Here is my effort.

Sio

Mantellato

Goulding

Salter

Dixon

Blair

Kelly

Walker

Calile

Weyman

Larroyer

Mc Carthy

Donaldson



Bailey

Burke

Green

Boudebza/Horne

Couple of notable omissions in Cox, Ollett and Cockayne, but your 17 is as good as any except I would put Burke at 13 and Cox on the bench.



There will be more additions to the squad, who and when is the question.

1. Guzdek



2. Sio

3. Goulding

4. Welham

5. Mantellato



6. Blair

7. Kelly



8. Weyman (c)

9. Maybe (Logan Tompkins) He was on loan at Salford cant see him getting in over Micky Mac

10. Bailey



11. Larroyer

12. Donaldson

13. Burke



14. Cockayne

15. McCarthy

16. Walker

17. Green

Id like to see Carlisle given a good go. Thought his distribution was a lot cleaner then hodgsons to be honest. The scooting from dummy half only comes from game time and reading the game.

1, DIxon

2, Sio

3, Goulding

4, salter

5, mantelleno

6, Blair

7, Kelly

8, weyman

9, Carlile

10, walker

11, larroyer

12, McCarthy

13, Donaldson



14, green

15, Horne

16, boobedza

17, bailey



Cox, Charlie, welham, Burke plus younger kids miss out for me. Burke and Donaldson was a 50/50 call I went with Donaldson as his initials are an alcoholic beverage favourite of mine.



Horne on the bench offers flexibility if backs get injured n all I think. Like him in centre me I'd be tempted to start him there if either get injured above welham. I initially put cox on the bench but realised you ideally need a replacement hooker. We look very suspect in the hooking role more then any other position I must admit. Not a team full of big names but hopefully big on minutes, effort and fight.

I think fullback, wings and left centre are most open. It'll be quite interesting to see the squad numbers when they come out.

We really need another hooker-half.

There's a Scott Murrell shaped hole in the squad, IMO. I'm a bit reluctant to turn on Sandercock, as he seemed a decent bloke who was trying his best. But some of his recruitment and retention decisions were poor, from the outside looking in. Murrell was rumoured to have been moved on in a bid to improve discipline/professionalism iirc. That went well.

It's interesting that The Drighlington Dynamo never got picked up by another SL club.



I thought he'd play half a season at 'Fax and be back with Cas or Wakey.



I don't know what he does outside of the game or what his deal is with 'Fax though.



Surprise, surprise, full back is my second most worrying position with the squad as it stands. Hooker is very worrying.



I can't see an out an out specialist at one and it's such an important role. I'd be tempted to try and sign an old hat to mentor Gudzek into the team, we've lost Briscoe, let's hope he instilled enough into the kid and he can put on a bit of meat over the Winter to step up.

I think if we play a ball playing 13 we can lose the fullback as the extra pivot and use it as a space running support role which Dixon/mantelleno/sio can done. If we play as an extra pivot at 1, well we then have an issue. But then we could lose size in the pack if we decide to go with that. Conundrums indeed

Interesting idea, I know next to nothing of Burke, but could he fulfill that role?



Other posters have said that so I'd be happy to go with that.



The problem then is coming up with a player that can play full back but has the necessary intelligence to structure the defence and be solid with kicks. I don't see that player within the squad, I no longer think that a full back has to have marvelous last ditch tackling technique. If a player gets a one on one run at you it's very much a penalty in Association Football scenario. If you stop them, great, but eight out of ten they'll score.

Looking in as an outsider I think switching Dixon and Mantellato between the FB and Wing duties could work best for you. Play Mantellato at FB in defence and switch to Dixon in attack and get him to follow play continuously.



Another observation is your Back 3 in the pack look pretty lightweight. Larroyer is a decent size but alongside any two of Donaldson/McCarthy/Burke seems a little small. I think it could be an idea for you to start with Bailey at 13 and have Burke on the bench to bring on after 15/20 and push Bailey back upto prop.



Mantellato/Dixon

Sio

Goulding

Salter

Mantellato/Dixon

Blair

Kelly

Weyman

Carlisle

Walker

Larroyer

Donaldson

Bailey



Green

Burke

Cox

(Interchange hooker?)

Its no mystery Rovers are endeavouring to fill the gaps in the pack, but I think you have come up with a reasonable alternative at 13, although it makes a hole in the front row rotation (at present) with just three established props in Weyman, Walker and Green, unless Cox moves up to front row? Other options are Esslemont and Burke.

Think back to 1st Apr 2013 Hull KR 6 - 84 Wigan - Burke played 80 minutes at loose forward according to sky sports, he's more than capable of fulfilling that role.

Thanks for that! It took a lot of very expensive counselling to eliminate that memory from my mind!