I think this is right for the first 20 or so, but I need some help with the young players who will fill the squad. Please add or amend (I'm bound to have forgotten someone). I've gone with what I suspect will be the first 17, not necessarily my choice...

1. Dufty
2. Thewlis
3. Tai
4. King
5. Ashton
6. Williams
7. Drinkwater
8. Musgrove
9. Walker
10. Vaughan
11. Fitzgibbon
12. Currie
13. Nicholson

14. Dwyer
15. Philbin
16. Kasiano
17. Harrison

18. Wrench
19. Ratchford
20. Crowther
21. Hayes
22. Russell
23. Dudson
24. Bullock
25. Thomas
26. Dean
27. Bruines
28. Green (thanks Smiffy)

Good to see it all put together. Lucas Green might be included. I'd like to see a bit more of Rodrick Tai before I'd hand him a shirt with 3 on it. Just being cautious after what little I have seen.

He's scored 14 tries in 34 games in the Queensland Cup. That'll do me.

Let's hope he's fine and he obviously has some pace. Just watched him once, really closely, playing for PNG & he was very very quiet. If he plays like that every game he's not the boy. By the way ... I hope he's a cracking player & just needs a rocket up his backside.

Someone as posted on Facebook that Tai as picked up a knee injury, nothing about how serious it is.

On the numbering I’d swap Kasiano with Bullock, and only because I’m not overly happy about todays news I’d give Ratchford the 14 shirt and put Dwyer as a squad number

Wrench should have shirt 3 or 4. I'm not particularly bothered which of the two you've named misses out.

We should get a big year (start of season anyway) out of Philbin as his contract is up end of 2024.

Makes me wonder whether Adam Holroyd, Jack Derbyshire, Josh Lynch, Tom Whitehead, Jake Thewlis, Bobby Shingler, Jamie Reddecliff and Aiden Doolan fit in with future plans.

Doolan and Derbyshire have left the club.

...Doolan leaving (has he gone to Aus or did I make that up) I think and Holroyd rumoured on loan to Widnes?

The rest I believe all still with the club. Jake Thewlis on the Academy tour if Australia and picked up reserves player of the year this year.

I’m still not 100% we’ll see King in P&B, as so I think wrench is Wire 4.
King will have a squad number if he isn’t shipped out before they get announced. (KR)

I also think Ratchford will keep his starting shirt, he was ever present last season and prolific with his boot.

Dudson will be granted a free transfer to Widnes if they can agree playing terms.

Ground breaking news, that. You must have a good source.

Just Quasimodo’s back on this.

What has happened to the Bullock/Partington swap ?

Can we try and keep this thread to the confirmed squad and its strengths and weaknesses? We have a dedicated thread for rumours. I'll reorder the original post in squad number order when announced.

Would that free-up a Quota spot, with him being Welsh?

A great oak has many branches.

It might free up a seat at the judiciary.

Drinkwater could have been in the mix for Partington, but probably dead in the water now Salford have signed Custard.

Prefer it if kept King & didn’t loan him out again, Tai is relative unknown and Ratchford ain’t getting any younger. Wrench will have a fair bit to do to get a three quarters spot unless we suffer injuries..

King isn't going anywhere.

Is that with us or club wise

Has he forgot his passport again?

Thanks for putting the list together DB.
On paper it looks like there is a fair bit of depth after No 17 with Ratchford, Russell, wrench, Bullock, Crowther, Green etc.
The problem I think we have had for a number of years is are those players really putting pressure on the first 17 or are they there for cover in case of injuries and suspensions.

Wigan replaced Sam Powell with Brad O'Neil as starting hooker half way through the season. In 2022 French was mainly playing Wing but then Cust lost his starting spot to French and Miski brought in on the wing. So they had Cust and Powell struggling to get into the team on form. The moment Cooper suffered his injury Hill took his place to appear in about 15 games after playing only 1 previous game.

Using similar scenarios I cannot see a situation where Dufty is not in great form but is replaced by Thewlis and then Russell brought in on the wing purely on form. I cannot see Drinkwater being replaced by Hayes purely on form and if a few of our middles gets injured I cannot see Thomas or Green get 15 games. We are more likely to shuffle things around and see Ratchford play at 13 (last year it was Matautia and Clark playing 13). Ok. I think Thewlis did start one game at FB but iirc Dufty was on the bench but the status quo resumed the week after.

I hope that Big Sam creates an environment where everybody is under pressure to perform and has the courage to make the change but the players outside of the 17 need to be busting a gut to get in the matchday team.

Look at Saints. They have a big name in Hurrell. They could have shuffled things around for Hopoate to go to wing and Hurrell at centre to fit the big names in but instead Benison kept his place. They get a few injuries in the pack and they could have started sticking centres in the back row to push players into prop but they trusted in Delaney to cover at prop.

Surely Harvie Hill or Delaney are not that much better than Thomas or Green?

We have been guilty of having little or no faith outside of the initial 17 and being too reliant on them. That needs to change and we need true competition for places.
I do remember a few years ago that Phil Clarke stated that we have too much of our salary cap tied up on a small number of players and that maybe why we have had this problem.