What do people think of our transfer business so far? I think our squad is taking shape quite nicely. Our pack really is looking much improved. . I'm expecting us to line up something like this when everyone is fit:

1. Rusell
2. Evans
3. Atkins
4. Ratchford
5. Lineham
6. Gidley
7. Sandow
8. Hill
9. Clark
10. Dodds
11. Westwood
12. Currie
13. Westerman

14. Dwyer
15. Sims
16. Hughes
17. Harrison

IMO Atkins and Currie should be swapped but otherwise I agree, we're starting to look decent.

I'll go for

1. Russell
2. Penny
3. Atkins
4. Ratchford
5. Lineham
6. Gidley
7. Sandow
8. Hill
9. Clark
10. Dodds
11. Westwood
12. Currie
13. Westerman

14. Dwyer
15. Sims
16. Hughes
17. Harrison

but I think Westwood & Harrison will be spending a large % of time subbing or at prop.
It's looking much stronger.

I'd mostly agree, I'd be swapping Westwood & Hughes around though and think Evans would probably get the nod ahead of Penny.

I'd still like to see us bring in a right centre, freeing Ratch / Gidley for full back & stand off, with Russell moving to left wing.

I think Weatwood should be used in the middle, we need a bit of aggression and someone to make the hard yards when Hill and Sims are off.

Russell
Lineham
Ratchford
Atkins
Penny
Sandow
Gidley
Hill
Clark
Sims
Hughes
Currie
Westerman

Dwyer
Westwood
Dodds
Laithwaite

Decent team, with Harrison, Evans, Evans, Wilde, Philbin, Johnson, Ormsby, Juillien, Patton, King, King and Livett in reserve.

Must admit though, a centre would really set it off.

I'm getting pretty excited now Westerman has arrived too. Another centre would be great (although not essential)

League express says we still scouting the NRL for a prop.

That is the only thing missing, the right one here could really push the team forward.

For R Evans see G Wheeler and vice versa, both to injury prone to help the team push for honours.

Wow, with that line up do you reckon 2016 will be "our year...." ?

With Atkins improvement at the end of last season and Ratchford in the centres we have a well balanced pair. If we can get a bulldozer prop we're sorted. Penny over Evans on the wing for me.

We get a one more decent prop and start doing some damage down the middle, while i had my doubts over ratch at centre, i can see him doing some good work on the back of a good pack.

Sounds good to me, If we can sign a prop that would make it for me.

I'm not sure why but I always thought of R EVANS as a centre playing on the wing. Is he ever going to make a centre spot his own, and is that perhaps TS's thinking. Has King overtaken him, and then there is Wheeler...!

King hasn't overtaken him, he's not played enough yet, though rhys best patch of form iirc was back in 11, or 12 when he came in and was playing centre. Whether he's fit enough to give him a run there, is another question.

Think we're done on the signings front.

I think we are still on the look out for a prop based on all the paper talk we saw last week.

A big offensively destructive prop would be just the ticket.

There must be a massive South Sea Islander out there somewhere?!

Can't fault the club for taking decisive action.
Yes a destructive prop would be great but not many around.

Really not sure if we're good enough for top 4 though.

Leeds, Wigan, Saints will still be there and Hudds won't be far off.

:

1. Russell
2. Evans
3. Currie (still too young for a full time forward spot)
4. Ratchford
5. Lineham
6. Gidley
7. Sandow
8. Hill
9. Clark
10. Simms
11. Westwood
12. Atkins (until Currie fills out)
13. Westerman

14. Dwyer
15. Dodds
16. Hughes
17. Harrison

neutral zone. I like your thinking. but want to expand.

I think that ryan atkins will make a great bench 2nd rower. and should be his position going forward. it solves a couple of problems that can and most likely will occur next year.

so as stated. I would move atkind too 12. Whilst currie for me will not be in the 17 as I like how neutral has the 17.
I would move jack Johnson into the regular full back position and matty russell into the centres with stef ratchford. this will accomplish 2 things.
atkins is available to play in the 2nd row off the bench and bust through tackles we know he can do.
but if any of the back row gets injured. we can utilise atkins back in the centres and then that frees up rachford too fill in the hole of the injured back row.

we have a virtue of talent in the backs now. there is massive strength in depth. maybe 1 more second rower is needed and 1 up and coming prop. move benny westwood into the prop as others have mentioned and prolong his career a bit. but then we have a world class player ready too come in when benny calls it quits. with currie and the other kids we have. the future is certainly looking alot more brighter.

But is Rhys ever going to be NOT injured long enough to put a good run of games together ?

Last season we were a prop light.. we then brought in Dodds and got rid of Asotasi and England.. It seems almost inconceivable that wont look to bring another one in.

Not sure we were a prop light last season. If Asotasi and England had pulled up trees then we would have been fine, but they didn't, which meant Hill & Simms shouldering too much work. However I agree we are still one short for next season. We also lost Ben Evans for ages who would have been a useful fourth rotation prop.

i think we were, as we lost paul wood from the squad and didn't bring another one in.... we only really had 4 props and one of those was Asotasi... Im sure Smith would have wanted another one.. and as you pointed out, 2 of those props were rubbish.

Now we have lost those 2 props.

People are saying harrison, westwood to prop.... thats clutching at straws a bit.. Ben Evans might prove decent... But he may end up injured or not be the player we would like him to be.

Wasnt that long ago we had Morley, Carvell, Hill, Cooper, Wood..... Now we have 3 Hill, Simms, Dodds.