Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:48 pm  

I'll be amazed if Crossley isn't the captain next season.

FWIW my 17 would be

McNally/Pickersgill
Hitchcox
Webster
Oakes/Gibson
Ryan
Keyes
Chisholm
Crossley
Wildie
Green
Farrell/Storton
Garside/Minchella
Wood/Hallas/Minchella

Bustin
Peltier
Flanagan/Lilley
Hallas/Storton/Wood

As you can see I'm struggling to pick our starting pack! Always good to have options I suppose

Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:52 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

I'd say mid table is possible. Kear is aiming for top 5 but I'd be surprised and delighted if we managed that. Staying up is the priority but I think we'll manage that.

who would you see the top 5 ending up being?
toronto - widnes - toulouse - halifax

but who else?

you would expect us to be beating the likes of rochdale and swinton

barrow, dewsbury, sheffield, york and batley we should be at least competitive with

which just leads us with fev and leigh. and who knows how strong they are going to be, especially leigh, who dont know who is going to playing for them next season

so that last top 5 spot does seem up for grabs

[Bullseye]

Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:52 pm  

For the first time in a long while we look strong up front. I was a bit concerned about the lack of mongrel a while back but I think some players have grown up and become less of a soft touch. Take Mikey Wood, he's really come on and puts himself about a bit now.

Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:55 pm  

The central funding allocation in this division makes me really nervous.
I think there are plans to level the funding out a bit but I still get anxious thinking about what we've budgeted for compared to where we actually end up.
You only need to look at Leigh (and ourselves a couple of years ago) to see what can happen when you get it wrong.

Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:55 pm  

im hoping pickersgill gets more games over mcnally
and i want to see more of storton too, he really impressed when he came in towards the end of the season

[Bullseye]

Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:56 pm  

scorchingdick wrote:

who would you see the top 5 ending up being?
toronto - widnes - toulouse - halifax

but who else?

you would expect us to be beating the likes of rochdale and swinton

barrow, dewsbury, sheffield, york and batley we should be at least competitive with

which just leads us with fev and leigh. and who knows how strong they are going to be next season, especially leigh, who dont know who is going to playing for them next season

so that last top 5 spot does seem up for grabs

I think Fev will be in the same group as us Barrow, Dewsbury, Batley, Sheffield and York. Probably the upper end because even though they've lost a few players they're accustomed to this level and have recruited a few decent players too in the Boas brothers.

Poor Leigh look like they're doomed unless they can rustle up a squad from somewhere quick.

Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:01 pm  

i do feel very sorry for the leigh fans. it feels too close to what we have had to go through in the past

doesnt it feel nice to be having a pre season where we can discuss the first team, instead of not knowing if we will actually have a team

[Bullseye]

Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:05 pm  

Nothus wrote:

The central funding allocation in this division makes me really nervous.
I think there are plans to level the funding out a bit but I still get anxious thinking about what we've budgeted for compared to where we actually end up.
You only need to look at Leigh (and ourselves a couple of years ago) to see what can happen when you get it wrong.

I think the levelling out of the central allocations should mean less of a cliff edge for clubs, provided the owner hasn’t gone all in on a bid for promotion. I think we’re in a better position as we’ll get a bigger allocation in 2019 and again in 2020 provided we don’t get relegated.

scorchingdick wrote:

im hoping pickersgill gets more games over mcnally
and i want to see more of storton too, he really impressed when he came in towards the end of the season

I think Storton is probably just behind Minchella, Farrell and Garside for a spot. He’s done really well considering he’s had some bad injuries. John Bastian thinks he’ll do really well with the benefit of tough pre season training. He’ll be in the 19 man squad often enough I reckon.

At fullback I think there’ll be some really healthy competition. If McNally can get fully fit he still gets the nod for me.

Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:09 pm  

Pickersgill
Hitchcox
Webster
Gibson
Ryan
Keyes
Chisholm
Crossley
Wildie
magrin
Farrell
Storton
Minchella

Bustin
Peltier
Flanagan
Wood

close call between green and magrin

Re: What does your first 17 look like for 2019? : Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:10 pm  

I would think Crossley will be captain, with my lad vice captain, as it was for last couple of month of this season. Not heard anything that’s just my opinion