In comparing the 2014 squad with the 2015 squad the most important difference is not the players but the coach.A good coach can get winning performances out of average players and i think we have a good one at last. Just look at Widnes .It took a while but Kevin Brown excepted it is a bunch of average players who have made the top 8. I think
we can do the same next season but we desperately
need Tim Smith as our version of Brown.

Is it really as simple as that? Maybe initial sales on season tickets are still yet to die down, it`s called drip feeding good news - And that's what keeps people interested and keeps a constant flow of sales.

Plus there is agreements in place between clubs on when they announce such signings, for instance if we sign a player from another SL club they may want there replacement sealed to announce the day after, So there season ticket sales are not effected?

Article in League Express says we are hoping to sign Smith, but Webster is currently in Australia "taking soundings there just in case".

Good to see in the same article as Tim Smith getting signed up on TotalRL, that Webster acknowledge's that we are a little light in the backs and are looking to bring one possibly two players in but nothing concrete to report yet.
And that the players that went for surgery barring Trout, should be good to go for pre-season.

If Danny Kirmond has been fixed and rehabilitated, that'll be like a new signing; and I hear from a good source that Scruton came to us with a badly busted hand but delayed having it fixed so he could be available for selection - got a bollocking from his surgeon as a result.

If both are fit and firing on all cylinders, they'll be like different players.

There is a player coming off contract at St.George that looks like he could be our sort of player, Nathan Green!

Isn't our overseas quota full? No money so think it'd be a bargain back from UK possibly?

Thought Owen signing would be announced?

Mentioned him cos he's ginger!
Didn't Tautai count on overseas?

Think Lopini Paea is a like for like replacement prop for Tautai plus we have Tim Smith, Dean Collis, Ali Lauitiiti, Scott Anderson, Pita Godinet and Mikael Simon as overseas signings....not sure if Sammut is on quota as is maltese...

Would Simon be classed as overseas or federation trained as it's the European Super League, not just English?

Aye, forgot about Paea and yeah, read something about Sammut being a Maltese International.
So looks like it will be Owen and Keinhorst possibly.
If we can get one more later down the line, then it won't be so bad.

Simon shouldnt count as european. Think it would be a breach of EU rules to have an exclusion rule on european workers. After all its a job at the end of the day.

Ali isn't on the quota as he played over here before the rule was made. However, you've missed out Matt Ryan who is on the quota

You may be right about Simon and how could I forget Matt Ryan? He's been a great signing covering centre as well as second row.

Either way as previously said if Owen and Kienhorst are signed then it's job done and some decent competition for places across the 17 including the backs. Looking forward to Boxing Day already...

Only 73 days to go!

I think we look like this now:

1 Hall 2016
2 Tom Johnston
3 Collis 2016
4 Lyne 2017
5 Riley 2016
6 Godinet 2015
7 Smith 2015
8 Anderson 2016
9 McShane 2015
10 Scruton 2016
11 Lauitiiti 2016
12 Kirmond 2016
13 Washbrook 2016

14 Paea 2015
15 Ryan 2015
16 Simon 2015
17 Ashurst 2016
18 Sammut 2015
19 Annakin 2015
20 Smith D 2015
21 Crowther 2016
22 Jowitt
23 Shulver?
24 Gilmour 2015
25 Trout
26 Molloy

Not sure but I think Riley only signed a twelve month contract.

We look so weak in the backs that letting go Fox part way through and Sykes and wasting money on keeping a certain LF when we have strength in that department will bite us on the backside big time.

Fox I think was about time. I'd have kept Sykes, but that's without knowing who Webster is planning on signing.
If he brought Kienhurst in or Cockayne as mentioned on another thread, I'm less bothered.
or even let the young kids have a go in preseason (along side the main team not all of them together) and see what they can do.

Owen 2 year deal

Thanks for remembering my birthday.

Has that been announced? I haven't seen that?

The Owen 2 year deal maybe one of the announcements the club have said they will make this week. Together with a season long loan of Ben Cockayne to play fullback???

Owen yet to be announced. Think Fullback is taken care of to be honest - Can see Hall playing there.

I heard Owen was in talks with Fev so not necessarily a done deal