Team for the final : Sun May 22, 2022 9:08 am  

What would your 17 be? Assuming all fit and no bans i would go:

1, Tui Lolohea
2, Jermaine McGillvery
3, Jake Wardle
4, Ricky Leutele
5, Innes Senior
6, Ollie Russell
7, Theo Fages
8, Chris Hill
9, Danny Levi
10, Owen Trout
11, Josh Jones
12, Chris McQueen
13, Luke Yates

14, Oliver Wilson
15, Joe Greenwood
16, Seb Ikahihifo
17, Ashton Goulding

The real tough ones for me are Seb or Matty English and Wardle or Cudjoe. I just feel that Wardle is more likely to score a try in a tight game with his great footwork, and Seb is more of a destructive runner. Leroy has had a shot at the CC final before so give Jake a go and see if he rises to it. It's really harsh on Matty English, but i really feel Wilson has been immense recently and is playing the better of the two.

Re: Team for the final : Sun May 22, 2022 9:42 am  

That looks about right for team selection. We will have to see if Russell and Fages are fit otherwise we may see Cogger and Pryce at half back. I think that Watto will choose Leroy over Jake as he has had some really steady performances this season and he has done a great job for the team. Its a tough choice between Wilson and English, but I have to agree with you that Ollie has been fantastic recently and has probably done enough to get into the cup final team. I hope Seb is fully fit and can play as he could do a massive job for us against their big forwards. Whatever the team is though lets hope we can put in a great performance and bring the cup home

Re: Team for the final : Sun May 22, 2022 10:15 am  

The Leroy wardle one is a tough call. Wardle has the pace and footwork but Leroy has the experience and has such an excellent rapport with Jerry. I don’t think wardle will play, he has little match fitness right now and this is going to be a very intense full on game. If he had been playing then wardle would be the choice but he hasn’t so It has to be Leroy for me.
It’s a difficult one for the props, I agree Wilson has been playing well, and could you perhaps put both Wilson and English out there- local academy products - instead of trout?
Between Seb and English I think it maybe boils down to who is the fittest in terms of their injury recovery.
The key is whether fages and Russell are able to play- the last thing we want is either of them to come off part way through the game. I’m not sure that fages isn’t a bit of kidology going on and they are just making super sure he’s fit.
Nervous for match review panel too.
Whoever plays they all need to be absolutely at the top of their game- we can’t afford for them to panic or the nerves get to them as wigan will take full advantage.,

Re: Team for the final : Sun May 22, 2022 11:17 am  

Waterloo Winger wrote:

That looks about right for team selection. We will have to see if Russell and Fages are fit otherwise we may see Cogger and Pryce at half back. I think that Watto will choose Leroy over Jake as he has had some really steady performances this season and he has done a great job for the team. Its a tough choice between Wilson and English, but I have to agree with you that Ollie has been fantastic recently and has probably done enough to get into the cup final team. I hope Seb is fully fit and can play as he could do a massive job for us against their big forwards. Whatever the team is though lets hope we can put in a great performance and bring the cup home

I definitely think Watson was keeping Fages safe for the final, he will be the one to implement the game plan and really direct our attack and Watson was taking no chances with him. If Russell were to be injured i would want Pryce instead of Cogger, i really think Cogger is a journeyman half and does just enough. Pryce is only 19, but the youngest ever lance todd trophy winner was also a 19 year old half back. I think we know who that was right? Maybe it's an omen

Re: Team for the final : Sun May 22, 2022 1:19 pm  

Anyone seen in regards to ticketing that sections that were showing as sold out are now showing as having plenty of empty seating?

Re: Team for the final : Sun May 22, 2022 4:13 pm  

If Russell has done his hamstring he is not going to be 100% so not sure he can be risked. I don’t really rate Cogger but suspect Watson would go for him over Pryce as his style is more similar to Russell so you can keep to the same game plan. I also worry that Ikahlfho looks nowhere near fit.
I agree that Trout and Wilson seem to be ahead of English at the moment and I certainly think Cudjoe will get selected before Wardle.

Re: Team for the final : Mon May 23, 2022 6:30 am  

If everyone is fit the team will be the same as toulouse with fages for Cogger and mcqueen for Hewitt.

I'd be tempted for pryce over golding if Russell is a doubt. Golding has been really good but if he has to go to fullback in the final it will completely stifle our attack.

Re: Team for the final : Mon May 23, 2022 11:13 am  

HuddsRL5 wrote:

If everyone is fit the team will be the same as toulouse with fages for Cogger and mcqueen for Hewitt.

I'd be tempted for pryce over golding if Russell is a doubt. Golding has been really good but if he has to go to fullback in the final it will completely stifle our attack.

but our defence will be better which could well be key in a final.
also he can cover at 9 - who else can do that?

Re: Team for the final : Mon May 23, 2022 11:28 am  

jools wrote:

but our defence will be better which could well be key in a final.
also he can cover at 9 - who else can do that?

Completely agree on the defence, and I don't like the idea of pryce coming back for such a big game after so long out, if he was going to play off the bench Watson would have run with it against toulouse.

However im just pointing to the fact that often in big games if both defences are tight you need some magic or individual to win it. And pryce offers that. Unfortunately for Golding he's good defensively but that's the end of it.

Regarding hooker cover both Russell and Fages have played there plenty previously.

If Russell doesn't play Cogger will play imo

Re: Team for the final : Mon May 23, 2022 12:00 pm  

HuddsRL5 wrote:

Completely agree on the defence, and I don't like the idea of pryce coming back for such a big game after so long out, if he was going to play off the bench Watson would have run with it against toulouse.

However im just pointing to the fact that often in big games if both defences are tight you need some magic or individual to win it. And pryce offers that. Unfortunately for Golding he's good defensively but that's the end of it.

Regarding hooker cover both Russell and Fages have played there plenty previously.

If Russell doesn't play Cogger will play imo

Watson couldnt play pryce on the bench against Toulouse as his ban was still in force.
russell and fages cant be cover for hooker as the point is we are likely to have either one or both of those not available. and we really do not want to be taking out our main attacking player to put into the hooking role to cover injury in a cup final.
golding offers cover across the whole of the backline and hooker. allowing tui to move in to cover the halves, with forwards on the bench that then gives us cover across every position on the field! to me that's preferable than playing a green kid who's been out for two months and has actually got to prove himself yet.
I know this wont go down well but I feel a lot of this stuff surrounding Pryce has been hyped up out of proportion. he's good but he's very raw and hes not the messiah. Im sure there will be a backlash to that statement but the reality is he's played half a season so far