We don't need Jason Clark IMO, it's a waste of salary cap. We have signed Holmes so have a back row of

Currie
Holmes
Hughes
Longstaff
Davis
Robson?
Gannon

Philbin plays 13 as an option as well (I'd rather he didn't really we don't have enough props as it is).

We don't need expensive bench cover when longstaff can do a better job for less on the cap.

Put his wage towards a prop please, I would be really disappointed if he is re signed, nothing personal but he's not what we need.

13 is a prop these days, just one that's usually a little more mobile. I'd be very surprised if we didn't see Clark rotating at 13 with Hughes next year. I'd much rather us use the cap space + Clark to bring in a good prop, but its looking unlikely now. Jack Hughes is another I'd be struggling to see a spot for by the end of 2022.

I'd rather we moved away from this now Price has gone, I don't necessarily think 13 is another prop these days either, I don't see Morgan Knowles as a mobile prop to be honest and he's probably the best around at the minute.

Started as prop for England in that friendly this year.

He's a middle with an above average pass, he's far from a running ball handling 13

True but like you say he's a good passer too. He's a long way from either Jason Clark or Joe Philbin really isn't he?

Above average, for a middle, clark hasn't got a bad pass on him. I don't like him doing it though.

Nor does he. He likes to run it in and take the tackle then get a nice and slow play the ball.

16 pages in, and were non the wiser as to who our new prop is. Best to file this one under m for myths.

It's Bullock and Harrison who is unfortunately going to be out for a good while. I'd imagine we are done now to be honest. Most players will already have contracts in place for next season and there won't be many good players available for 2022 now.

I'm optimistic about playing style but the squad isn't quite good enough I don't think, plus Darryl Clark and some of the new signings (Harrison and Minikin) aren't likely to be available at the start of the season.

Does anyone know when Powell will be in officially? I'm guessing pre season will start in December for most of the squad.

The only hope may be an Aussie import who can't find a squad place at home, with their club part funding his wage.

Worked out ok with Latu, didn't it?

Haha well if that doesn't raise optimism levels through the roof then nothing will.

Think I've convinced myself we'll be ok, and that Powell will want us to be more mobile rather than a straight up running down the middle approach.

Yeah I agree, I'd take an improvement in playing style with the quality we have in the halves and hooker that should see us win more than we lose.

Just going off other clubs ins and outs and looking at ours.saints are the team to beat..no doubt Leeds and Wigan will look to improve.catalans will still be up there and don't count out sir Tony's kr they.ll be sniffing around the top 6 with us..hope I'm wrong

I feel ill…..

I agree with you that i also thought we were done with regard to next years playing roster. However, this thread, (also by somebody who thought we'd completed our squad) threw up a couple speculative posts in reply. However, I still believe that's it on the new signings front, too.

If we are making no further prop signings, who do we think Powell might be able to take up a level to help us out from Philbin, Butler and Bullock. Butler had a bit of a non season last year but came with a really good rep in the Championship, Bullock doesn’t run his weight according to wigan fans and Philbin plateaued at just below average last year.

They all have the potential to step up a gear. I don’t know why Philbin didn’t seem to progress last year, that’s up to the new coach to work out, but these things do happen and he may pick up next season. Bullock may benefit from a change of scene, but no guarantees. Sometimes players flourish with a change, sometimes they just continue to disappoint but in different colours. Butler was unlucky with the covid situation last season resulting in no reserve grade competition.

With Price gone we have a clean slate with Butler and Doro, and a change of club for Bullock. We had Hill & Cooper as first choice and major minute props, without anybody that looked able to fill their shoes. With Hill gone, there's a fair bit of stepping up to do for Mulhern, who hasn't been a starting prop for us on a regular basis, and for other three being able to fit in as starting prop, should anything happen to Cooper and Mulhern injury wise. A very difficult task for Powell to get right in 2022, as a number of posters on here have already commented on, having to cover for Chris Hill's regular contribution. We seemed to struggle at times with both Hill and Cooper in the side, with the go forward to dropping when they were spelled, now we may have a problem with the go forward from the first whistle. Hope that I, and liked minded folk on here are pleasantly surprised in '22.

Shaun Wane has picked Philbin (and Cooper) in his 20 for next week's match. So, he obviously has no problems with Philbin.

Thats good for Philbin. Found him underwhelming for most of last year so will watch his performance with interest. Would love to see the barnstorming Philbin of a couple of years ago back.

We have cooper Currie n Clark from the forwards who are in the top 10 earners at Warrington possibly philbin but we've certainly commited more of the cap to the back line and had to make do in what forwards we can fit in under the cap. Letting jbclark go to get a prop will result in another latu or sita. When does Cooper's contact expire I think it makes more sense to see if cooper extends or use his n j Clarks money on s prop and promote longstaff up the ranks.

Hopefully Powell will decide a plan to utilise the backs better and not be as reliant on a dominant pack. I don't think we will be bossing packs about but I don't think we have for some time being defensively solid and having a high level of fitness has kept us in a lot of games. If we can do more with the ball then I think we will be ok over the season.

I'm trying to remain positive about the situation but it is frustrating when I see Leeds Wigan hull n others bringing in decent props

I don't think this is the squad to win us a grand final but there's been a good lot of ins and outs for Powell to now get a season with the squad and asses who he does not want and who he wants to replace them with.

I'm not sure who the decent props are that Leeds, Wigan and Hull have brought in.

I am not sure at all that Powell will bring us a title, but I'm happy to be proved wrong. If the current squad is it, then we need to trust him to work his magic and get players working as a team as more than the sum of its parts which seems to be his main selling point. If he does that we do have some good talent as seen by the way individual brilliance has brought us many tries.

I'm really disappointed that Harrison has suffered his serious injury as I had a feeling he was going to be a big one for us. There's time for that in 2023.

Anyway, time will tell as ever and I'll have to get over my dislike of Powell.

Not sure from Wigan but Oledski, Tetevano, Satae, Mau’u and Savelio all walk into our squad.

Ah, I thought he meant this year. And I wouldn't trust Savelio. He's another Westerman to my mind. Wasn't Oledski a Leeds junior?