Is this the biggest off season the club has since the switch to summer rugby IMO.

It is now the perfect opportunity to show that we still have ambition to be challenger for silverware. The club needs to show that it can still attract big name payers and it must have some serious salary cap space available to play with.

I agree with all this. The club really needs to signal it's intentions (if it has them) to challenge for all silverware :- League leaders, GF and CC.

We really need to sign quality, and possibly big name players to show this.

A half and someone to strengthen the three-quarters are top priority and I wouldn't mind an impact prop as some have said. Come on Macca & Mr. Hood, show us that the club wants to win as much as we want it to win.

As always in this situation, there are many 'ifs'. However, if (as assumed), Jeffries & Tadulala are going, we at least need to replace them just to get back to the standards of [ithis[/i season (

). That's before we start to address the deficiencies of the current season, which are - at least - a half back and a centre.

As I haven't seen enough of Hall or l'Estrange to be able to judge, I'll take it on trust for now that they are adequate replacements for Morrison and Newton, but that still leaves us needing 2 new half backs and 2 outside backs just to be competitive. And to be real contenders, we could probably (as mentioned elsewhere) do with another winger and an impact prop - not to mention a serious upgrade to the coaching staff.

Given that we have just 2 quota spots available, that there appear to be few quality OOC British players knocking about and that we're unlikely to have a warchest for more than the odd major signing (if that), this off season does indeed look like a major challenge.

You've been saying all this for the last month and a half. At least

I think we've fallen too far to expect to challenge for silverware next season IMO. A few of the poor performers will be there next season which won't help. Not to bring it up again but when it comes to the big games i still don't think McNarama is up to it.

Yet we've still beaten Leeds and Saints this year.

Hmm.

I dunno he can kick as well as Deacon and he still warrants a place

Do you think Leeds and Saints thought they were big games? Only 2 points on offer just as when we lost to Celtic

Oh yeah.. sorry.. That proves he's a big game coach. 2 sodding league games. Salford have done same.

I'd say it is a big pre season yes.
And I'm sure the team at Odsal will be working very hard to bring in some quality and big names next year.

Ensuring the promising youngsters are also adequatley tied down must also not be forgotton.

The competition as it stands means (IMO) a turn around from bottom 3 to top three isn't that unlikely anymore. Leeds and St.Helens will obviously the ones still to watch, although I don't think they will have it all quite their own way in seasons to come (nor will any team come to that)

It doesnt prove anything but to say he cant get us winning big games is rubbish. If you'd said he cant get us winning games that we only needed to turn up at 3 years ago i'd agree with you

I gotta say, at the moment I'm holding out some hope.

By that, I mean that it looks like the club DID make an offer for Craig Wing, even if he did turn it down. That surely means we ARE looking for a top quality half back to come in. The only issue might be that there just aren't any available.

If we could just sign a top half, I could let the other areas of the team that need improvement wait a while longer. The halfback HAS to be the priority, especially with BJ likely leaving. A combination of Sykes/Deacon or Thorman/Deacon just isn't good enough for a first choice.

have you sign thormon.

No and the coach has "strenuously denied any interest in Chris Thorman".

But his record against the other "big" clubs is pretty damn poor.

A combination of Deacon & anyone isn't good enough.

Deacon and Brough behind a dominant pack would kick any team to death.

Important phrase highlighted, Deacon needs a strong pack to play behind

Deacon's kicking from hand is poor these days.