us if we don?t complete high and make as many sloppy/unlucky (depending on how to see it) individual errors as we have done the last few weeks. However, there is so much to exploit in their team. A three quarter line that is paper thin, two halves with no confidence, and a pack that?s full of penalties and mistakes. The props they?ve assembled in the last few weeks - Singleton, Salabio, Dezaria - are intense, aggressive, but so daft, and if we just play professional robot rugby in the middle third, we?ll kill them. I imagine they?ll line up: Hoy, Qareqare, Cini, Wood, Kershaw, Asi, Milnes, Lawler, Horne, Singleton, Simbiken, Mellor, Westerman. Rimbu, Dezaria, Salabio, Okora. Pretty much their starting 13. 


As for us, Max returning makes me feel so much more positive. I?d give Griffin another week off, purely because we have two better second rowers in front of him now. For me it?s Rourke, Johnstone, Pratt, Scott, Walmsley, Jowitt, Lino, McMeeken, Hood, Uele, Vagana, Nikotemo, Pitts. Smith, Rodwell, Atoni, Cozza.


Hall, Griffin, Croft, Faatili can feel unlucky to miss out, but that?s the great thing about our depth now. If anyone plays lazy on Thursday, they?re cut. Could do with another halfback, like! Then we really will be dangerous.

If he is out a few weeks we need to be looking for a replacement- maybe  we already are
Who knows? 

If he does have bulging discs then he's done for me, having just had mine operated on, I have suffered since 97 and my back has been in pain ever since, only time it wasn't was when I had the injection but once that wore off I was twice as bad because I hadn't been able to feel any pain in 2 months and overdid a lot of things. 

Well done on the win. Gutted we lost but that's rugby league.


Sets up Magic nicely. Hopefully we can claim bragging rights again in a few weeks


As for the talk about Powell and picking players in wrong positions etc he was known for it at Cas. Probably one of the only downsides for him. He would put wingers in the centres or props at loose or second rows at 6. Sometimes it worked, not often though.


Well done on your good start to the season too. It's good to have the rivalry back. 

Much as we need him back I'd hate to see him put his future health at risk. Hopefully the club will take the best medical advice they can and help him reach a decision about his future...hopefully as a player.

He?s obviously got youth on his side, and disks can heal themselves conservatively via injections etc, it?s just how long it takes. The thing that worries me is if it?s a chronic persistent issue and not just an acute issue and how badly it?s herniated and if it?s impinging on nerves etc. From what was deemed a ?sore back issue? a few weeks back to know knowing what it is, it?s obviously fairly serious. There?s a massive difference between a sore back and your actual vertebrae herniated (neurological). 

He?ll be in some right discomfort (you?ll know) and won?t be able to train (Powell said he?s currently not training because of the pain) so will be way behind with fitness, hence why I think he?ll be a while away yet. 


First and foremost, Trueman?s welfare is the most important and hope he?s ok, he?s been absolutely blighted in his career, and genuinely can?t wait to see him back on the field and keeping injury free. He?s such a talented player but simply cannot catch a break. You look at DCE for Manly who in his glittering career has only missed something ridiculous like 15 games, that?s obscene. 


With losing Russell for god knows how long, we look so 1 dimensional in attack (where ever Lino is the ball goes, especially on the 5th) we either need to promote from within or get someone in, can?t be any worse than what I witnessed on Thursday night.