Southernwood won't get played, it will be Menzies or Addy. Unless Kearney is back, but imo we need some more speed and class put into our back 3.

I'd guess at Addy personally. If kearney is fit then I expect halley to go back to the wing and kearney to slot back in at FB with platt returning to . we get players back in the positions they've been playing so far this season and only have one player to integrate then rather than having 2 or 3 playing unfamiliar positions.

With Donaldson out I can't see Menzies doing anything other than moving back to the back row and if Crookes and Reardon are still injured that would mean Kearney (if fit) back to 1 unless he gives Wardle a go but I reckon he's most likely to go with Addy starting before starting Wardle. I still think if Orford has made progress and can link up with L'estrange / Godwin we've enough to win the match. If Kearney isn't fit then it's an even bigger problem.



Reading Crabtree's comments in the back of the Huddersfield Examiner tonight he's really bitter about not getting picked for England and is banging on about proving Macca wrong. If Scrutes can get him with a big hit early on it would do wonders for our chances of winning the match.



Going to be a real test this week I think but one that we can win and if we did it would do wonders for our season. It is now the most important match of the season.



On the ban issue speaking about Sykes' I think it's fair to be honest it was dangerous play and looked quite bad. As for Senior's i think the fact the match official stated that it was unintentional allowing him to stay on the field awarding a penalty to Wigan meant that he wasn't in any danger of a ban. ATEOTD it's up the match official to police the game in the first instance as he sees fit and the Match Review panel to pick up anything that was missed. I'm surprised they went this far and didn't state that it had already been dealt with.

Sykes got what he deserved, no more, no less. Can't see the point of an appeal.



The Senior decision however is ridiculous. What was "unintentional"? Do his legs often wildly flail about in huge arcing kicks involuntarily? Was he having a fit? The kick was in fact 100% intentional. Obviously he didn't "intend" to land the kick on the head - but that's only because he lashed out recklessly, not giving a flying fook what or who was in the way, and knowing full well there were certainly defenders in close attendance.



A fine if he had luckily just kicked fresh air. However as he made contact with a player's head, it had to be a ban.

Not when you clearly must know where the bodies are buried...

Rubbish. 2 other players were on Senior's top half, 1 (O'brotherinlaw?) was laid across his head, so he had no idea where Tomkins was. It's a completely normal action to kick your legs out to try & dislodge players from your top half. I have played in games where it has happened, more than once, & a penalty not given. Sykes was a horrendous tackle, if it had been intentional he could have been looking at 6 matches. As could Senior.

How can you tell if it was intentional or not? Sure perhaps he didn't intend to knock someone out by kicking them in the face, but he definately intended to kick his legs about in the air at face height. What did he imagine was going to happen?

Indeed.



It doesn't surprise me that it only took a few posts before the anti-Leeds hysteria set in, despite the thread being about Sykes.



Did I imagine Brent Webb getting a ban a few weeks ago and failing in his appeal? Apparently so.

Face height being 3 feet off the ground in this case, just where you would expect it.

So what was he trying to do? Having your feet 3 feet off the ground helps you to get up does it?

Webb has a long history of wild head shots (often completely missed by the officials) so it's hardly a shock that it eventually caught up with him. Leaving aside the kicking out, when Senior starts getting pinged for his regular obstruction occasionally then I'll start believing there is a god.

There might (or might not) be many faces at around 3 feet from the ground but I can think of other, rather painful areas, I wouldn't want to get kicked in, particularly be a great big lummox like Senior.