I feel the options are limited and having read the details of ages and contracts provided by Frosties on another thread I feel the position is even worse.
To assist with my point it is easier to place the players in four groups.
Threequarters.To start with a positive the positions 1 to 5 are very good and there is only a need to provide cover against injury which should be possible from the younger players, Handley Duckworth etc.
Forwards.Here there is a major problem, five of the players are aged 30 plus some almost 40 and all are coming to the end of their current contract. Four players are aged 23 to 29 Delaney,Ablett Clarkson and Achurch. one of which has been sent on loan. Two other players Yates and Cuthbertson can be added to this group but there must be question marks about one because of injuries and of the difficult transistion in the first year for the other. These players will become our experienced backbone of the pack in future years. The remaining players are young some very young and need an increased amount of game time though I am not sure our coach has confidence in all of them. This must be resolved.
Hookers.The team appears to be well covered with Aiton and Ward, but Aiton must play at hooker.
Half backs. All three of the half backs will need to be replaced in the next couple of years.
Herein lies the problem, The constraints of the salary cap and the existing long contracts probably means no new signings until contracts begin to expire at the end of 2015. All this when the club faces a most crucial year when it is essential to finish in the top 4 and be in that position after 23 games to ensure favourable games in the top eight series. Quiet a challenge, I wonder it we have the right coach to manage this extremely difficult period

Yeye

Why is the salary cap always portrayed as a constraint when Leeds surely can't possibly be spending anywhere close to it's permitted limit given the makeup of the current squad.

The existing cap was seemingly sufficient to house the 2010 squad by comparison and isn't the cap also increasing in 2015.

With players like Sinfield, Peacock, McGuire, Burrow, Hall, Watkins, Briscoe, Moon, Hardaker in the team I don't know why you'd assume Leeds are so far away from the cap. There's probably near half the salary cap in just those 9 players (or in Hardakers and others case you'd want to have space available in order for improved contracts in the future), never mind the other 22 players Leeds have used this season.

Leeds operate with some space on the cap, but there's no reason to assume they're massively under.

The 2010 squad:

Webb, Donald, Delaney, Senior, Hall,
McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Buderus, Peacock,
Jones-Buchanan, Lauitiiti, Sinfield, Diskin, Eastwood,
Bailey, Kirke, Ablett, Burgess, Pitts,

(Amor, Coady, Watkins, Ambler, McShane,
Bush, Clarkson)

And there was still room to accomodate Lee Smith part way through the year when he returned to league.

The 2014 squad :

Hardaker, Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Moon, Hall,
McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Aiton, Peacock,
Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Sinfield, Ward (S), Delaney,
Bailey, Kirke, Clarkson, Achurch, Briscoe (T),

(Sutcliffe, Keinhorst, Singleton, Minchella, Mulhern
Walters, Ward (R), Briscoe (L), Handley, White, Golding)

By 2014 some players from 2010 will have had upgrades but some others will have taken pay cuts as they pass their sell by date - sentiment stolen from Juan.

Gone altogether from the 2010 squad some (I imagine to be) fairly hefty contracts : Webb, Donald, Senior, Buderus, Lauitiiti, Diskin, Eastwood - to be replaced in the squad by Hardaker (Championship), Jones-Bishop (Acad), Briscoe, Watkins (Acad), Moon, Aiton and Achurch.

The same CEO assembled both squads and I don't believe he pays a penny more than he absolutely has to, whether that be in 1984 when he founded the Sheffield Eagles or in 1997 when he joined with Paul Caddick to take-on Leeds RLFC, or in 2010 when he assembled (IMO) Leeds' best SL Era playing squad or anytime since. To believe Leeds are currently anywhere near the cap is to believe the Leeds CEO has taken leave of his wallet.

Because surely nobody is naive enough to believe Sinfield, Peacock, McGuire, Kylie, and Burrow, will be on anything close to what they were on previous contracts. It's a well known fact that Peacocks last two contracts were less than half of previous to that. However, at the same time you then have higher contracts for Hall, Watkins, Hardaker, whom you mention, and Ablett.

But when you consider over last few seasons we have lost Ali, Buderus, Eastwood, Webb, And Smith, that is a huge chunk of money not replaced.

Shame, as despite the obvious problems with the squad management, spending up to the cap on even just one extra quality player, and it might have made the difference this year.