I agree Woolly. I think we'll see some interesting ins and outs this close season. The squad does need improvement if we're to do more than just stay up (provided we do go up).

I think you're right about what JK wants from his halfbacks. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that JK has been keeping Chisholm on a tight leash this season. Perhaps some of it is down to his return from injury but maybe not all of it.

I disagree with you on next year's expectations though. I don't think we can realistically be aiming for top 4. We'll get a bit more central funding if we go up but not a whole lot more. The progression will have to be gradual and if we go all out to get top 4 I can see it ending in disaster. I would be perfectly happy with a solid season finishing anywhere between 8th/9th all the way up to 5th/6th.
The year after we get a bit more funding, we build on that, we improve. Let's bloody well do this properly instead of the boom/bust approach.

If we're in the Championship next season, looking at it this year there's 2 leagues in 1. I'd like us to be comfortably top of the 'second' division and giving Fev, Fax, London and Toulouse a game each time, winning about 1 in 3/4 against them.

IF we get promoted, I'd expect us to make changes to the roster, hopefully some improvements, though given how many are out of contract at the end of every season that's hardly a shock statement. Then, to use the cliché, 'take the games one at a time' and see where we finish up. It will be a tough old division, that's for sure but IF we finish in the top four then brilliant - we'll see where we are in the play-offs, or whatever the system will be in 2019 (if anyone cares to hazard a guess?)

Finn would provide an "old head" and guidance,a Johnny Wolford type for those who remember.Good signing if it comes off imo.

Agreed, although i think the championship will be very interesting next year. Toronto will replace at least one of Widnes/Salford. If they come down they certainly won't be as strong as a Hull KR. Salford will likely go bust (see they are trying to get fans to purchase a new player) and Widnes just seem to want to send lads on IT courses and don't really care about the rugby. Seems to be a real disconnect between fans and club.

Interesting to see what happens to Fev and Leigh with both likely to miss out on the 4. See Leigh are trying to off load players already. However i still expect them to be a strong championship side.

Fev - big difference in what they can spend next year, the D/R seems to be really unpopular amongst rheir supporters, particularly the Luke Briscoe farce. Also chatter about their owner leaving and investing in York.

IF we get promoted i think its just a free swing to try and finish as high as possible. Keep developing the juniors, keep improving the squad, performances and crowds and we'll do alright. Build long term.

If we go up then I hope fans manage their expectations. I know we will on here but some on social media are less worldly.

The squad as it stands is way short of championship top 4 IMO. I don't want to see us risking the finances adopting the "poop or bust" policies of previous regimes.

However there is the risk that structures will change and the P&R route may disappear. Given how much some SL club owners seem to like our club I wouldn't expect we'd get through any franchising assessment.

So let's aim high but not go bust in the process. I think le penguin's post sums up my thinking. Let's consolidate and improve in 2019 then have a tilt at the top 4 in 2020 if possible.

Provided we do go up...

Oh and on topic I think Finn would be an excellent signing if we get him.

Off topic--Congrats to Bradford Lad,Jake Trueman for making the updated England Knights Performance Squad,well done. If only........don't get me started! www.rugby-league.com/article/529 ... announced-

Off topic--Congrats to Bradford Lad,Jake Trueman for making the updated England Knights Performance Squad,well done. If only........don't get me started! www.rugby-league.com/article/529 ... announced-

Is Chissy another Sammut. A player where you start off convinced he's a genius and you scratch your head at why on earth we've somehow managed to net a player of that quality down in the 3rd division. And then week by week it morphs into a grudging "yes he can be awesome but he's gone missing for 20 minutes again", and then gradually drip drip drip you come to realise he's probably not what we need?

And therefore Finn is an old head that we will need in the Championship to replace him?

I was sat in front of Conner Robinson's partner on Sunday, as she was explaining our (not so) full time status to one of the other wags. Apparently we made an approach for Conner at some point this season.

Listening to Mr Beaumont at Batley a few weeks ago, he says that he's pulling out of Leigh after this season.
He said that he's putting a substantial amount in each month in from his own pocket.
He's been known to bend the truth in the past, but he seemed genuine.

I certainly do remember Woolly - hence my user name. This is why I talk about traditional type scrum halves so much. It is not having a go at the likes of Chizzy but I have my own idea of what a scrum half is out there to do and that is to organise and get the others to play at their best when they are struggling.

