Personally I'd go with Joe Thompson rather than Anders Rowe and have Anze Grmek/Jordy Loftus/Niklas Holm Jakobsen/Ryan Ingram instead of Smith/Foord.

'Returning British Professionals: Returning British professionals can apply for an 8% reduction in their starting average for every season they have missed out of the sport, helping them secure team places.' so 8+8+8+8+2.5% = 34.5% 4.80 - 34.5% = 3.14.   1 Leon Flint 8.25 2 Freddy Hodder 3.31 3 Chris Harris © 7.93 4 Anders Rowe 6.39 5 Dan Thompson 7.55 6 James Shanes 3.14 7 Smith/Foord   Is that how it works?

So, James Shane's last Championship average was 4.80 for Birmingham in 2022. What reductions would be be entitled to? The standard 2.5% Brit reduction, but also 8% for missing more than a season? A bit like Ablitt for Scunthorpe last season, except he only 'missed' one season. Or is it 8% for each season he's missed? If his average is low enough Glasgow could go with: 1 Leon Flint 8.25 2 James Shanes ???? 3 Chris Harris © 7.93 4 Anders Rowe 6.39 5 Dan Thompson 7.55 6 Freddy Hodder 3.31 7 Jack Smith 3.04 It would have to be lower than 3.53. If not, you could swap Jack Smith for a 2.00er (Harry Fletcher? Senna Summers?) and Shane's average will surely fit then. It would ensure that strong top 4 with a solid enough bottom 3. Jack Smith may never be better than a Championship reserve, but he'll be fine down at number 7 and has had 5 point averages in the past, Freddy is Freddy and I feel like James Shanes could really increase whatever average he's given and he's good mates with Bomber from the longtrack.

Cairns average isn’t good value? I’m shocked at some of the comments about Cairns surely he should be one of the first names on the team sheet! 6 and a half point average in his first year, comfortably outperforming Rushen, and you and others see his average as “poor value”? I don’t get it. He’s 17 years old! There’s another point on that 6 and a half this time next year. 

Whoosh!

1 Charles Wright © 8.68 2 Jake Mulford 5.13 3 Jason Edwards 6.28 4 Jody Scott 6.00 5 Danny King 7.76 6 Ace Pijper 4.15 7 Charlie Southwick 2.00     40.00