Can anybody name the four teams we are going to beat to make the top 8 next year and not be in the same position? in fact who are we going to beat to not be 12th?

none of the signings will achieve this so far...

my 4 that we HAVE SOME SORT OF HOPE TO beat are

HULL KR
WIDNES
SALFORD
CASTLEFORD (DUE FOR A BAD YEAR)

but are next 4 signins need to be this - a quality half back - 2 quality centres and another front rower....

I also think we should look at hooker.


are WE ANY HOPE?

Note to Brian Smith, sign good players.

Note to self - don't take the bollox on here too seriously!

It would take some monumental signings before I'll believe we can do top 8. Competitive in the bottom 4 would be welcome.

whether you like it or not Cas are top half of the league and we are not.

it is not possible to go from where we were last season to a top 8 side. Salford signed star players and failed, Hull KR signed a few real quality players and failed. Remember where we are coming from, rock bottom, the very worst side in the League by a long way, a side that lets in 1000 points in a season almost 40 points a match. Our realistic goal is to improve, be competitive, defend, play with heart and desire, get fit, tackle, get some structure in the rugby side of the club, set up a rugby committee and then see if we can beat a SL side in the middle 8`s. Top 8 is just not realistic, Widnes should be our goal, look how they played and try and match them for attitude etc etc. Finishing 3rd in Middle 8`s would be a real achievement and would show a real step forward. Anyone thinking that we are anywhere near the same level as Cas are mad, they are light years ahead of us on the pitch.

Written off by (some) of our own supporters before the season has even started? - in fact before recruitment for next season
has even finished?

Wow.

My thoughts exactly. Only on the Wakey forum do we get a thread with such a title. A shocker!

The difference for next season is that we have a decent coach.
If our "average" players can improve their game by 10% we will be competitive and then we come down to team spirit (totally lacking last season until the last few games).
Our pack isn't too far away and the backs will improve plus, still 6? more signings to come.

Reality is that we would still need things to be going our way to make the top 8 but, we will be in a far better position on and off the field, than we have been for the last 2/3 years.

Back the club, the players and the coach #supportthetrin

I'll be happy to be competitive. That's what I missed this year. I just want to go to matches not knowing whether we'll win or lose, and even when we play one of the bigger clubs we have a chance of a surprise. It's called competitive sport, that 80 minutes on a Sunday afternoon. And yes, if we make the top 8, realistically we've no chance at all of making the Grand Final so who cares about the top 8? Not me, not yet, other than the safety aspect. The middle 8's kept the interest alive. I don't want another nail biter at the end, but a season like Hull KR's is achievable and would be great fun.

Whatever we think about the new signings for next year,you have to admit with such a large change in personnel it is going to be important to get them together as early as possible to get to know each others play. i would suggest extra pre season friendlies.
We dont want to be in the same position as some other teams who have had a large change in personel but not delivered.

I think BS and MC have a long pre season planned, at the moment Stu Dickens isn't getting any time off, he's making all the preps and helping finalise the signings for the season. Some players are already back in the gym, they are going to some effort to try make big changes for the better, which they should be!

None of this guarantees top 8, but I don't think 'top 8 no chance' is a valid title. If Agar could get a team full of cast offs on a big turn around into the top 8 then why not Brian smith?

Top 8 is a stupidly unrealistic goal, so the whole thread is predicated on a fantasy.

With the players announced up to now cant see who we will beat

Don't come then - go watch Leeds, they'll beat everyone.

Improvement is the only yard stick by which to judge the side. If they stay up and do so more comfortably than this year it is a step in the right direction and a step further along rejuvenating the club.

At the moment MC and BS are putting together a squad. A squad is that will get the required improvement. I think the 2 "star" signings will be announced last of all. The club will hopefully be cashing in on the momentum caused by the way the season finished last year and as sales slow down a couple of big name signings to have up your sleeve like Topou and Pommeroy may well generate some more momentum.

As others have said it is a bit daft to write the team off yet or set unattainable goals.

I think next year a club will gain promotion, probably Leigh assuming they will have learned from this year, the signings they have made and I doubt they will implode so spectacularly again. As long as Trinity are not the club that take the fall for them, then the season will have been a success.

I'm genuinely excited about next year across the piece I think it will be a cracking season now we have got the first season of rule changes out if the way. Both my lads and I will be getting season tickets as without doubt last year the North Stand provided is with some of our best rugby days out of the season.

Perhaps it's a clever ploy and we're waiting till the early bird deal expires to announce the big names so that we get people buying season tickets but at the higher price.

Or perhaps the club are still working on the other signings - I can't imagine it's the easiest sell to star names - come and play for the side that was so uncompetitive last year that we only won 3 out of 23 games before the Super 8's.
I just don't see the benefit of moaning at every signing that is announced until you see the whole picture, but then I'm a supporter who likes to "support"

I think it is possible, this is a weak league with a not a great deal of quality around outside of the top 4. With a decent coach and a bit of luck it's not beyond the realms of possibility.