Challenge to Saints fans...list our 2021 best 22

[fugazi]

Paton Howard Wilkie
Coffield Carlisle Clark
Hill Crouch Jones
Butler Marshall Battle
Membrey King Higgins
Ryder., Steele, Gresham

IC Billings, Hannas, Long, Sinclair

Eng Ross, Geary, Bytel, McKernan

I like Battle starting in forward line, great pressure player too.

Billings off the bench, and Sinclair in front of Seb, just

[vacuous space]

B: Coffield Howard Wilkie
HB: Paton Carlisle Long
C: Battle Jones Hill
HF: Gresham Membrey Billings
F: Higgins King Butler
R: Marshall Steele Clark Crouch
I: Ryder Sinclair Hannebery Bytel/Ross

Mine is nearly the same

B: Coffield Howard Wilkie
HB: Paton Carlisle Long
C: Billings Jones Hill
HF: Gresham Marshall Membrey
F: Higgins King Butler
R: Ryder Steele Clark Crouch
I: Geary Hannebery Ross Battle

I hope they don't call for a head count.

[Ape_Man]

B: Coffield Howard Wilkie
HB: Paton Carlisle Long
C: Billings Jones Hill
HF: Gresham Marshall Membrey
F: Higgins King Butler
R: Ryder Steele Clark Crouch
I: Geary Hannebery Ross Battle

I hope they don't call for a head count.

Haha, thanks for the pickup.

Whom do I trim?

I think I'll move Clark to the bench and Battle becomes an emergency.

[vacuous space]

Whom do I trim?

Potentially unpopular opinion - I'd drop Carlisle from that team. I'd much prefer to play Battle, either in defence or dropping back from the wing.

Much as I wanted Clark in the middle, I don't think it's happening this year with Crouch coming in. I think we'll start Crouch/Ross/Steele/Ryder in the middle once Crouch is off suspension. Rotate Gresham and Jones through there, maybe Hannebery too for the five games he's healthy. Higgins might get some centre bounces if there's injuries, but I assume he's mostly going to run into the middle from the forward line.

So, I'd go with something like:

B: Ben Paton, Dougal Howard, Callum Wilkie
HB: Ben Long, Nick Coffield, Hunter Clark
C: Brad Hill, Jack Steele, Jack Billings
HF: Jade Gresham, Tim Membrey, Jack Higgins
F: Rowan Marshall, Max King, Dan Butler
R: Paddy Ryder, Brad Crouch, Seb Ross

I: Josh Battle, Jarryn Geary, Dan Hannebery, Zak Jones

E: Jake Carlisle, Jack Lonie, Shaun McKernan, Jack Sinclair

More realistically, though, you're probably right that it's Battle out from your 23.

[Ape_Man]

Whom do I trim?

Potentially unpopular opinion - I'd drop Carlisle from that team. I'd much prefer to play Battle, either in defence or dropping back from the wing.

Much as I wanted Clark in the middle, I don't think it's happening this year with Crouch coming in. I think we'll start Crouch/Ross/Steele/Ryder in the middle once Crouch is off suspension. Rotate Gresham and Jones through there, maybe Hannebery too for the five games he's healthy. Higgins might get some centre bounces if there's injuries, but I assume he's mostly going to run into the middle from the forward line.

So, I'd go with something like:

B: Ben Paton, Dougal Howard, Callum Wilkie
HB: Ben Long, Nick Coffield, Hunter Clark
C: Brad Hill, Jack Steele, Jack Billings
HF: Jade Gresham, Tim Membrey, Jack Higgins
F: Rowan Marshall, Max King, Dan Butler
R: Paddy Ryder, Brad Crouch, Seb Ross

I: Josh Battle, Jarryn Geary, Dan Hannebery, Zak Jones

E: Jake Carlisle, Jack Lonie, Shaun McKernan, Jack Sinclair

More realistically, though, you're probably right that it's Battle out from your 23.

I love Battle and thought his effort at CHB a couple of years ago was amazing, like potential All Australian amazing. He may be undersized but it reminded me of Mat Maguire before the horrible leg injury.

I have Carlisle in based on his best version. When he is on he really is one of the top defenders in the game, when he is on. He also staightens us up and allows others to do there thing, but I would be more than happy to see Battle have another crack at the position.

Clark in the middle is probably just my optimistic thinking, I loved hs work in the guts at the end of the season. Once we got Crouch I hoped we didn't make a play for another midfielder as it would hamper our natural growth with players like Hunter.

[skeptic]

B: Paton, Howard, Wilkie
HB: Coffield, Carlisle, Clark
C: Hill, Steele, Gresham
HF: Billings, King, Butler
F: Membrey, Marshall, Higgins
R: Ryder, Crouch, Jones

I: Battle, Long, Hannebery, Ross

E: SInclair, Geary, Bytel, McKernan

Hate to say it but I think Gears is the one that misses out barring injury. Don’t really know who else to cut. Everyone else feels essential.

The question mark on this team is having all of Crouch, Hannerbery and Ross... feels a little to flat footed. Crouch is obviously the lock and the ? Is Hannerbery’s ability to stay on the park.

At full strength it’s kind of tempting to bring in a guy like SInclair ahead of one of them as more of a play maker.
It feels to me like if your were looking to evolve that team..l Ross and Hannerbery are the guys you’d want to upgrade

[shanegrambeau]

So exciting to see all these good players to choose from...my eyeballs are spinning. Finally, we have a surplus and a hard time figuring out who to leave out.

It would of course be unlikely not have at least on or two out for a niggle or injury each game...so even those emergencies will get a guernsey.

“Dis iz vunderfull”, cried Sigfreid.