TOPIC:

What do people think about WA's prospects this season, in a famous competition we have not won for the best part of two decades?

On ability should be fighting it out but as per the last 20 odd years will under-perform and probably finish 4th-6th AR!
Who have we lost player wise to Vic this year?

I cannot see us getting anywhere near the Viccos , NSW or Queensland so , sadly , it's looking like another fourth place finish in the pipeline

I agree lads -- it is amazing how 'settled' the squad is considering our poor record of late. One or two of the batsmen are lucky to be there me thinks.

Would love to see the likes of talented youngsters in Green, Philippe, Kelly et al take another step in their development this year...though with both Marsh boys available, Philippe probably will be pushed way down the order....resulting in little cameos here and there....ditto for Green most likely...batting wise WA has a plethora of allrounder types....Cartwright,Turner, M Marsh Hardie and Green...with Bancroft and S Marsh the only recognized batsmen...does Inglis get sidelined for Voges to keep with Bancroft, so all the above all rounder types get a gig

Are Behrendorf and Paris only available for white ball duties? On paper WA has some fantastic bowlers....just none ever seem to be fit....an attack of Richardson, Kelly, Green, Paris and Behrendorf should be able to run through a lot Aust shield sides....batting wise I can't see any WA batsmen getting an Aussie gig this summer in the top 6...Bancroft surely is behind the likes of Burns now for Harris spot...

Freezin: good post, I agree completely about the squad having too many all rounders whom have under-achieved in recent years.

Pretty sure Behrendorff & NCN are only playing white ball cricket from now on AR & Freeze, Paris should be available for red ball as well although I heard he is injured again at the moment.
A possible side for the first shield game-

Bancroft
S.Marsh
Cartwright/Carder
M.Marsh
Turner
Stoinis/Hardie
Phillipe w/k Inglis/Whiteman
Agar
Richardson
Kelly
Moody/Paris/Mackin/Guthrie/Green/Hardie

A typical WA day (well the last 20 years at least) in the Sheffield Shield yesterday.
We win the toss and elect to bat and were rolled for 337 on a very good batting deck against a steady but hardly brilliant TAS bowling attack, with Stoinis the only batsman to pass 50 with 61.
Some more bizarre selections with Whiteman used as an opener can you believe with Bancroft, M.Marsh at 4, no Kelly who I thought was our best bowler last summer.
And that above is one of the many reasons why we havent won the Shield in over 20 years and are unlikely to do so this year again!

Lots of starts but no one went on with it, same old story for WA. Meanwhile Warner, Harris and Maddinson filling their boots in the other games although that pitch in Melbourne must be an absolute road!

When was the last time a WA batsman really filled their boots and made a big hundred/200?