A pint of what you're drinking squire!

Every possibility that we could be as high as third, but both finals??????

You don't have to agree about our half backs, but Tim Smith is a much better player now than he was at Wigan, and it's not so long ago you Hull fans were getting excited over the prospect of Chase in a Hull shirt. However, we had Matty Smith, and to say he was anything other than average the 90% of the time would be a lie. Additionally, Chase has far more skill and speed than Green could hope to have. This isn't to say, to say Smith/Chase will be more effective than Smith/Green, just they have more natural ability.

I honestly believe our pack is up there with the top teams, but it all boils down to how well our back room staff can keep them fit through out the entire season. Like yourselves with Feka we've had to take a gamble on several players, and much will depend on how these gambles will pay off.

I will agree we haven't strengthened enough in the hooker department, especially since Noble doesn't seem to have much confidence in Owen, who I also rate. I would imagine Noble has planned for this and, considering he previously worked with Tommy Lee at the Crusaders, knows what to expect.

Most of us Salford fans would never claim we will make the playoffs, let alone the top four, but I think there are grounds for us to have cautious optimism for the season ahead. when you throw in the likes of Ashurst, Dixon, and some promising youngsters, we appear to have a strong enough squad to compete with yourselves. Our clubs and Hull KR have all streghtened considerably, and the top 8 fight should be very interesting.

P.S. Before last season, if you had told fans from other clubs you were going on players like Tom Lineham, they would have said you had a weak squad.

Thats a much better post and more honest, especially the bit highlighted, your should be a top 8 finish, talk of top 4 and winning it, is silly as you don't have the team and certainly not the squad (I don't think we have either). I have never said that Salford won't finish in the play off, my main objection is posts from a few Salford fans and things like that from Clark.

I also have big doubts over Noble as a coach, I like him, but not sure his style of coaching can be a successful one in SL currently.

I personally think it will be the most interesting and open season for years.

Chase and Hock won't be the key to Salford's season. Neither will be on the field long enough.

In Chase's case, he goes missing more often than not and after joining an arguably poorer side, that will be more evident.

Us? I'd be very happy with 8th. Any higher is a bonus and a platform for 2015. Anyone expecting a quick-fix with a complete coaching change is a fool.

Rovers haven't recruited well at all - quantity over quality - and it certainly smacks of one-year panic. Our youth policy is heading in the right direction and a trickle of home-grown players into the first team will turn into a torrent.

I'm looking forward to the season, but I'm not looking for anything other than a change of style and our pace to improve.

I don't state this lightly, I truly believe that we have the ability to get to both finals.

It has happened 6 or 7 times in the past 10years that a team has made both finals.

On our day we are a match for anyone and I see the squad being slightly stronger this year than last. Also I belive that other than Saints & Leeds, the other so called big teams are slighty weaker.

The spirit in the camp and the buzz about the team this season just seems to be different, and the resepct that has been shown (from what I have withnessed), to Radders is pretty amazing.

As we know this forum is just conjecture and individual opinion and these just happen to be mine. Hopefully come the end of the season I will be able to be proved correct.

so far we've drawn at Donny, hardly a "match for anyone", we'll come in around 8/9, we'll be told to "give Radford time" and it'll be jam tomorrow, again.

FFS how can you come up with that prediction?. Our U19s played at lease 40 minutes of the game against Donny. That game will have no bearing on our superleague games whatsoever. It was a game to get some mileage in the legs. nothing more.

it's as accurate as saying "on our day we can beat anyone", which was kind of my point.

and this "mileage in the legs" stuff is just people repeating the coaching staff in a (failed) attempt to look like they know what they're talking about.

Like I said, it is personal opinion, but anyway, glad to see you are your normal glass is half full self and have confidence in our team for the new season..!!!!

Also I would expect that any Hull supporter would be happy with the Donny result, given the team we fielded and chnages made through the game I know I am.

Are you really a supporter or just a WUM?

I have never seen any positivity in print from you whatsoever.

If you really did get a season ticket I hope to hell it is nowhere near me.

so, blind optimism is what makes you a supporter, must have missed that bit

as for being a WUM, no idea what one is, I have a vocabulary that means I don't need internet slang terms used by kids

Is it?. Just the same as blowing the cobwebs off, a practice game. match practice, game time, Call it what you want. You where just picking the bones out of it to undermine my quote. I was at Donny and I saw the game for what it was. A practice game for the younger members of our squad.

I don't disagree, what I disagreed with was BB's assertion that "on our day we're a match for anyone", which was ludicrous based on a draw at Doncaster.

Yes but BB was still right at what he said. You only have to go back to last season in the challenge cup semi final when we beat Warrington and nobody gave us a cat in hells chance, but we overcame them. Is that not saying we can beat anyone on our day, when we all know that team on paper is better than ours?.

I bet you've been banjoed on the nose end a few times in your sad life.

Who are your props apart from Paea, Watts, Feka?

Green,Bowden and Pitts.

Surprised there's not more said about this. Some good players in the squad including Paea and Watts but that looks a major problem compared with any of the top 6.

Perhaps, but tbf Lineham showed on his debut (his start against you not the 10 minutes against Rovers) that he was already better than 80% of the wingers in Superleague, so probably not a good example.

Nothing to do with this but I've been told Ryan Wilson & Alex Starling have been sacked by the club.

If that's right, that was quick because I am sure both played against Donny.

No, I think you missed my the point. He is better than the majority of wingers in SL, but if opposing fans, who didn't know much about your younger players, looked at your squad they wouldn't consider you as having great strength in depth. As it turned out, he is a very good winger and made your squad considerably stronger.

Now moving on to this years Salford squad, and many are criticising the strength in depth that it offers. There are some good young players coming through who didn't let the team down last season, but shouldn't have been relied upon. With less responsibility placed upon them, they could easily take their performances to a higher level.

I find that very hard to believe. Both very highly rated at the Club so it would take something really serious to result in a sacking, especially in Ryan's case because it would mean potentially upsetting the Wilson clan and I cant see that being risked.

I do get your point, I just thought Lineham was a bad example to use. I remember fans of other clubs asking when he was going to get a chance ahead of Crookes after they had been impressed with him in 2011. Had you said Chris Green or Jamie Shaul then yes I agree.

It's a very valid point though. I don't know much about your youth team, so who's to say you don't have your own Tom Lineham coming through?

I only thought bobby & harry are robs lads? Oh & young George.