Realistically I can't see how we can win this match. I certainly hope we don't throw a patched up Gaskell into this match if he isn't 100%.

I think we're OK in the back row. Agreed we're two big aggressive props short. I know Lowes has taken a big of a bagging recently, but another mistake he made throughout the season was not rotating. Not just to keep players fresh, but to give others game time so there is competition. Now we're in a situation where our pack got dominated, and we only have one prop we can bring in. So the players know they're unlikely to be dropped. There won't be any pressure on them from fringe players during training etc. It's a ridiculous situation to be in.

For me recruitment for next year is two HB's and two big aggressive props. Wholesale changes never work.

I'd also like to see Walshaw and Mellor brought in for Sunday. Plenty of size there.

I think a lot of the issue with the Wakey game was something that's been evident all year. Our pre-match prep is just not up to scratch. Lowes seems capable enough of getting the team fired up for the 2nd half, but we keep going out in the first half half-cocked. Now against the teams we've faced all year, it's not been an issue as we've been able, in most cases, to do enough work combined with superior fitness levels to grind out the opposition and get the win.
That sort of thinking isn't gonna fly against SL teams. You give them space and time and they'll bend you like Einstien. Even the poorest team in SL this year were able to out muscle and out perform us and by the time Lowes has managed to kick some backsides they were too far out of reach. If we don't go up this year, then I really think Lowes needs to be shown the door as I'm not sure he's got the needed skills to win promotion through the current system.

Lowes is a rookie coach though and we don't know if he will learn from what has happened this season or if so, how much. If he recognises how things could have been significantly better and is capable of correcting those things then he COULD be a much better coach next season. We simply can't say.

What I can say is that a coach rarely stands still. A clever coach would learn the season's lessons, digest and make the necessary changes. And do better. A poor coach will either not make the right changes, or fail to see the problems in the first place, but in that situation the 2016 team would be worse.

We still need to pay Franny off.
I can't see how we would also pay Jimmy off.
If I was Jimmy I would expect my contract to be honoured. Jimmy didn't appoint himself it was the club that asked him so they should give him the two years he signed.
It may not all be down to Jimmy. Ferres will also need to lift his game a notch or two. No more fillers that we don't play and send out to other clubs. Drop the numbers to around 26. Bring in one top SH. I would keep Seijka as back-up and see what he can do when fully fit. How can we lose Crossley when he has another season?
Look at the two props Leeds recently brought in. That is what we need but how could we persuade two to come to us unless we offer quite a few ££££££s.
The signings and released players in the coming months will determine how much chance we have next year in the CH or in SL.

We're a championship club. If you want big names we'll need to BE in SL, not be down here, dreaming of it - these players cost money and even if it's possible that me might have it, we're certainly not allowed to pay it in this division. Even if we were, it's also very difficult to persuade top players to drop in the nether regions.

Unfortunately, it's looking more and more as though the more pessimistic assessments about the possibility of promotion under this system are going to be the most accurate. It's pointless blaming Jimmy Lowes, heaven knows, I've had my own doubts about some of the tactics, particularly rotation and the overuse of Adam O'B, but the truth is Wayne Bennett couldn't win promotion under these rules.

Biggest chance might be if one of the bottom four SL cubs has panicked, gone overboard buying players and it leads to financial problems. At the end of the day, it's how we got relegated and the new system seems designed to encourage clubs to overspend.

Whilst I think Saturday's performance was unacceptable, I think we need to accept that this Wakefield side is a completely different one to the team getting a pasting every week.

Brian Smith is also a big factor - we should know that already!

I don't expect us to turn any of the SL teams over tbh, but I expect a good go at them and a bit more desire.

Like others have pointed out, the difference in Salary Caps is a difficult obstacle to overcome, however I feel the intensity the teams have experienced throughout the season is the biggest issue.

It's very rare (or damn near impossible) for a team to 'turn it on' as they please. Without a decent season against quality opposition behind us, of course it will be difficult to compete.

Lowes has to take some responsibility but in my opinion we are fighting a losing battle from the start.

To be fair I think there's only three or four clubs in SL capable of attracting a player of Keith Galloway's calibre anyway. Think his style will suit Leeds perfectly.

We lack aggression and size in the pack for me. IMO, Clough, Sidlow and Lauaki would be good enough for SL, and then I think we need 2 more that are [ibetter[/i than those 3. Unfortunately, I think we've no chance of signing anyone better than what we already have if we're still in the Championship next season.

I see the t and a is stating Gaskell unlikely to play this week. Wonder how likely Jake is to sit out aswell bearing in mind we have a free week next week. Will they both be given this week off to ensure fit in two weeks?

Guess it depends on the state of the injuries, to be fair. Don't know at what point it actually becomes 'muck or nettles', but the two home games seem to be 'defining' matches if not totally decisive.

TBH don't think we have option of picking and choosing our games to rest players in. We have to put strongest available team out each week, even if some of players aren't 100%, unless we have a very capable deputy. Neilson sounded doubtful in t&a too. Even with all three of Gaskell mullaney and neilson in squad salfords a big ask. With Gaskell missing it may still be doable but take out other two and It becomes very unlikely. And on paper Salford are easiest SL team we have left to face. Strongest team for me and just hope for a bit of luck re existing injuries and picking up new ones.

How on earth do you come to that decision?
Salford keep this squad fit for the whole season and they make the top 8 imo. Look at some of the names they have in that squad now that they are all fit, if anything that is the [istrongest[/i squad in the qualifiers not the weakest.

