Who gives a toss about Wigan!
Personally I'd like to see more of a run from Wheeler at centre this year. Injuries will give him some game time but I'd still like to see some planned rotation of the squad. We certainly have the people to cover spots now.
Rotation 1
Lomax, Makinson, Shenton, Meli, Foster, Lance, Gaskell
Perry, Roby, LMS, Wilkin, Sia, La Frank
Wellens, Clough, TP, Flanaghan
This rotation gives us some one to give roby a period of respite during the game we don't want him burning out. We have 3 pivots in Lomax, Gaskell and Lance
It gives us a back on the bench who can cover every back line place and be a back rower if needed.
It gives Royce his 3 props on the pitch.
Rotation 2
Wellens, Makinson, Shenton, Wheeler, Foster, Lance, Lomax
TP, Roby, Clough, Flanaghan, Sia, Wilkin
La Frank, Perry, (then combination of) a Young prop/dixon/Gaskell
This rotation gives Gaskell time off and Lance the chance to work with Lomax. With no recognised kicker, putting Wilkin into Loose allows him to take on some of the kicking al Sinfield for Leeds (as neither Burrows or Maguire are great kickers).
It still gives Royce 5 props but gives one prop, in this case LMS a week of recuperation and a young lad some game time to build him into a prop for the future. (the prop rested would cary from week to week similar to the year we won everything).
For me Gardner, Flannery are back up for injuries, Makinson needs a run out most games, meli this year needed rest after some heavy scheduling so why not play a week miss a week and let Wheeler show if he can make centre his own for 2013. Wellens can stil be club captain even from the bench, bradford did that with robbie paul in his later years.
We have a decent squad, but we have to use it properly. No point playing the same 17 week in and week out, I'm not suggesting an entire squad change from week to week but just 1 or 2 players given varied roles and rotation.
