19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 1:09 pm  

Saints have announced their squad for the second extraordinary clash of the season. There are four changes to last weeks squad; Francis Meli, James Roby, Joe Greenwood and loanee Gareth O'Brien are all called into the 19. Dropping out this week are Anthony Laffranchi, Carl Forster, Nathan Ashe and Stuart Howarth. Lance Hohaia is named but is doubtful due to a dead leg sustained against Warrington. 1. Paul Wellens, 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Jordan Turner, 4. Sia Soliola, 5. Francis Meli, 6. Lance Hohaia, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Willie Manu, 16. Paul Clough, 19. Josh Jones, 21. Tom Makinson, 24. Joe Greenwood, 25. Alex Walmsley, 30. Mark Percival, 33. Luke Thompson, 37. Gareth O'Brien. http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/3061 1. Paul Wellens 5. Francis Meli 3. Jordan Turner 30. Mark Percival 21. Tommy Makinson 37. Gareth O'Brien 12. Jon Wilkin 16. Paul Clough 9. James Roby 11. Tony Puletua 4. Sia Soliola 19. Josh Jones 33. Luke Thompson 6. Lance Hohaia 10. LMS 13. Wilie Manu 25. Alex Walmsley That's probably how I would go but it's hard to pick with the possibilities available.

Saints have announced their squad for the second extraordinary clash of the season. There are four changes to last weeks squad; Francis Meli, James Roby, Joe Greenwood and loanee Gareth O'Brien are all called into the 19. Dropping out this week are Anthony Laffranchi, Carl Forster, Nathan Ashe and Stuart Howarth. Lance Hohaia is named but is doubtful due to a dead leg sustained against Warrington. 1. Paul Wellens, 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Jordan Turner, 4. Sia Soliola, 5. Francis Meli, 6. Lance Hohaia, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Willie Manu, 16. Paul Clough, 19. Josh Jones, 21. Tom Makinson, 24. Joe Greenwood, 25. Alex Walmsley, 30. Mark Percival, 33. Luke Thompson, 37. Gareth O'Brien. http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/3061 1. Paul Wellens 5. Francis Meli 3. Jordan Turner 30. Mark Percival 21. Tommy Makinson 37. Gareth O'Brien 12. Jon Wilkin 16. Paul Clough 9. James Roby 11. Tony Puletua 4. Sia Soliola 19. Josh Jones 33. Luke Thompson 6. Lance Hohaia 10. LMS 13. Wilie Manu 25. Alex Walmsley That's probably how I would go but it's hard to pick with the possibilities available.

Re: 19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 1:12 pm  

Strongest squad we've put out in a good while.

Re: 19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 1:55 pm  

Same as Backrow for me!

Re: 19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 2:24 pm  

We need one of Hohaia or Howarth on the bench to interchange with Robes as no way will he be able to play the full 80, and nor should he. That would be terrible management if they did make him play 80 mins.

I so hope that Brown doesn't mess with the Makinson/Percival/Manu possibilities down the left hand side. That's just too good a threesome to fool around with surely? If Meli has to return this week then he should replace Gardner, who is not up to much generally, one try aside, but especially in defence. Not that Meli is necessarily great in defence either but last week Gardner was woeful.

Re: 19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 2:30 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

We need one of Hohaia or Howarth on the bench to interchange with Robes as no way will he be able to play the full 80, and nor should he. That would be terrible management if they did make him play 80 mins.

I so hope that Brown doesn't mess with the Makinson/Percival/Manu possibilities down the left hand side. That's just too good a threesome to fool around with surely? If Meli has to return this week then he should replace Gardner, who is not up to much generally, one try aside, but especially in defence. Not that Meli is necessarily great in defence either but last week Gardner was woeful.

Roby can play the 80 if he needs to, he's 100% fit and probably could have played against Leeds two weeks ago so fitness isn't an issue for him. People often say about getting up to 'match fitness' but he is such a machine that his general fitness is often higher than other players match fitness so he should just be able to slot back in.

I agree about the left hand side combo, I'd like to see Makinson and Percival continue together but I'm not sure I'd start Manu. He's a bit of a liability in the first 20 minutes and when his moves don't come off it really puts us on the back foot early.

Re: 19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 2:37 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

Roby can play the 80 if he needs to, he's 100% fit and probably could have played against Leeds two weeks ago so fitness isn't an issue for him.

Robes himself has said on interview that he has to find out whether his ankle will take the strain of a match so I disagree with you. He should be eased back in this first game.

Re: 19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 2:43 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

We need one of Hohaia or Howarth on the bench to interchange with Robes as no way will he be able to play the full 80, and nor should he. That would be terrible management if they did make him play 80 mins.

I so hope that Brown doesn't mess with the Makinson/Percival/Manu possibilities down the left hand side. That's just too good a threesome to fool around with surely? If Meli has to return this week then he should replace Gardner, who is not up to much generally, one try aside, but especially in defence. Not that Meli is necessarily great in defence either but last week Gardner was woeful.

Agreed; if HiHo was injured last week as reported, but has clearly proved his fitness, then fair enough for his bench inclusion. personally I would prefer Howarth over him.

For all those who said the problem with HiHo was that we never played him in the right position i.e. FB; well he has now played in at least 4 postions now (FB, 6, 7 & 9) and still looks poor in all those postions. Did he also play centre in one game?
Regardless, its time for his fans to stop flogging the dead horse that is Lance.

Also glad to see that NB has realised Ashe is not the answer to the HB problems.

Re: 19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 2:43 pm  

Is perry injured again, or just dropped for being rubbish?

Re: 19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 2:45 pm  

I agree that we should interchange Robes with Lance on Monday, it would be a huge gamble not to in my view. That apart the rest of the 17 picks itself, and I too would like to see Walmsley start with TP and Manu introduced 20 or so minutes in.

Re: 19 man squad announced for Huddersfield. : Sat Jun 01, 2013 2:50 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Robes himself has said on interview that he has to find out whether his ankle will take the strain of a match so I disagree with you. He should be eased back in this first game.

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree he should be rotated as it's his first game back, it would be daft not to. All I was saying is that Roby is one of those players were if this was a big knockout game he could probably come in and play the 80 without issue.