LEOPARDS  -  https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gr9ARecWsAAsB3S?format=png&name=900x900 GIANTS  -  https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gr8o9COWIAMacwq?format=jpg&name=large

LEOPARDS  -  https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gr9ARecWsAAsB3S?format=png&name=900x900 GIANTS  -  https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gr8o9COWIAMacwq?format=jpg&name=large

Team I'd pick:
Hodgson, Charnley, Niu, Hanley, Brand, McNamara, Lam, Trout, Ipape, Mulhern, Halton, Hughes, Liu
Subs: Davis, Joffa, Tuitivake, Badrock


Would give Armstrong the extra time, given there is a week off next week.


What I think Lam will pick:
Armstrong, Charnley, Niu, Hanley, Hodgson, McNamara, Lam, Joffa, Ipape, Mulhern, Trout, Halton, Liu
Subs: Davis, Tuitivake, Hughes, Brand


I fully realise that if I were in charge, I'd pick a different team most weeks, and we'd still be in the Championship, if not League 1.

Lam has stated, I think it can be labelled as frustration, his inability to have picked that same 17 for concurrent matches so far this season, he'll always be looking to that that.  I'm in agreement that it sometimes feels like your riding the players until they break but it has paid dividends since promotion.

Very worried about this one, play like we did against wire/Hull we will get beat, play like we did against Wigan we will have a easy evening out.

Id give Armstrong another week off, Hodgson despite his running game last week was very poor with positioning and his rugby IQ in attacking positions to put others away. Young kid with plenty to learn but his development this year as been fantastic to see but he drops onto the wing when Armstrong back.


Hodgson Brand Nui Hanley Charnely Lam Mcnarmara Joffa edwin mulhern Halton Trout Lui 
Dwyer Hughes Tuitivake Brogan 

Brogan isn't in the squad. The only other forwards in the squad are Davis and Badrock, and even he might be considered more of a centre. 

He said last week that he doesn't know what his best 17 is now, so likely to be more tinkering. 

He will have to reduce the minutes of some of the forwards, such as Trout, Ipape and Liu (Maybe O'Neil depending on how long this injury keeps him out) because of the limits imposed on number of minutes a player can play in a year.

Teams should be coming nowhere near almost winning the game when we are 28-6 up with 20 minutes left.


Fair play to Giants for keep on plugging away.


We have so many brainfarts per game its unreal.


Very, very fortunate there.

We do look disjointed,  and it is understandable with all the positional changes we've had to make due to many injuries. We should remember that we're in a transitional season,  and it will take time. 
We do need a quality smart halfback, leader/general to guide us around the park, and a quality kicker is also needed. 
We temporarily sit 3rd on the ladder, and we have 2 weeks off to recoup, and regroup as a squad. 
Lots to work on, so onwards & upwards. 

The game pretty much summed up our season. A mix of good, bad and dumb.


Good - The first 25 minutes of the second half, where we dominated and scored 3 unanswered tries, and starting to show some shape on the left edge again, which has been lacking for most of the season. Armstrong had a good game on coming back, forcing two drop outs, and scoring a try off the back of one, and safe under the high ball and the back 3 seemed to get their positional play right after being caught out against Hull.


Bad - The defence needs work. Conceded a few clean breaks in the first half, and couldn't defend the set after the harsh penalty, which would've killed the game as a contest


Dumb - Once we had another repeat set on Hudds line with 6 minutes left, the only hope Hudds would've had to win was to get an intercept try to go under the sticks. Inexplicably, we force the pass on the second tackle, with no setup and no shape to the attack. A blot on Lam and McNamara's book after a very good first 65 minutes. But that was very poor game management.


Still not sold on Trout playing second row. Would prefer to see Hughes there and be able to rotate three quality props throughout the game. And our attack looks better when Ipape is at 13.