There are a lot of "if's" in all that. If we get a new coach, if we get new back room staff, if Feka, Fielden and several other players improve and so on.

At the moment the only certainty (if we re-sign Bailey as well as the rest) is we will be going into next season with the same squad as this minus two players and it has not been good enough.

The need for that class prop has not gone away and by signing everyone who was off contract up and using Hocks wages to improve younger players wages it seems from what IL has said there is no room to manoeuvre to sign such a player yet again.

We can do without Bailey IMO despite Hock going as well provided we use his wage to bring in the prop we so badly need. I have my doubts he is on as much as people think but supposing he is, then it seems obvious what needs to be done. When people have praised the re-signing of Phelps, Coley and TL as each one was signed up again I kept saying it reduced the pot available to sign the players we need and it seems that is what has happened. This is also what I meant when I said people should have been prepared to sacrifice one or more of their favourites who were out of contract if the team as a whole would have been improved by them leaving and their wages getting us that prop.

Dave

This is it in a nutshell. Tough and even unpopular decisions needed to be made to free up money to get the players we needed to improve the side.

Dave

I agree there are a lot of IFS but of the younger players it is to be expected there will be improvement next year.

I think it is also now highly likely that the current coaches will be replaced or at least some of them.

It is also highly likely with more time to gell the partnerships will improve.

As I said i do not think we will suddely become world beaters but i would expect us to improve to a level where we could at least be in with a shout of the top 4 which we have not been this year.

A good Prop and there would be no excuses for not being in the top 4.

I guess we will have to judge our squad when it is confirmed for the 2010 season, rather than slate it prior to it being confirmed.

I think there will be some improvement there as well but if Nobby gets the last year he seems to want as a SL coach with us we won't see many of them in the side given the senior players we have on the books.



Not sure why you think this because IL gives no indication of any major changes afoot. The only thing we have to go on is Noble has not been given a new deal.



I think there is some improvement possible in the side but it won't be enough on its own to get us any significant improvement in the league IMO. We will miss Hock over a season as opposed to half a season



We need a really good prop and the statements made by IL recently seem to suggest we won't be recruiting anybody. I also think we need a good half back to play alongside Tomkins but I have completely given up on that. I don't think saying our current squad is not good enough is anything but the truth so if we go as we are which has looked ever more likely as we re-signed one after the other of the out of contract players I won't be expecting a top 4 finish.

Dave

I will await passing judgement on the situation until the full squad and coaching line up is confirmed for 2010.

Thats all any of us can now do, the frustrating thing is the waiting game.

Where did Mossop play tonight?

Second row.

Wrong.


He played most of the game at Prop, moved to the secondrow at the end of the game.

Flanagans girlfriend is Australian and is heading back home.

Flanagan will be confirmed as a West Tigers player soon.

why ask then?

read the thread, especially the ones from the poster i quoted.

was great tonight - seems a better prospect that mossop

Balls!

Does that mean he's unlikely to come back?

Hope they split up now...........theres plenty more fish in the sea and all that

really have to disagree, in a game where we can dominate against a poor pack he is a stand out player against a good team with our pack he is another luxuary.

Personally though Mossop was very good tonight.

think mf is fast on his feet, nimble, athletic and strong. we can bulk him up but he has skills we can't teach mossop.

mossop looks good dont get me wrong but i think mf could be something special.

Totally different players though tbh.

He's very similar to O'Loughlin imo and to fit both in at their prefared position of 13 is obviously impossible.

I'd like to have the chance though.

Sorry NK but it is true.

There is no scope to bulk him though, and he is not fast.

He is a 6 or a 13 a couple of years in Oz should see him hone his skills to 1 position probably 13.

I personally hope he never returns and makes a go of it with Wests.

Gutted.

His missus needs nobbling(please notice the 'L').

I reckon he can crack the first team at Wests though and that would be interesting to watch.

fast on his feet and fast arent the same thing jon. we bulked lockers big time one off season when he seemed relatively scrawny. mossop is a big strong lad. mf offers a bit more for mine.

id love to see him come back in a few years. think he could go well in oz.

Locky had the frame, Flanagan does not.

possibly yeah

i see more of a stephen wild type in mf. all round athlete. he has great hands for a back rower and think with specific training he could be a v good second row.

Why not use his good hands then? It would be a waste playing him at second row.

Loose forward at best i think, not got enough build to be a 2nd rower, certainly has the work ethic though.

He's just kind of stuck between a centre, a 6 and a 13 for me, not quite got the pace or build to be defined to a single one.

maybe the oz conditioners will work there magic somehow.