Who is in your Super League dream team for the season?

The business end of the Super League season must have arrived. It is a fortnight until the Challenge Cup final, then it's another couple of weeks until the play-offs – and only this Tuesday, the voting form for the Engage Dream Team for 2010 dropped into my inbox. In an exercise in democracy that I hope won't be frowned on by the Rugby Football League, I thought I'd ask for your input before submitting my votes. The panel of around 30 media folk are asked to come up with a one-two-three for each position, which then produces the selection who get together for a cup of tea and a few pictures in the week before the first round of the play-offs. We're not really supposed to take Challenge Cup performances into account as it's a Super League Dream Team, although don't let that bother you too much. So here we go, position by position, with your guidance especially welcome at stand-off. Full-backs Maybe it is a reflection of Huddersfield's slight dip in the table, maybe it's just that he set such high standards last year that expectations have become unrealistic. But Brett Hodgson, the reigning Man of Steel, does not seem to have made quite the same impact this season, and I am not sure whether he even makes my top three in a very competitive position. Paul Wellens seems a nailed-on No1 for the umpteenth time for another wonderfully consistent campaign. Richie Mathers and Jordan Tansey have made major contributions for Warrington and Hull respectively, but I'm tempted to select Clinton Schifcofske from the Crusaders and Ben Jones-Bishop from Harlequins as second and third. Wings No doubt about the No1, as Pat Richards is the leading try-scorer, goalkicker and points accumulator of the season. But again there are plenty of contenders to be number two. If the votes had been counted in April, Wigan's other Aussie flanker, Amos Roberts, might even have pipped Richards. But he's not been the same since returning from a lengthy injury lay-off, and I'm now leaning towards Hull's young Yorkshireman Tom Briscoe as a more patriotic vote. That's a bit cruel to David Hodgson and Chris Riley, who have had prolific seasons for Huddersfield and Warrington respectively, and Will Sharp has taken the eye sufficiently with Quins to earn a move to Hull. Centres This is a surprisingly open position, with no certain selections. I would probably go for Keith Senior as first choice on the left with Matt King providing an equally bulky presence on the right. But maybe that's unfair on Matt Gidley and George Carmont. Chris Bridge was excellent for Warrington until his injury, and Leroy Cudjoe might have sneaked in if he hadn't spent the first half of the season at full-back or wing. Stand-offs It's over to you. I can't split Sam Tomkins, Leon Pryce, Lee Briers or Danny McGuire, and I'm reluctant to overlook Kevin Brown, Rangi Chase or Daniel Holdsworth. Scrum half A similar situation to the wings, in that Kyle Eastmond was well ahead in mid-season before his ankle problems began. The St Helens man's extended absence has allowed Hull KR's Michael Dobson and Wigan's underrated Thomas Leuluai to sneak ahead, with Dobson's kicking game winning him the nod. Hooker Two outstanding candidates here, with James Roby pipping Michael Monaghan (and at the moment on course to get my vote for the Rugby League Writers' Player of the Year award that will be decided in a month or so). I am torn between Keiron Cunningham and Danny Buderus for third, although would like to recognise the huge improvement of Danny Houghton and the toughness of Danny Orr. Props It's a first-equal vote for me between James Graham and Adrian Morley, with only Jamie Peacock's injuries sparing an even trickier decision. Peacock probably sneaks into third but plenty of others are worthy of a mention: Andy Coley and Stuart Fielden for laying the foundations for Wigan's dominance; Nick Scruton and Andy Lynch for giving their all in a hopelessly imbalanced Bradford side; Craig Huby has been good for Castleford; Darrell Griffin hugely improved and Larne Patrick highly promising for Huddersfield; and most controversially, how about the ever-popular Leeds Rhino Ryan Bailey? Second-row This is a satisfying position for the England coach, Steve McNamara. It's Ben Westwood first, Joel Tomkins second, with Gareth Ellis and Sam Burgess challenging them from Australia for places in this autumn's Four Nations series. The third second-row is a trickier decision – I've got Craig Fitzgibbon, Weller Hauraki, Chris Flannery and the admirable Olivier Elima as leading contenders, with Liam Farrell one of several young forwards to make a major impact at Wigan. Loose forward Sean O'Loughlin, the Wigan captain who will surely wear 13 in the Four Nations, forms a quality all-English back three in the Dream Team. That's tough on Kevin Sinfield, who offers a different range of skills, and also on three young British forwards who have generally been listed at loose forward this season but operated in a wide range of positions – Ben Harrison, Shaun Lunt and Liam Watts. So at the moment the Guardian's Dream Team nominations would produce the following 13: 1 Wellens (St Helens); 2 Briscoe (Hull), 3 King (Warrington), 4 Senior (Leeds), 5 Richards (Wigan); 6 AN Other, 7 Dobson (Hull KR); 8 Morley (Warrington), 9 Roby (St Helens), 10 Graham (St Helens), 11 Westwood (Warrington), 12 J Tomkins (Wigan), 13 O'Loughlin (Wigan). A couple of closing thoughts before you get voting. First, is anyone else worried that St Helens' departure from Knowsley Road could sneak by without suitable recognition? It doesn't seem to be as big a deal as Wigan's masterfully managed farewell to Central Park 11 years ago, yet Friday's game against Bradford will be the penultimate league game at the old ground. I guess the uncertainty surrounding the play-offs makes things complicated, but why on earth are Saints staging their last league game against Castleford on a Friday night rather than a Sunday afternoon? Second, a delicate subject that needs careful handling, and in which the issue of blame has become a hot potato – and should definitely not be levelled at the journalist involved. But take it from me, the Catalans prop David Ferriol did not make the derogatory comments about Adrian Morley that were attributed to him ahead of Sunday's Challenge Cup semi final. The whole business is a mess from which lessons will surely be learned, but the message needs stating loud and clear that Ferriol's reputation has been traduced. I've never used that word in a rugby league context before, but the literal meaning – "to cause humiliation and disgrace by making malicious and false statements" – could not be more appropriate. Everyone involved owes Ferriol a grovelling apology.