to be fair not a bad year,,, beat dobbins twice and a massive improvement on league position this year BUT......... would anybody sacrifice any of this for a better proven coach?
PLUS........ is any body worried about next year recruitments?? we sign will sharp.. rovers sign mason get my drift??

complete waste of time even thinking about next year, we wont make top 6 in my opnion,lucky to make the 8...complete disgrace considering we pay top dollar for tickets and merchandise....

that's what jake the peg said about this year

i think the point im trying to make is we done ok this year but (being the magic word) next year we seem to of set expectations low, just wanna make a couple of big name signings now so i can beleive we can better then the scum next year but doesnt look hopeful

This is not in any way a comment on effort or commitment as I think that's pretty good, but:
I'm less optimistic about next year than I was about this one. Simply because we had big changes for this season and our performance level was pure conjecture. Now we know what we're capable of vs the competition and can see clear strengthening in other clubs (Bradford in particular), I just don't see how we'll improve drastically without further new faces coming in. I've loved Richard Horne as a player over the years, but is he really a foil for Long in the way that Pryce was or McGuire or Tomkins or Briers or Brown would be? Miles off this standard now, and I'm extremely sad to say it. We've no fullback either now. And we're a prop down. Hope there's some fecking big rabbits to pull out of the hat or we'll be 9th at best.

We will not have to get to know each other next year, the unit is already set. Keep our halves fit and one or two more additions and we will be competing for top 4 again.

I really respect your opinions, Paul, but do you think that Horne (way off the pace)/Long (34) is the HB partnership to take us to silverware when we're up against Burrow/McGuire, Monaghan/Briers, Pryce/Eastmond? We have no specialist FB at the club now (Tansey was arguable a utility anyway and another ball-handler lost). Don't deny that our pack is more than adequate at this level, very pleased with it subject to getting another prop, but think we'll struggle again in the backs next year unless some decent signings are forthcoming.

Your heart is ruling your head Paul.

Yeah, that should be easy. Practically guaranteed, really. They'll probably only miss 1 game between them.

Pretty much my thoughts. Although I think Long could still have a good year left and Tansey isn't confirmed as leaving.

Our backs and maybe halves will be our downfall again IMO. Not good enough for top 4 yet.

You mean Horne and Long who have been out for months, perhaps that's why they were off the pace. Agar said tonight we are looking at bringing in a halfback.

I just think people are overreacting to one defeat. An important game yes but it should not overshadow the positive season we have had.

No it's not just one defeat Paul, come on. We are going nowhere with the current set up. We are just making up the numbers like Cas, Wakey and Salford. No real chance of competeing for the honours. I expect and demand better.

completely agree

I agree it's positive relative to the last 2 seasons.
In absolute terms it's not good enough for the third biggest club in terms of support/finance/infrastructure/salary cap spend.
But the key thing is we'll need to improve to stand still in the context of the signings Bradford and arguably Rovers are making. I just don't see where this will come from unless we make some decent signings. Even then we need to completely get back to basics in attack and start getting runners running into holes. Manu for example is a fabulous player but more often than not gets the ball stood still and uses all his energy wrestling out of the tacklers. Wasted.

couldnt agree more....pis$$s me off to be fair, the guy takes it at walking pace and seems to want to run through players when he could easily go around them...and as you say, he wastes alot of time, effort and stamina wrestling 3 players on his back every play

Imo there are only four clubs currently who can win trophies, Saints, Wire, Leeds and Wigan. We are up there with Rovers and Hudds trying to close the gap.

In the lead up to this game you were supremely confident we would win, we had an off night. We need to improve and I think we will, we won't go from 12th to competing for silverware overnight.

We have far too many of these, and too often when the stakes are high.

thing is though, were closer to finishing 12th than we are to winning silverware and that is 1. not right and 2. not acceptable....

Bradford? You mean like Ian Sibbit.

We won;t have a huge recruitment this season but will next season, we are targetting huge names for next off season. Plus if we get Berro off quota then we could bring in an overseas half this year possibly.

I am as frustrated as you but it's not all doom and gloom.

I agree with you Paul. Yes, not where we want to be, but it's an improvement. That's all we could have asked for this season with such a turn around of players. Strengthen the backs and keep players on the field and I'm confident we can improve even more on next season.

but thats the point paul a few years ago we were a team that won a challenge cup and got to a grand final but weve dropped dramatically that teams like rovers who a few ago were playing infront of 1500 against batley have jumped above us and for a club with our off the field credentails it isnt good enough

Yes an area we need to improve. I am just trying to offer an alternative view.

It sickens me that we lose a game and people go beserk about anything and eevrything at the club. Yes we have to improve some stuff but christ had we won people would have been talking about reaching the GF.

I wasn't supremely confident we'd win tbh I was confident that the difference wouldn't be the loss of Yeaman and that our forwards would win us the game. That didn't happen we were beaten in the forwards and we lost like I said would happen if we didn't win that battle. So far I have seen the better teams recruiting strongly for next season and those chasing making astute signings. We on the other hand have done nothing. If this remains the same we will fall out of the 8 next season I guarentee.

What signings? If they are quota players then it's a no brainer we don't have a spot well actually we might have next week.

We have good players, a few tweaks and cover in the halves along with some injury luck and we will compete for the top 6 again.

Imo Berro has to play centre next season and with Yeamo we have strong centres, add Sharp on the wing with Briscoe and our back line looks very good imo. Tansey or Whiting at fullback plus cover for the halves with the pack we have and we won;t be far off.