New prop and Langley starting, with Big Nas as impact off the bench with Scruton (however, he would have less of an impact than Nas), with Evans and McAvoy (if he is re-signed) as back up.

Bateman
Whitehead
Addy - Donno

There can't be too many spaces left in the 25 man squad can there?

For me the starting XIII is looking strong but its what happens when we get the injuries. Teams like Wigan, Warrington and Saints can call upon youngsters who inevitably do ok backed up by players on form and high on confidence... we can't.

As it stands, we are still short of one prop and one half back.

Full strength I'd go for:

1. Kearney
2. Foster
3. Lulia
4. Blyth
5. Kear/Purtell
6. Sammut
7. Gale
8. Scruton
9. Diskin
10. Langley
11. Whitehead
12. Olbison
13. Bateman
14. Nas
15. New Prop???
16. Addy
17. Walker

Squad Players
18. Kear /Purtell
19. Donno
20. Evans
21. O Brien
22. Southernwood
23. New Half Back???
24. McAvoy???
25. ???

Think Keith Mason would do a job for us. It wasn't that long ago he was as Melbourne and St Helens. You don't end up at either being a mug, regardless of what anyone may say.

For me, full Strength would be:
1 Kearney
2 Purtell
3 Blythe
4 Lulia
5 Foster
6 Sammut
7 Gale
8 Scruton
9 L'Estrange
10 Langley
11 Bateman
12 Whitehead
13 Donno/Addy

14 Diskin
15 New Prop
16 Manuokafoa
17 Olbison

Much prefer Lulia on the left side due to his amazing right arm fend.

Think southernwoods gone to Whitehaven and obrien was due to go on season long loan.

The thing i'm most looking forward to next season is the development of our back row. I think they'll find it tough at times, but they will become better players for it.

Hopefully Olbison, Addy, Donno can push on with Bateman and Whitehead and really establish themselves as SL players.

Think Walker may play a few for experience, but I really hope Langley is moved to prop, think it's the time considering the talent we have in the BR and the shortage of props.

And Mason would be a good signing. Bit of a house at times but we may need a bit of that with no Elima.

Would anyone have Richard Moore if he became available?

Kirke was rumoured to be leaving Leeds too, but with Wakefield his likely destination.

I remember a game a couple of years back, Hudersfield v Wigan, and Mason was targeting Fielden all game. He was standing on his ankles when getting up, standing on his wrist, and I remember thinking he was one dirty git.

They got into a fight and both were sin binned, but when Fielden returned to the pitch he was 'gash'. He never ran at Mason again in that match.

I would love it if Mason signed for the Bulls, just what we need!!

I just can't see Huddersfield doing us any favours though?

I think the point is we need a "Big Mr." somewhere in the front 5 having lost Elima.

One more prop to sign according to Cummins

Does that look like we're spending the maximum salary cap?

Mason is certainly handy in the fighting department, but offers nothing else but posing, unless you want a couple of needless penalties to the opposition per match.

Its pretty obvious were not looking at the players in and out. key comment from FC is that another player will place us on budget, rather than upto salary cap. TBF the comments from the club have always been carefully worded , that we CAN spend upto to the salary cap, not that we WILL spend upto the cap. But think theyd have been better served being more honest about us having a budget to work to. Think most fans will accept that given the circumstances. The lack of openess around the amount being spent just brings back memories of the doublespeak we used to get from the previous owners.

www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... s_Cummins/ Senior people at the club are saying we have the full salary cap, FC is talking about a squad which is woefully thin yet 'up the budget'. Nas Scrutes Langley Evans AN Other (Sidlow?) With the added issue of no Elima or Langley in the backrow and odds firmly against Scruton playing 10 games and Evans never having played SL. Lots of good things happening at the club but this a recipe for finishing in the bottom 3.

www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... s_Cummins/ Senior people at the club are saying we have the full salary cap, FC is talking about a squad which is woefully thin yet 'up the budget'. Nas Scrutes Langley Evans AN Other (Sidlow?) With the added issue of no Elima or Langley in the backrow and odds firmly against Scruton playing 10 games and Evans never having played SL. Lots of good things happening at the club but this a recipe for finishing in the bottom 3.

We do look light in the forwards, even with another prop to come in. I'd be very surprised if we hit the cap limit this season. The improved deals for the likes of Bateman and Gale are unlikely to have swallowed up the money freed up by the loss of Kopout, Elima, Hargreaves, Burgess, Sibbit, Sykes, Crookes, Ainscough, Pryce, Joseph and Jeffries.

I think we'll do better than bottom 3 but we'll struggle when the injuries hit in the forwards. Also we appear not to have any backup in the halves with Southernwood rumoured to have gone to Whitehaven.

the past is no signpost to the future. (even if it were, your statistics are wrong. 2010 21 games 2011 14 games 2012 7 games so 2:1 on more than 10 games.) But presumably you know the surgeon and rehab team and they have told you the operation has been a complete failure, and thats what your comment is based on. In which case you had better tell FC pretty quickly.

Indeed the past is frequently a signpost to the future. Since being diagnosed with diabetes he's played 7 games. In the past two seasons combined he's played 21 games. The last player at the club with a similar condition played 0 games. In each of the last three seasons he's played less games than the season before.

Add to that scruton was back playing in u20s at back end of season but MP wouldn't disrupt a team that was winning at time so he couldn't get selected. The u20 appearances won't show up in his appearances total for the season.

Worryingly thin squad if only 1 more player is coming in.

Lets hope FC knows what he's doing. Potter had faith in him, therefore so do i.

I can't help but comment, as I did some months back, that anyone who is expecting us to be spending the full cap or challenging for the title when we are on half the Sky money, would make Mr. Micawber look like a suicidal manic depressive.

It isn't a case of whether FC knows what he's doing. If you suggested to any of the other clubs that they'd need to get through the 2013 season having taken away half their Sky money, they would look at you as if you'd gone mad. We need to accept that as things stand, that is our 2013 reality.

Yeah, that's all fair enough but senior club people have stated in public that FC does have the full cap. Which is it? (Not expecting you to answer, merely appreciate the mixed message)

Aye. There's nothing wrong with saying "we can spend up to the full cap but won't be spending it all if the right players aren't available". It may have been better to say that. Are the club worried that they not be seen as a real player unless they say they're spending the full cap?

Leeds often used to let it be known they were under the cap and nobody thought they weren't up to it.

Despite all this I'm still just happy to have a club to support next year.

Agree with all off that.

yes, we agree, its the resolution of the medical problems that hold the key to Scruts future. If either meant he could not play then he would have retired/been retired and insurance presumably picking up the bill. but the fact he has played u20's games means he can play, the question is more what will his performance on the pitch be, back to his best and therefore a frontline prop, or the form of those 7 games last year - very poor by his standards. We have to trust the judgement of the medical, rehab and playing professionals until theres evidence otherwise.

Agree there's no point spending up to the cap if the right players aren't available.

Lets just hope the injuries don't hit this year!