PAUL Terzis has pulled several big guns out of the firing line ahead of Sunday's Silk Cut Challenge Cup third round tie against amateur side West Hull.
Instead the Leigh Centurions head coach will rely on his fringe players to help steer Leigh through to a potential tie against a Super League club in the next round.
With one eye on two vital league games coming up next week, Terzis knows he has enough strength and depth in his squad not to have to take risks against the Humbersiders.
"We've enough talent to win this one and it gives us the chance to give some of our key squad members valuable game time," he says. Samoan half-back Willie Swann makes his long-delayed senior debut at scrum-half; Aussie prop Jamie Gass starts in the front row; Jason Johnson gets a first run in the centres; Kieron Purtill starts at loose-forward and last year's Academy scrum-half Lee Sanderson wins a place on the bench.
Chris Morley and Tim Street are both suspended as they start three-game and two game bans respectively while Neil Turley, Simon Baldwin, Adam Bristow, Dave Bradbury, John Hamilton and Andy Leathem are all rested.
"I don't see it as a gamble," Terzis declares. "The players that are coming in are all members of our top grade squad. We wouldn't have signed them in the first place if we didn't think they could do the job.
"It's an ideal opportunity to give one or two players a break and to try out one or two more combinations."
Terzis will be particularly keen to see how Swann combines with in-form stand-off Simon Svabic at half-back and how Gass goes in the front row. "It's been tough for these players to break into the top grade side so far this season because of the start we've made. But this is their opportunity now and I'm expecting some big performances from them," he adds.
"Of course we've got one eye on next week when we play a re-arranged game against Workington on Wednesday night followed by another home game against Rochdale next Sunday. A lot of the players who don't play this weekend will be backing up twice next week."
While Terzis has made wholesale changes he's not take Sunday's opponents lightly.
"They are the best amateur side in the country and we've got to treat them with respect, take no liberties, ride what they throw at us and just go about our job professionally. If we do that, we'll be OK," he says.
West Hull have been National Conference champions for the last two seasons and are on course to make it a hat-trick in 2001. Four years ago they actually reached the last 16 of the competition after knocking out pro clubs Highfield and York before losing 40-8 to Wakefield.
Team: Ingram; Watts, Anderson, Johnson, Jones; Svabic, Swann; Gass, Roden, Whittle, Fairclough, Kendrick, Purtill. Subs: Duffy, Norman, Bretherton, Sanderson.
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