Drinkwater strengthens further. Personally I would not have Scruton starting anyway so I think we start with Garbutt. Drinkwater in and Atkin hooker.

This would be MY team for the first game.
1- Dagger
2- Shaw
3- Vaivai
4- Keinhorst
5- Hall
6- McGuire
7- Drinkwater
8- Jewitt
9- Lee
10- Mulhern
11- Linnett
12- Tomkins
13- Hauraki

14- Masoe
15- Atkin
16- Garbutt
17- Greenwood.

Leaving Quinlan, Wallis, Oakes, Crooks, Wardill, Lewis, Scruton, Lannon, Johnson, Lunt, Lawler, Addy, Rooks, Harrison.

Obviously if Lunt, Scruton and Quinlan were fit they would be in the 17.

I just have a feeling that if we can avoid long term injuries, we have a squad that can do some damage this year

Think this is pretty much my choice too, though I’d swap Greenwood & Linnett just to give a bit more utility off the bench, I guess the friendlies will be the deciding factor on how TS goes into game 1.
Point to note:
How strong does this team look on paper? (I know games aren’t played there), but look at the quality of player not even making the squad above.

It looks okay, I think. Lunt and Quinlan will likely be big misses, early on. If Drinkwater carries his 2018 form over into 2019 that could be huge though. And obviously, for the first time in a while we’ve got a pack with a bit of oomph (hopefully). I’m very happy and relieved to see that. Another year of ‘mobility’ might have broken my heart.

The backs aren’t exactly going to scare opponents, maybe Vaivai apart, but there’s some pace there. Crooks would be very close to a spot based on the form he showed at the end of 2018. There’s nobody to do Justin Carney’s old job (unless Wallis or Oakes claim a spot), but tbf Carney himself didn’t do it all that often because of injuries.

I didn’t get to see Wallis at all last season, I like Iakes & want him to push on now. The times I have seen him though I would say he definitely needs to improve under the high ball....especially when the floodlights are on. Hopefully that area is being worked on.

For all Justin Carney did in "exit sets", making good ground, he wasnt as prolific in scoring as he was at Castleford. In Shaw and Hall, they are PROVEN try scorers and will more or less guarantee you 20 tries between them in a season. Why Ryan Shaw doesnt get the praise he should is a dissapointment. His tries alone make him a real threat and has pace to burn.


I think if Sheens wants a Carney/Sio type winger then Will Oakes is the man for the job. Elliott Wallis is the one who excites me the most as i feel he has the best of both worlds in being strong in exit sets, and is apparently the fastest player in the squad. He is the one I feel will go the furthest out of all the wingers we have, just needs to sharpen up on the kick defence as does Oakes.

I am amazed Tommy "Turnstile" Lee is still getting a spot in any 17 in SL.

Same here! Personally I'd put Lawler in at nine and Aktin off the bench

it will probably be his last season ,unless he excels

100 per cent.