On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 3:28 am  

Well the league takes a back burner this week and onto the Challenge cup we go. Reading the reports from Rush on injuries and the citings on the discipline front being extra lenient this week. We will probably have our starting 6 and 7 back for this game. It looks unlikely they will risk Wilkin and they don't know about Ade until the swelling has gone, so with 2 more days left it's unlikely he will play and TP is deamed serious. If things had been going well early doors in the season I would have expected a game like this and the one on Monday gone to be were we mixed up the team a little more. But as we are trying to build some confidence and some wins I expect little change will happen outside of the injuries. With Lomax back I'm guessing kicking will not be enough for Foster to get back on the wing, so here's my expected line up.

Wellens, Makinson, Shenton, Jones, Meli, Lance, Lomax, Perry, Roby, La Franki, Sia, Flannery, Flanaghan. Clough, LMS, Megennis, Dixon

With our form being up and down of late hopefully it will be a game to get us back into the swing of things, but with some pressure now being put on Betts, with the inevitable asking for more patience from the fans being done. A good run in the CC maybe what Widnes and more importantly he needs to keep their season alive.

Re: On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:55 am  

So Lomax didn't brake his thumb, then?

Re: On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:23 am  

It's a must win game. We're not realistically going to win the Grand Final from 8th or 9th where we are likely to finish so the Cup is the competition to focus on.

Losing TP is a massive blow, but we've got enough left to beat Widnes hopefully. If we don't, it would prove how futile our efforts are this season, but it might also spur McManus into recruiting a player or two, which wouldn't be a bad thing.

Re: On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:31 am  

Adam Swift has been mentioned about being in with a shout for the wing position. What can people tell me about his performances for the reserves? Is he big, fast, both, neither, skillful, safe?

Hopefully Dicko will get a run with Wilkin being out.
Do you think, with TP missing, one of the Young props like Forster will get a run, or do you think they'll stick with Magennis on the bench? I'm still undecided on Magennis, to be honest. They seem to want him to play up the middle, but he doesn't really seem to compete physically when going forward.

Re: On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:55 am  

I like Magennis, I think he'll be a decent forward.

I've never seen Swift play to be honest, but I was mercilessly mocked when I suggested he could play fullback when Wello was out, so I suspect he's not up to SL.

Why would he be promoted to the first team in place of either Makinson, Meli or Foster? I don't see it happening.

Re: On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:02 am  

Saddened! wrote:

I like Magennis, I think he'll be a decent forward.

I've never seen Swift play to be honest, but I was mercilessly mocked when I suggested he could play fullback when Wello was out, so I suspect he's not up to SL.

Why would he be promoted to the first team in place of either Makinson, Meli or Foster? I don't see it happening.

The only reason I can think is if he's reasonably big. Moving Meli back to the wing and bringing Ade back has given us a real boost in getting up the field.

As for Magennis, I like some things that he does, he's got a good offload and can hit hard in defence, but in the contact when carrying the ball for yards, he sometimes seems quite inaffective.

Re: On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:07 am  

Offside Monkey wrote:

So Lomax didn't brake his thumb, then?

No. He dislocated his ring finger and the bone pierced the skin.

Re: On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:09 am  

Top Saint wrote:

No. He dislocated his ring finger and the bone pierced the skin.

They mentioned his ring finger on the telly, but I thought it had transpired to be the thumb, which obvioulsy would've been worse. Glad he's back.

I get the feeling they want to hold Gaskell while they push Lomax to build his experience, so that when they next play together, Johnny will have the confidence to call the shots?

Re: On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:11 am  

One finger isn't going to stop anyone for long. Just strap it to the next one and have a painkilling injection and you are good to go.

Re: On to the CC : Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:12 am  

Offside Monkey wrote:

They mentioned his ring finger on the telly, but I thought it had transpired to be the thumb, which obvioulsy would've been worse. Glad he's back.

I'm pretty sure that he already had a thumb injury which is why it was strapped more heavily than usual.