I am very disappointed in chizzy,, I had him down to blow this division away, no disrespect to the othe halves in this division, but what we saw first time around with him compared to now, we might as well have any one playing in that position because as already mentioned you can telegraph what’s going to happen tackles 1 to 5 pass to next man, tackle 6 bomb to Ryan’s wing, we are like the old Wimbledon F.C., up in the air and hope for the best every set,,, they are becoming or should I say they are a very boring team,,, count how many times in the last 5/6 games we have made breaks from our own 25 and scored,,

I now call him "Cheesey" Instead of Chizzy, he has talent but perhaps not the mental fortitude to cope with whats happened in his Life in recent times, hopefully losing a critical (not the kick at the end though he should have got it) match along with others in the Team will serve as the Wake Up Call that's been coming!

This is the part of the season where JK will really earn his corn as Coach!

I couldn't have explained my feelings towards him any better than this. Spot on Pumpetypump.
It does appear that we have signed Finn which I see as excellent news for next season. Hope we can hold onto Keys to play with Lilley and Finn

My only fear with those 3 and no Chisholm is that how many games will it be before we say "great kicking game but we haven't made a break all season"

Totally get this comment but Keyes has shown enough for me to be the running half, he has scored some great individual try's and make quite a few breaks himself. Finn and Keyes would be my starting if it cam ot that with no Dane

Its not Keyes attacking play which does have its moments but his defence leaves a lot to be desired.
Chisholm to me looks totally disinterested, is he playing to orders or just wanting to do the least to get by? I don`t think he is fit and he should be, being one of the full time contingent. Many times he is the last back in the defensive line.

My issue with Chisholm is that before his injury at least he showed he had the ability to be one of the best halfbacks in the championship, let alone League 1. However despite that ability here he is with us still. Makes you wonder if he was that good why other teams weren't interested in him.

My theory is that his ability to occasionally do things that are special has carried him as a player so much that he's got away with not doing the dull stuff as well.

I'd not be surprised if the injury has taken away some of his edge.

In the championship we're going to need halves that are tough and can build pressure. Someone that can occasionally do something special but is average for the most part may not be in Kear's plans.

I agree. The first half against York showed all that is wrong with our team (which is by the way no big shock to me, this is a new team, still being moulded and assembled by Kear - I have always thought and said that a rebuilding job takes 3 or 4 years from the point you have your favoured and settled squad)

We didn't turn up. And we didn't have the necessary heads on the field to stop the rot, and turn round attitudes and tactics. We were, frankly, overrun, and nobody seemed to be able to give a lead and do anything about it. It is at times like that, that you need your Liam Finns. I like Keyes and he has come on a great deal, but he isn't able yet to do what was required, nor at his age and size should we expect him to - though he took a bad knock which ended his game. I like the mercurial aspects that Chisholm can bring, and thought we'd pulled off a masterstroke re-signing him, but he has been so up and down this year, the breaks are great but vanishingly rare, the errors, bad passes and fumbles are too frequent, and he is also not the man to get you playing when you're in a big hole.

We needed a team that was able to come out to face up to the challenge and not back down. Instead we were chasing shadows.

We are a half decent team at our level, but the tactics, drilling, belief and speed of York caught us with our pants down and frankly 24-0 was as deserved as it was embarrassing. But it was Kear who turned it round. Lack of on-field experience, leadership and nous in that first half basically lost us the game before Kear could apply the plasters.

It was interesting to hear that the York coach said "if the Bulls that played at Hunslet turn up on Sunday we will beat them".
That shows the other coaches are seeing our vulnerability now. They can see it and now it looks like many of our own fans are seeing that we are struggling at times when the bulldozer approach down the middle fails. We will probably win the next eight and walk into the Championship but I expect Kear and Chalmers are having quite a few chats in private about where we need to improve.
On the superleague show Wilkin pointed out that Wakefield are full of players who other teams released as they thought they weren't good enough but every player has a great pair of hands and backed up and ran hard. Kear was there and I thought I hope he can rebuild that at the Bulls. We don't need stars just good rugby not one man charge. Hopefully, Kear has put a team together purely to get us out of Div 1 but will now change the team ready for next season with more skill and movement across the line.

Like a certain, rejects team in 97!

The comments about leadership are bang on the money for me. The only two players I saw capable of trying to bring the side back in the game were Crossley and Flanagan. We needed someone there who would get them all together under the sticks and rollock them big time into a reaction. I genuinely think we have gone for 'too young' a squad. At this level you need more than mere talent you need bottle and a bit of nous upstairs. Sunday maybe showed despite their perceived shortcomings how important Smith and Gibson are to the side

Finn has joined Widnes until the end of the season apparently.

Wakefield now confirmed that Finn has gone on loan to Widnes for the rest of the season, adding that he'll join the Wakefield coaching staff for 2019. So looks like this one's just died a death.