Look at all that salary money wasted in your final list though?

Aside from Williams, all of his signings so far are just 'fillers' in my eyes. Of the renewed contracts, there is only J Clark you would really question.

Until those on that final list are assessed and sorted, then Powell still has his hands relatively tied.

Saints so far have given all opponents a real tough time. They are quality. With demand for a clear out you have to think ... where are we going to get players capable of taking them on?
Wire has done as well as anybody against them in the last few years. Very interesting to see how Saints will deal with Wigan, Huddersfield etc.

Couldn’t bear to look on here until today…pretty much as expected. The point about TS’s first season is well made. As for the rest it’s pretty much copy and paste from the last few seasons.
The suggestion from Superblue that our problems in past seasons stemmed from Hill DC and Cooper has “surprised” me to be honest.

I think a talisman prop and we are a different side, possibly the retention of Clark was an indication there wasn't any decent options available on the market - possibly there is awareness of a couple of players being available for 2023 and the club wanted to keep their powder dry, difficult to know from the outside, but it certainly seems we have been left behind when you compare the importance we have put recently of recruiting half backs. Below is the full list out of contract as we know it.

Leave: Josh Charnley, Jason Clark, Jack Hughes, Ellis Robson, Eribe Doro

Retain: Mike Cooper, Matt Davis, Riley Dean, Jacob Gannon, Stefan Ratchford

Jury Out: Billy Magoulias, Greg Minikin, Gareth Widdop, Rob Butler, Robbie Mulhern

Doro & Robson I would expect will leave us, of the remaining young players Dean & Gannon are hopefully to be staying with us. Butler I'm not too sure, maybe a drop down to the championship would do him some good to see where his future lies...? He needs to be playing regularly.

J Clark and Hughes I think will move on, you'd think that would leave enough to recruit a good prop, Hughes stock was possibly a little higher when he signed his last deal and whilst Clark wont be a huge earner, I think the two of them would release £150k to recruit a good prop? Davis I'd keep hold of just for versatility, decent squad option to cover 13 unless we have obvious academy prospects to cover there (Whitehead?)

Charnley is a funny one, he'll do well under Powell I'm sure, but I think Powell could get most wingers 20 tries a year with his playing style, Charnley will be on a good contract, can we afford to have that on the wing when we are struggling so much in the middle? I'd probably let him move on as we have bigger problems elsewhere.

Minikin and Magoulias (although I think he has an option in our favour) we will have to wait on, I wonder whether Powell brought Minikin in as the longer term replacement for Charnley?

Ratchford and Cooper should get new deals, Cooper is a no brainer, whether Ratchford is as first choice or a squad player with Thewlis stepping up will be interesting to see, I've seen plenty of good things from Thewlis as a winger, I haven't really seen him have a quality game at full back yet - though his chances have obviously been limited.

Widdop, I guess he will want to return home, two+ years with your kids living on the otherside of the world is a long time, though that will be balanced with a UK contract being much higher than any contract he could get in the NRL. Maybe he could be tempted to stay, he will be a long time retired and wont see anything like this money again in later life you would think. Will also depend on what we have lined up in the market, or whether Powell see's Dean as a long term option.

Mulhern stats wise isn't that much better than Philbin in terms of meters and avg gain - in fact Philbin has been better than him since round 3 onwards, he's part of a problem and could be one to make way.

Don't see the need for any on contract players for 2023 leaving, it would just be a change for changes sake, and some of the players mentioned in this thread will come good.

Two props with one of them being a significant signing (how long have we been saying this for? with possibly a new winger coming in also. In my ideal 17 next year, Philbin is battling with Bullock for that 2nd bench prop spot.

funny you should say that about charnley, i was thinking last week, in terms of powell's attack, if you could recruit someone, who was slightly above average at finishing, and reasonable in defence (coff minikin) we could probably save a fair chunk of money on the right wing

As much as he's hot at the minute and to be fair a proven finisher, I heard (3rd party last year) that Charnley, along with Hughes wasn't going to be offered a new deal. In Charnley's case FMC perhaps you've hit the nail on the proverbial

I'd keep Charnley for another season or 2, he's proven and clearly fits the system. Same money would be the question rather than should we try to keep him. There are players way ahead in terms of being released to free up cap for a couple of quality front rowers IMO.

I can see it both ways but I'm kind of with you and don't know whether the decision making was based on before Powell having a proper day to day look at him, and of course it depends on the terms and whether Powell has a particular plan managing the cap

Despite his scoring this year he has passed tipping point for me. The petulant kicking out was the culmination of his constant messing around at the play the ball, 2 matches was harsh but time to move him on I think.

I liked Hughes more when he was at Giants, why didn’t he stay there

This is a brilliant post Alffi and i agree with everything you've put, i think on current form Bullock would be picked ahead of Philbin everytime. I think Bullock is playing well for us

I go back to what I said, if you sort everything else out, you dont need a superstar on the wing under powells system, he had veritable low key players there, Eden, solomona, minikin,olpherts, Jordan flipping Turner as well

I get your point but I'd rather have good all round wingers like charnley to be honest.

Can stay for me if he packs in trying to milk penalties, that left the building a long time ago. Number of times he as cost us quick play the ball with the antics that referees don’t fall for anymore is just annoying.

Absolutely, but his work rate and try scoring rate is unquestionable.

If we offer him 2 years on reduced terms I think he would take it. I think playing for us under Powell until the end of the 2024 season gives him a serious chance of getting to the top of the all time superleague try scoring chart.

Absolutely. We should be keeping our performing, value for money, players and removing those that are not.

Furthermore when we go into the recruitment market we should avoid signing our rivals' players that are judged by them not to be good enough for their team - or we will never catch them.

The problem is though before trying to make any assessment of "value for money" you need to know who is paid what?

Yes. Obviously the club will have this information.

We can only go on speculation but I'll wager a bet that King is one of our better paid players and has given little in return since injury. I also suspect Charnley has a large contract too but is currently SL top try scorer.

I can see what you are trying to do but it's no real way to judge the actions of the club if you are basing your ideas on "speculation" & "suspecting" & the odd bit of tittle tattle thrown in. Those in the know, at the club, must have a right laugh.

Sorry Cat but I cannot let you get away with putting "Solomona" as a low key player. Stop it. They had Gale/Luke Dorn/Shenton/Solomona ... all absolute quality at the time.

well, you've proved my point correct there twice. inadvertently





half back, half back converted to full back and centre.




solomona wasn't a superstar they signed, he was a low key player they picked up along with mcmeeken when london got relegated, when they signed him he was so so, it was playing in powell's system that made him a big name.

The Cas left edge was untouchable. But though they were still good when Solomona left for a while they have not been able to produce that quality with the lesser players that they have now. Solomona was hot whilst at London and definitely not "so so".

Isn't a forum for speculation and tittle tattle though? We are all trying to pass the time and chat and try to understand why we have a bottom 3 pack but top 3 finances and top 1 aspirations. Why we have been a financially well backed club for 16 years, signing superstars and marquee players with a squad with "unbelievable talent" and yet still not won a Grand Final during a time when all our rivals have won 3+ each.

I hope the club do have a laugh at the posts, they have very little to laugh about elsewhere.

You don't think Greg Eden is quality then?

Actually though he is quick I have always had a few doubts about Eden.