Well if that doesn't make the case for Sam at 6 with TL out nothing will.

[BriH]

If you move the country's best loose forward away from that position the team will be weaker.
If you move the country's best full back from that position it therefore follows that this will also weaken the team.
As much as I would like to see Williams or Hampshire given a run out, they are away on tour from mid-July to mid-August so this isn't an option.

For me the best balance we can get given our resources are:
1. Sam
6. Finch
7. Mellor
13. O'Loughlin

For some reason this quote didn't appear!

[Panchitta Marra]

We seem not concerned, yet Mickey Mac may be banned, Jeff Lima looks like he has a busted eye socket, Daz Goulding hobbled off, tried to return, but gave the thumbs down.
Tommy out probably until the end of the season.
Leeds Rhino's are just round the corner in a game they will be concentrating on 100% more than usual.
IMO, Leeds want the Challenge Cup this year and have set it as their main priority.
This game wont be a walk in the park and we will need a fit and fully functioning team if we want to get to the final. :conf:

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

We seem not concerned, yet Mickey Mac may be banned, Jeff Lima looks like he has a busted eye socket, Daz Goulding hobbled off, tried to return, but gave the thumbs down.
Tommy out probably until the end of the season.
Leeds Rhino's are just round the corner in a game they will be concentrating on 100% more than usual.
IMO, Leeds want the Challenge Cup this year and have set it as their main priority.
This game wont be a walk in the park and we will need a fit and fully functioning team if we want to get to the final. :conf:

We need to rediscover our form. Leeds have momentum and we have excuses. Even before our dip in form I was expecting a very tough and tight game.

[cpwigan]

dave o obsessed with his pov. wigan down to 12 men narrowly lost to a team with huge motivation. personally i think lockers moving from 13 means 2 key losses at 7 and 13 and yet dave wants to continue making such changes using our fb at 6. surely it is far better to keep lockers at 13 , sam at 1 and find a 6 but then again minimisig change would ruin daves obsession with sam to 6. persoonally my biggest worry re last night is macs pending suspension.

Would you prefer O'Loughlin at 6 to Tomkins at 6?

Neither Cherry

I think any change should cause the minimum disruption to the team hence Lockers needs to stay at 13 and Sam at 1. So you then need to replace Tommy with somebody out of the starting XVII which means Mellor/Powell Williams/Hampshire.

Williams plays righty so he would fill in naturally for Tommy or bring Mellor back. I actually think Hampshire could be terrific but at this stage a big gamble. Powell not fully fit I presume.

We need our regular pack back ASAP and that means Lockers at 13. Our best attacking ourside back is Sam so that means he stays at full back. Despite what the likes of Dave O think, Sam is a far better FB than a half back.

[Shaun1967]

dave o obsessed with his pov. wigan down to 12 men narrowly lost to a team with huge motivation. personally i think lockers moving from 13 means 2 key losses at 7 and 13 and yet dave wants to continue making such changes using our fb at 6. surely it is far better to keep lockers at 13 , sam at 1 and find a 6 but then again minimisig change would ruin daves obsession with sam to 6. persoonally my biggest worry re last night is macs pending suspension.

Would you prefer O'Loughlin at 6 to Tomkins at 6?

Neither Cherry

I think any change should cause the minimum disruption to the team hence Lockers needs to stay at 13 and Sam at 1. So you then need to replace Tommy with somebody out of the starting XVII which means Mellor/Powell Williams/Hampshire.

Williams plays righty so he would fill in naturally for Tommy or bring Mellor back. I actually think Hampshire could be terrific but at this stage a big gamble. Powell not fully fit I presume.

We need our regular pack back ASAP and that means Lockers at 13. Our best attacking ourside back is Sam so that means he stays at full back. Despite what the likes of Dave O think, Sam is a far better FB than a half back.

I didn't want to jump in and pre-empt this answer as the question wasn't directed at me, however the first two sentences sum our situation up perfectly.

Michael McGuire emphasised and demonstrated the difference that gaining an extra 1% out of each player could make to the team. Moving two of our key players into different positions not only takes percentages away from them, but also from the team as a whole. We lose the familiarity that has been built up over months of training & playing with the key men in customary positions.

Before last night we were in a poor position personnel wise. Now we are in a very difficult position in the run up to a major semi. We need to keep the spine of our team as stable as possible.

Hampshire /Williams go on tour on July 19th so they may be an option between now and the semi but then we are back to square 1.
Unless Powell has a chance of a very quick return (which I don't see as realistic since he will need at least a couple of reserve games first) then I see the most stable option is Joe Mellor.

