Press conference today suggested Sutty will return with Ward "back in the middle." I hope not!

Do you know what, at this stage of the rebuild and of the season, we need to have a good look at Sutcliffe at second row. He is a current England Knights player and does have some ability.

My personal view is that his defence is too poor and he has too many errors in his game, and I don't want his presence to stop other talented lads having their chance. But the club needs to be sure before making a call on his future, in what is a new position for him.

What I don't like is the balance of the pack with Merrin up front, to accommodate Sutcliffe, given that Ferres and Ward are good enough to start in the back row too.

Agreed.

But it is up to him to prove himself. Last week when he was out, the team improved and the players in earned the shirt. Tough on Sutcliffe. Now he should have to build to get back, not given the opportunity again to have a good look at him.

He is not and never will be a back row forward

I tend to agree. I reckon the gap between his skill set and those of a high quality 2nd rower are wider than for any other position which he's been tried in so far.

My problem with it is less about sutcliffe and more about merrin at prop.

He's been given chance after chance in 3 or 4 positions and not secured 1 as his own. I reckon he's got some very compromising photos of somebody.

Just thinking back to the 2015 game away at Saints when Sutcliffe looked a brilliant smart player. Thought he'd become a really important player after that.

I am not a huge fan because I don't see the right attitude in defence, which for me is absolutely core for RL. He makes too many errors as well.

However - he is in the England Knights set-up, and clearly successive coaches at Leeds rate him. He can show flashes of brilliance.

I would still like to see Cam Smith in that first team, like most others on here I think.

Agreed. Regardless of it being ward with one of suttcliffe or ferres or smith at second row...Merrin has to play 13, barring an injury crisis at prop, that should be set in stone imo

Let’s see how they line up tonight. Well up for this one, looking forward to it. Not confident we’ll win but we should give them a game at least.

Going back to merrin in the front row, I don't get it.

Same $hite that got spanked at Wigan. Not happy, why can’t Sutcliffe just f*** off?

You can understand playing Merrin at prop if we've got no other option, but apparently we've got three props on the bench (not that Cuthbertson is actually a prop).

See what happens but if I were saints I'd be looking to get Dwyer through a ton of work with parcell out, leeds would protect him better with another big body at 13.

Unbelievable decision...

How on earth is that a try?

Madness, and even worse Cummins trying to justify it.

What the hell is this ref doing here.

Well not a surprise the starting pack can't get out of their 40

You're playing Saints this week try to see the decision in that context

We do lack a bit of punch in the pack in many ways...

Looks like another bad injury for Ward.