Definitely. We need more clichés and empty platitudes. There are nowhere near enough of them in rugby league.

and there were 9 games last season where the points difference was from -6 to +6, and we were 7th before injuries really kicked in, so with better backs and fewer injuries there is a basis for optimism.

On the other hand, Purtell topping the Aussie intercepts for the last two seasons tells you that he must come out of the line a lot. So as always, lets give it a few games to see whether the squad turns our hopes into points.

Saying we only needed to win two more games is fine but two more wins and a draw is roughly ten percent of a season and it requires all other teams to remain constant.

All teams can argue it could have been different. Saints at wigan on good friday. warrington in the challenge cup and playoffs. wigan in the playoffs. hull etcetc.

Far more important would be where were bradford deficent last season and what has been done to remedy that. Will purtill make the difference for bradford or will the loss of lynch be more key. similar to saints will an experienced half back and laffranchi make the difference with the loss of our best prop graham.

The halfbacks and backs need the forwards to be going forward and winning the collision in order to have time and space to play so a lot depends on how Graham and Lynch's replacements do and how others step up.

As an adage that's as true as any in rugby league but to direct wide running second rowers onto weak defenders you need a passing game. It's not necessarily that our pack never went forward last season but matter how much time marc Herbert had he took the ball standing still. A good scrum half pulls opposition defenders out of the ruck area either to cover the pass or if steps and goes. As defenders get pulled out the hooker should theoretically direct his pack into that area or scoot himself. It's symbiosis but in recent times our halves have given our pack nothing to work with. Whether Gale/Sammut is the answer I don't know but we can only improve.

Quite right. I think there was one game where I thought were shown up in both areas and that was home versus Catalans. Their pack ran in with so much aggression and enthusiasm compared with ours. That had us back pedalling and Dureau's distribution had us scrambling in defence and using far too much energy. We stayed with them admirably but in the end got played off the park.

Hopefully Gale and Sammut will improve things, and I think they will. I just hope they're not getting smashed because of our slow PTB.