How often last night did you see the man with the ball in his hand having a number of options as to where the ball was going next? The speed we play at and the number of options we have in attack are the reason teams struggle to defend against us. Last night it didn't happen, because the spine of our team weren't in their usual roles.

[Panchitta Marra]

We seem not concerned, yet Mickey Mac may be banned, Jeff Lima looks like he has a busted eye socket, Daz Goulding hobbled off, tried to return, but gave the thumbs down.
Tommy out probably until the end of the season.
Leeds Rhino's are just round the corner in a game they will be concentrating on 100% more than usual.
IMO, Leeds want the Challenge Cup this year and have set it as their main priority.
This game wont be a walk in the park and we will need a fit and fully functioning team if we want to get to the final. :conf:

We need to rediscover our form. Leeds have momentum and we have excuses. Even before our dip in form I was expecting a very tough and tight game.

I could be wrong SEF, but I honestly think that Leeds have set the Challenge Cup as their must win silverware for this season. They have been very successful in recent years with the Grand Final, but the Challenge Cup has eluded them since 1999, a record that they are desperate to put straight.
As you say, even with a full fit team, this will be a very tough game.

[DaveO]

dave o obsessed with his pov. wigan down to 12 men narrowly lost to a team with huge motivation. personally i think lockers moving from 13 means 2 key losses at 7 and 13 and yet dave wants to continue making such changes using our fb at 6. surely it is far better to keep lockers at 13 , sam at 1 and find a 6 but then again minimisig change would ruin daves obsession with sam to 6. persoonally my biggest worry re last night is macs pending suspension.

The only obsession as you put it is from those like you who won't countenance playing Sam Tomkins at 6.

William and Hampshire are off in tour. Mellor shows no sign of being recalled from Widnes and Powell has been out injured for ages so to play him would be a huge risk.

That leaves two choices for Wane. Stick with Lockers, which I fear hew will, or make ONE positional change of moving Sam to six.

[cpwigan]

dave o obsessed with his pov. wigan down to 12 men narrowly lost to a team with huge motivation. personally i think lockers moving from 13 means 2 key losses at 7 and 13 and yet dave wants to continue making such changes using our fb at 6. surely it is far better to keep lockers at 13 , sam at 1 and find a 6 but then again minimisig change would ruin daves obsession with sam to 6. persoonally my biggest worry re last night is macs pending suspension.

The only obsession as you put it is from those like you who won't countenance playing Sam Tomkins at 6.

William and Hampshire are off in tour. Mellor shows no sign of being recalled from Widnes and Powell has been out injured for ages so to play him would be a huge risk.

That leaves two choices for Wane. Stick with Lockers, which I fear hew will, or make ONE positional change of moving Sam to six.

Where is Sam most effective for the team? FB or 6?

The tour option can be cancelled. There was talk that Bateman and Currie would not go either.

[BriH]

dave o obsessed with his pov. wigan down to 12 men narrowly lost to a team with huge motivation. personally i think lockers moving from 13 means 2 key losses at 7 and 13 and yet dave wants to continue making such changes using our fb at 6. surely it is far better to keep lockers at 13 , sam at 1 and find a 6 but then again minimisig change would ruin daves obsession with sam to 6. persoonally my biggest worry re last night is macs pending suspension.

The only obsession as you put it is from those like you who won't countenance playing Sam Tomkins at 6.

William and Hampshire are off in tour. Mellor shows no sign of being recalled from Widnes and Powell has been out injured for ages so to play him would be a huge risk.

That leaves two choices for Wane. Stick with Lockers, which I fear hew will, or make ONE positional change of moving Sam to six.

Agree.

[Wes]

dave o obsessed with his pov. wigan down to 12 men narrowly lost to a team with huge motivation. personally i think lockers moving from 13 means 2 key losses at 7 and 13 and yet dave wants to continue making such changes using our fb at 6. surely it is far better to keep lockers at 13 , sam at 1 and find a 6 but then again minimisig change would ruin daves obsession with sam to 6. persoonally my biggest worry re last night is macs pending suspension.

The only obsession as you put it is from those like you who won't countenance playing Sam Tomkins at 6.

William and Hampshire are off in tour. Mellor shows no sign of being recalled from Widnes and Powell has been out injured for ages so to play him would be a huge risk.

That leaves two choices for Wane. Stick with Lockers, which I fear hew will, or make ONE positional change of moving Sam to six.

Agree.

It would actually be the same as Lockers playing there as Sam would move to 6 and A.N.Other to play at FB. Hence 2 positional changes, the same as now with Lockers at 6 A.N.Other to play at 13!

Powell/Mellor IS the best option shame SW thinks different, with the CC around the corner now is the time to blood them in not after we lose with Lockers at 6!