I agree just to be back on track this year and competing for top 4 and play some good rugby will do me. With a real push in 2018 for trophies

For me I'm interested to see who starts at loose forward. JJB was the main starter there last year and got his hands on the ball a lot trying to be a ball playing forward but he's limited in that aspect really. If we go with Stevie Ward I think it'll make a big difference to our attack. Ferres was looking good when he switched from the left to the right side alongside Watkins, so if Ablett can get back some form then our backrow is very good with experience heads like JJB and Delaney able to play supporting roles which will suit their bodies better.

We still made the 3rd most metres of any team before the split and that's in a struggling depleted side and without Segeyaro until the last few games so we can clearly get forward with our forwards.

Salary cap only counts for highest paid 25 players

Not sure about the cost of reserve sides, a lot will have to do with regulations on a minimum player salary for reserve team players.

I think JJB may be a 4th prop next year with Galloway out for a long spell, albeit many teams now have a prop at loose forward. I agree about ward.

One thing I struggled to understand last season was using singleton or JJB as first receiver in the other team's 20. Good grafting forwards but not ball players.

May open up some more opportunity for young smith as well.

100% correct.

If the squad stays the same i see no higher than 6th.
We still need genuine quality & Leadership in the HB's to guide the team & Lilley.
Throw in our ageing injury prone pack i cant see Cuthbertson Garbutt & Segeyero carrying that workload all year.
Add in our Coaching staff who we know will revert to a 15 man bench selecting injured players & using the likes of Watkins as a Forward then 6th it is at best.
The highlight could well be the likes of Cam Smith & Young Oledski breaking through.

Which might be a short term highlight aswell.

Here he is......

You beat me to it

It's amazing we even have a squad seen as they all hate McDermott because he never talks to them and another 3/4 senior guys wanted out a few months back and that our youngsters are staying and being promoted because doesn't he basically bully them too and when is Ablett announcing his retirement???

Who mentioned McDermott? you seem to be the only one mentioning him.

Who mentioned 3/4 senior guys? I mentioned two. Spot on as usual mate whether you like it or not.

Who said I was talking about you? I was referencing the rumours in general spread on here.

And you do has serious delusions about your success rate with rumours, maybe try 5/10% instead of "spot on as usual"

You quoted a post referenced to me and stated about McDermott, so I think it is corret to assume you were referencing it to me. Of course you were off the mark, but not surprising. Was it just another attempt at bickering?




In your made up world maybe. Unless you attributed made up rumours on me of course, usually happens.

I think we will play better than last season in terms of performance, which is a positive, and hopefully IF younger players developed can only help longer term. But I think we will actually win less matches possibly overall, due to the competition. You say 6th, but I can't see us getting close to Saints, Warrington, Castleford, Catalans, Hull, and Wigan, which is six teams there already.

I don't really see how it is possible to play much worse that what was served up for most of the regular rounds, it is a nightmare we should be able to put behind us. I think Rhinoms is right, 6th is probably about where will end up with an outside chance of the four should a fancied club falter. I don't think SL is a great standard at the top but comparing those top squads with ours, i think Wigan, Cas, Warrington and Hull are clearly stronger. We are about Saints level for me as things stand.

Anyway, like others have said i could accept a 5th or 6th place finish if i get to see some good rugby being played and progress being made by the prospects pushing through.

Anything above the middle 8s would be an improvement on this season.

Just hope we get off to a decent start.

Get a bit of confidence back and playing like we know we can.

Start off badly and we may just roll out the barrell of excuses again.

Al be totally honest I can't remember the last time I was this underwhelmed with the custodian of the 1 shirt. He has a long list of big boots to fill.

I had warmed to the idea of Sutcliffe getting a run there. To be honest I am not going to write the kid off, Goldings efforts have been spirited no doubt, but I've seen little to make me think he has to get a start.

What say you lot! Is he ready?

If he bulks up without losing speed he will be a decent no 1. At present he is far to lighweight to be playing first grade.

I think he has plenty of potential. He looks quick and elusive on attack but he is error prone atm. It's a big if but if he can improve his defence he could be a good replacement.
I would have been happy for Sutcliffe to carry on at fullback but either way Hardaker leaving is the best news we have had for a while. Shame it's not a permanent deal.

If your question is:

Is he ready to be thrown around like a rag doll when he has the ball? Or, Is he ready to be trampled by forwards breaking through our defensive line? Or, Is he ready to be battered under the high ball? I'd say yes to all three.

He's a game lad, and that's to be commended, but unless he can put on 2 or 3 stone and not lose any of his pace, then he's in for a tough time I think. Everyone remembers the errors a Fullback makes because they usually result in tries. It's going to be a hard season for the kid if he does indeed start as Fullback rather than just take the number 1 shirt.

I think its a brilliant move, yeah he's not up there with the likes of Brent Webb yet but how is a young kid going to get a chance only playing a handful of games per season then out on dual reg to Feath.

Give him the shirt - Done!!!!! let him play and show us what he's capable of - In progress!, if he's not superman in his first full-time first team season give him a break and let him improve. I'd like to think this is an investment for the future. He's showed flashes of what he's capable of last season in the few games he played (at Fullback) and did ok against New Zealand too! He needs the support of the fans and not putting down for every minor error (an alien concept on here i know)!!!!!

People who know more than me about the game see potential in the lad...and that's from both sides of the world. He's going to have some tough games, but I hope he's given the confidence to try and play his game. He has enough experience in the back line to help him out

He had an ace game against New Zealand, didn't he stop RTS in his tracks on our line?

Can't catch, can't tackle, won't pass. What could possibly go wrong?