Catalans top 17

[winnyason]

Well it's the first day of 2008 & with superleague just a month and a bit away, & the trial match vs the best of the elite in 19 days here is the 17 like i see it depending on fakir recovery he is a certainy if he returns fit & if a playmaker is not found my believe is sabri may end up there.

1. greenshields 2. pelo 3. duport/raguin 4. mogg 5. khattabi(cats discovery of last season) 6. bosc 7. macguire

13. mounis 12. elima 11. carlaw 10. gussiet 9. gorrell 8. chan

bench: croker, gossard, ferriol, kane bentley.

others: andrew bentley, griffi, john wilson, fakir, murphy.

no doubt once fit fakir will be in side & the centre is a problem duport potential but still no settled while john wilson is solid but won't win or lose you a game while raguin has a big impact on game but is he a centre. With the amount of backrowers with catalans this year raguin may become a centre if duport does not come good.

predicted finish: challenging for a finals spot around 5 to 8 place.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Croker will start ahead of Elima, Murphy will start ahead of Khattabi and Wilson will probably still get in the starting side. Plenty of backrow depth again but I can't see them making the six without a really good halfback. If they can finish ninth or better they will be over-performing.

 

[winnyason]

a couple of good points east coast but take a look further:
*murphy last year was at one stage behind oliver "jailbird" charles, pelo, bosc & khatabbi he only got a go towards end of year because bosc played some 6 & broke his arm.
*if gorrel performs like he did in the first month where cats where in the top 4, his kicking game is good. they won't miss jones as much as everyone thinks.
*croker is long in the tooth i doubt very much he will start even if elima does not, with the likes of gossard, carlaw, mounis, raguin(if looked at in the back row) & fakir to compete with.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I'm not saying Croker should be in there, I said he will be. Same with Murphy and Wilson. Potter obviously thinks the Aussies are better then the French.

 

[marv]

a couple of good points east coast but take a look further:
*murphy last year was at one stage behind oliver "jailbird" charles, pelo, bosc & khatabbi he only got a go towards end of year because bosc played some 6 & broke his arm.

no he wasnt, he played in all the first 5 rounds before being injured himself.

When stacey was injured, he used bosc and wilson at 6, when Jones returned he used Bosc on the wing, the 9 games murhpy missed early season were because of injury, not because he was "behind" the other players, he was ever present between may and june and almost certainly bagged more tries and more appearances than any other winger at the club, to suggest he is not no1 choice is ludicrous (especially since his new found frenchness takes him off the dragons self imposed quota)

also Khattabi has a long way to go before he is a week in week out SL quality winger, Pelo, Stacul and Duport are the ones for me