Evalds, Sau, BJB, Chase, Dobson, Taylor, Paterson and Tasi are all top quality players. Let's not also forget that they are now being coached (more or less) by none other than Tim Sheens. Something tells me he might have just a [itiny bit[/i more coaching skill than Jimmy does.

Salford are a team filled with stars. If they 'click' on Sunday then there is only one winner and it won't be us. My major hope is that we show a bit of fire and compete a bit better than we did at Belle Vue, that would constitute an acceptable performance for me.

Bad phrasing. Meant in terms of their form over the full season which lead to them finishing 2nd to bottom. Like Wakefield they've managed to significantly improve for the playoffs, whereas we've done opposite. On current form Salford would have made top eight comfortably but they haven't shown that form until last few weeks which ties in with sheens arrival and Harris 'illness'.
Point I was trying to make is we need to go into every remaining game with mentality we can win it and give 100%.

The position though is that pretty much the Salford game doesn't matter, because we all know we aren't going to win it, and points difference isn't a factor.

It's panning out just as anticipated, especially by the bookies, and assuming we have no chance of beating any of the SL clubs, then the target is 5th, which basically requires a home win v. Fax as a "given", then we have to beat Leigh, and that gets us into the playoff game, against a SL team. Where whatever you think, the bookies will have us at around 5/1 outsiders and barring miraculous events, I just do not think this team has it in them to win, because we have proved that our pack is simply not able to even remotely hold a SL pack - even Wakefield's - and that whupped pack is your answer. You can't win when your pack is reversing down the field with its pants down being spanked and bullied off the park.

I would dearly love to be wrong about that pack, but recent weeks have been pointing to this as the main factor, and the Wakefield debacle proved it for me. If they can actually at least compete and fight with a SL pack, then the question would have to be why they completely capitulated against Wakey, when we had our only realistic chance of a SL scalp.

And don't forget we have our powder-puff pack to thank for Gaskell being injured, as the only reason he was desperately defending by our posts was the pack's open-door policy.

But Ferguson did ok, got into the Opta "team of the week". Pitts was laid low by injury. Matt Ryan is brand new, and I wasn't that impressed. Olbison didn't play as well as usual, but not through lack of effort. And because we had Siejka on the bench, we were missing a 2nd row man.

It was the 4 props who underperformed horribly to my mind. And we don't have a lot to change around there.

At least we have a couple of back row men who could slot in if changes are needed. Mellor should be fit again I would think. And he was coming along very well before his injury. No questions over his enthusiasm. Just match experience I suppose.

Well, if we don't get promotion, i suppose we can take a man in the Opta team of the week as a close second best.

Listen, if a team defends for 79 out of 80 minutes then some of the tackling stats are going to be high. Wakefield thrashed us, yet the stats won't show big defensive numbers for any of them, not because they couldn't defend, but because we couldn't find their end of the pitch, and because they selfishly kept all the ball.

I have been mulling over the Wakefield debacle for reasons ever since the game, and I have concluded the biggest issue likely was a fear and a total lack of self-belief. They feared they would be mullered by the Wakey pack, and gave them too much respect. Lack of effort? that is contentious territory. But yes, extremely clearly there was a lack of effort. They were not playing as hard and as aggressively as they could, or anywhere near. They needed to start by getting right into Wakefield's faces and hitting them hard, quickly and in numbers. They did none of those things, instead just stood back and watched.

if we come out strong and hard against Salford, getting right into their faces and hitting them hard, quickly and in numbers then I won't be bothered if we lose, because we will have made them know they were in a game, and we will have done our best.

That at Wakefield was nowhere near our best. Or if it was, then we may as well pack the sport in right now.

Think some line speed in defence would be a start this week, after that, some defence would be good this week

The line speed of the defence was woeful to say the least, it was a throw back to last season when we getting hammered every week

Jimmy on radio yorkshire says Lee Gaskell out this week

Of course he is. After that impact on his ribs it'll take another week before he can breathe without pain...

Not really a surprise and if conditions are heavy as predicted maybe not a bad game for him to miss. Interesting decision re half and FB now. Persist with sjieka addy with Mullaney at FB, or addy Mullaney with a.n.other at FB. Clare didn't really standout as a better option than either shaw/mendieka last week but maybe not fair to judge him on one game where we were constantly on back foot.

We tried Siejka/Addy before, that doesn't work. So either Siejka/Mullaney or Addy/Mullaney. But we all know Siejka is going to play!

To be right, Odsal doesn't really do, "heavy", though these days, and hasn't since the 1980s. It may get a bit slippery underfoot but that should certainly be the worst of it. To me, Lee's either fit or he isn't, and if not he shouldn't play.

I don't feel Shaw or Mendeika will be brought back and I guess Mullaney is still a doubt? I agree about not judging Clare on last weekend, so I guess, if Mullaney is still out, it will be either Clare or Caro at FB for me, leaving 'Super' Danny Addy in the halves with Siejka. There is also the debut of 'Danger' Dane Neilson and despite what has been said by the player himself, there seems to be a few who are suggesting he may be missing again - have to say, I hope not, and not only because it would open a whole new can can of worms regarding the inside backs.

But we should now rest Gaskell, and everybody else we need, except for the Leigh and Fax games, because they are the ones we might realistically look to win.

Sunday? let me see. Given an even share of the ball ... (yes, I know, but stay with me) ... they have Rangi Chase ... we have... Siejka.

I don't see it ending well.

Well, no, I'm not going to argue that one.

There is the point though, that often there is more lost in [i:p0pfnqq5resting[/i the 'bedding in' process. Also, many players do benefit from continuity, as no doubt Lowesy would argue....