Re: Starting 17 : Mon Nov 28, 2016 3:38 pm  

Hampshire
Higson
Brown
Tonga
Dawson
Ridyard
Drinkwater
Weston
Higham
Hock
Stewart
Hansen
Patterson

Hood/Pelissier
Maria
Hopkins
Green

Re: Starting 17 : Tue Nov 29, 2016 1:13 am  

01. Brown
02. Higson
03. Hampshire
04. Crooks
05. Dawson
06. Ridyard
07. Drinkwater
08. Green
09. Pélissier
10. Weston
11. Stewart
12. Vea
13. Patersen

Maria
Higham
Hock
Hansen

Re: Starting 17 : Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:56 am  

reffy wrote:

Hampshire
Higson
Brown
Tonga
Dawson
Ridyard
Drinkwater
Weston
Higham
Hock
Stewart
Hansen
Patterson

Hood/Pelissier
Maria
Hopkins
Green

That looks about right to me!

Re: Starting 17 : Tue Nov 29, 2016 11:05 am  

I believe there will be huge competition for places, pre season and the friendlies determining who gets the starting spots with those missing out putting pressure on the first choices to perform or lose the shirt - how different to 2005 eh?

FB - McNally, Hampshire, Brown, Smith
Wings - Thompson, Brown, Higson, Dawson, Hampshire, Smith
Centres - Crooks, Brown, Tonga, Higson, Thompson, Smith
Halves - Hampshire, Ridyard, Drinkwater, Reynolds, Stewart
Props/Loose - Hock, Acton, Hopkins, Maria, Tickle, Weston, Green
Hookers - Higham, Hood, Pellisier, Foster
Back row - Stewart, Vea, Hansen, Patterson,

Great set of specialist coaches plus one of the top conditioners from Aus will see us hit the ground strong imo - Cas not far off now.

Re: Starting 17 : Tue Nov 29, 2016 11:53 am  

Higham is a great captain and was good last year but I just cant see how he gets in the team, even if it is his last year.

Pelissier will start and he has the best defence of all 3 hookers. He is also very lively from dummy half.

Liam Hood is set to have his contract extended very soon and he is a live wire of the bench with his scoots from dummy half.

Sentimentality aside, I cant see Higham getting in the team.

Re: Starting 17 : Tue Nov 29, 2016 12:04 pm  

He gets in the team like the rest, by showing he deserves to be there. I feel Hock will struggle to make the 17 personally but it will be great to see who rises to the challenge and claims the shirt

Re: Starting 17 : Tue Nov 29, 2016 1:17 pm  

Higham is the organiser.Someone else also needs to step up to the same mark this season.

Re: Starting 17 : Tue Nov 29, 2016 1:49 pm  

I think it's his quickness from acting half back and Hood is good too.

McNally fullback for me.

Re: Starting 17 : Tue Nov 29, 2016 1:54 pm  

atomic wrote:

Higham is the organiser.Someone else also needs to step up to the same mark this season.

Agreed.

For me especially with the tough early fixtures Higham needs to play, it’s not just about his game but the way he handles his captaincy and drives on the others, when he went off in games last season, no direct fault of his replacement but at times we lacked the drive and switched off. Something that cannot happen this season someone needs to pick up the mantle when Higham goes off or doesn’t play I’m hoping that this is something that Stewart/Paterson will pick up, but until it happens Higham needs to play.