Come the start of the season it is likely that the following players whom will all be hoping to be playing regular first grade this year will all be sat outside of the first choice 17:

Vinnie Anderson
Chris Riley
Kevin Penny
Simon Grix
John Clarke
Tyrone McCarthy

Whilst the following couple have played a fair bit of first team football and are probably looking to kick on and be playing quite a few first team games:

Matty Blythe
Lee Mitchell

I know its been said many times before but our squad with first team experience and aspirations is as deep, if not deeper, than any other in the league.

With my maths that gives us a squad of 25, wich you would probably find is about the same as every other sl teams playing roster.

And three of them are Challenge Cup winners.

i firmly believe that now we have a squad capable of dealing with injuries and loss of form and the right man in charge to keep everyone happy but everyone on their toes.

Agreed. We have that depth after the 17. Plenty of competition for positions. Smith's had a full pre-season and his full focus is with us afer resigning from England duty. Should make for an exciting upcoming season from a Wire point of view.

On that premise, what do you perceive to be Smith's first choice 17?

I've given team numbers rather than squad numbers for this.

1 Mathers
2 Hicks
3 Bridge
4 King
5 Atkins
6 Briers
7 Myler
8 Morley
9 Monaghan
10 Carvell
11 Anderson L
12 Westwood
13 Harrison

14 Higham
15 Cooper
16 Wood
17 Solomona

As already said, plenty of experience outside the 17 as well. I would like to see Kev Penny really push for the no 2 shirt on the basis that Hicks is likey to leave at the end of the season and McCarthy/Grix to overtake Vinnie in the pecking order for a back row bench spot.

Sorry but for me Matty Blythe & Lee Mitchell are in no way good enough (yet)
not if we are to push on, if the team is bad enough to be able to fit these two in at the moment, then we should expect yet anouther average season

I can't see beyond the following:

1. Mathers
2. Hicks
3. Bridge
4. Atkins
5. King
6. Briers
7. Myler
8. Morley
9. Monaghan
10. Carvell
11. L. Anderson
12. Westwood
13. Harrison

14. Higham
15. Wood
16. Cooper
17. Solomona

Best "Squad" I have seen us have ever.

Pick me any other team's 24th and 25th squad members (not numbers but in order of likely selection) who have as much 1st team experience as these two.