If you were the new coach, and all players were fit what would be your best XVII at the moment? Mine:

1, Rankin
2, Mcgillvary
3, Cudjoe
4, Wardle/Wood (Would favour Wardle, but needs to be spelled)
5, Mamo
6, Turner
7,Brough
8, Ikahihifo
9, O'Brien
10, England
11, Taii
12, Roberts
13, Hinchliffe

14, Mellor
15, Lawrence
16, Clough
17, Leeming

I have avoided the players i don't think want it enough (Smith, Gaskell,Walne,Wakeman) and i don't think McIntosh is good enough in any of the positions he plays to warrant a place. I definitely think Turner should play in the halves and have his hands on the ball as often as possible as he seems to be to me the only one of our halves to be a genuine attacking threat. When he plays centre his impact on a game is pretty negligible usually. Mellor can cover for centre/back row positions and Murphy for wing/centre/full back. Rankin as shown last night, is definitely better at fullback, and the best attacking threat from that position considering Mamo's dodgy hands.

agree about rankin full back

and the turner/brough combo

also becoming less and less impressed with mcintosh...have mamo instead on that wing.

My XVII is very much looking to the future, and is aimed at scoring points rather than not conceding them. A more conservative approach is to play Murphy, who i have loads of respect for, and defensively is our best back, but offers very little in attack. The real key is finding a way to make any halfback combo that includes Brough to work. He just has to understand that the days of everything going through him are finished. He can still be a decent addition to the team just for his kicking, and he will be more effective with a more balanced workload between him and his halfback partner. I really hope the new coach can find a way to make him play in a way that best fits the team.

Agree with a lot of that but would have Mellor for Roberts at the moment, Roberts for me needs to improve his fitness to get a starting spot, I've seen him missing too many tackles this season due to tired/lazy defence. We scrambled well yesterday because we were laterally mobile, I don't think it would have been the same had Oli played.

Also thought Mamo looked great on the wing, such a competitor and was all over the field trying to get involved.

Wood I think will make a suberb second rower and Wardle will be a star at centre if he stays with us and stays fit. We just need a consistent team on the pitch and try and build off Friday.

Betts said we were rubbish yesterday, we weren't fantastic but for me he's playing mind games to try and knock our confidence

You have a point regarding Roberts, his bodyshape has changed for the worse this year, and he has never looked fully fit, but hes still a real handful near the line and has that killer instinct regarding tryscoring so i would have him in the team for that alone considering how hard we have found it to score points this year.

Said earlier in the season that only Widnes were anywhere near as bad as us, and that's proved true. We can better though with players to come back, whereas they really are in a lot of trouble. We will still end up in the middle 8's and have a lot of improving to do to make sure we aren't in the championship next year.

roberts i think is struggling from the world cup, had a good world cup but for me is burned out, had to do too much rugby 80mins with symonds being injured and others in the second row

for me roberts is an impact player off the bench, might yet see him go back to being that when fit and with taai in the second row interchanging

Strange bench with 1 prop and no replacement hooker. Id go:

1. Rankin
2. Jerry
3. Leroy
4. Wardle
5. Mamo
6. Turner
7. Brough
8. Taai
9. O Brien
10. Clough
11. Lawrence
12. Mellor
13. Hinchliffe

14. Leeming
15. Seb
16. English
17. Roberts

I dont think Roberts has been fit and has been playing at 70% after that freak kitchen accident but like Thorman said he is also one of those willing to put his hand up for the cause - which is good! When 100% he makes the squad every time.

I know its early for Wardle but I saw enough to suggest hes going to be a long term centre for us. Excellent in defence and has the skills, for example the quality pass to Mamo in (who should have scored really) something Murphy couldn't have done at all.

Murphy I would switch to the 2nd row cover but can also cover the backs.

I personally would look to get rid of Ferguson, Wakeman, Walne and Gaskell in the off season and look to bring in a quality 2nd rower and a prop - someone like Joe Greenwood who is available would do for the 2nd row and the money left over can be used the year after to put towards a quality half when Brough goes.

Word is Ferguson has already signed a new deal

How are we going to improve much re signing he same players?

Hinchliffe, Mamo, Simpson, Murphy and Wakeman are all OOC and I expect to lose 3 of those players.

Harsh but if losing Murphy allows us to keep Jake a Wardle long term then so be it for me.

Jon Luke Kirby is probably replacing Wakeman in the squad next year and expect to see the Senior twins promoted at Simpsons expense.

We also need to try and some how get rid of Gaskell and Walne unless Walne makes dramatic improvements.

We have 4 lads out on loan who are OOC in Farrell, Mason, Wood and Johnson and don't expect to see them back.

Knew i'd forgotten someone! Didn't intend to miss Leeming out who i do think is good enough. Ferguson has played well this year, but isn't an answer going forward. Would mean for my team that Murphy is first reserve for injuries.. which means he would be playing every week!

Interesting to see that everybody here has put Turner at 6, whereas he has only been played there when injuries/bans have forced the issue. It's not like he doesn;t want to play there, in an interview he clearly said he saw himself as a 6, but at some point in his career he was asked to play centre and it stuck. I'm not saying hes the best halfback in the world but he's a damn sight better than either Gaskell or Rankin playing there.

A new Half would be my absolute number 1 priority as a new coach, and realistically we need 2!

We are stuck with Gaskell. I can’t see anyone taking him on with terms better than he currently has. His anxiety issues will put clubs off also. But for me I’m happy to have him in the squad as a utility cover. He has done a solid job for us at fullback centre and in the halves and would be a good player to have as cover.

i expect to 5 of those above to go apart from maybe simpson as he could poss get another cheap 1yr deal

feguson new deal... i like him but when he actually plays and ive said before im sick of the injured players so for me he can go. a fit ferguson i like mind as he as good a second rower as we have at the club for making yards