After a horrendous run of injuries, are we now finding that our squad players are not up to it?
I realise our luck is out this year, but let’s face it , some of these so called young players have been found out .
Some tough calls for Radford to make in the next few months.

Like who? People like Lane (definitely the last couple of weeks) and Masi have done well, even Miloudi did well and far more dangerous than Talanoa has been since his return. It's the seniors that IMO are letting us down

masi and lane will do ok imo, fash downs wont make it, like to see litten given a go this year, also harris will do ok,

Honestly can't believe Litten hasn't been given any game time the last few weeks.

I think some of you are hiding behind the injury situation and burying your heads in the sand your success was built on your pack of forwards since then you’ve lost Ellis and Watts and to a lesser extent Pritchard three massive players and you haven’t replaced them you’ve resigned Manu and Mini the latter to me is finished much as you’d expect from a guy who will be 37 next year and listening to Radford there doesn’t seem to be any big name signings on the horizon Houghton looks to be burnt out you can’t flog a hooker for 80 mins every week in this day and age especially all the tackling he does I’d expect more of the same next season still I’d rather be in your position than going through the middle 8s again

I hate to say it , but , I agree .
Players have not been replaced. Too much faith has been shown in average home grown players. Radford has been let down.
Some of these Lads unfortunately will not make it at the top level.

I agree with most of it as well although there is no doubt we would have challenged top 4 without the injuries. I would have kept Mini but released Manu who has been very average this season and is missing to many games. The point you make about Houghton is valid as well.

If Widnes are relegated we should be in for Danny Walker and Hanbury to show Shaul how to play full back and pass a ball

Your ex hooker at London Cunningham always plays well whenever I see him play whether he’s SL standard I don’t know

Walker promising. Hanbury no chance. Cunningham, yes, very good player.

Mellor would be good cover in the halves to, which we clearly need

To be fair I think it's a little harsh to say the squad players such as Fash, Matongo, Downs, Lane, Harris etc aren't up to it. Squad players/young up and coming players are normally only usually played when resting players to rotate the squad. This season due to not only the number of injuries we have but also the length of time players have been out has meant the group of young squad players have had to play far more games than they are ready for at SL level. They're up to the job for a game or two but not week in week out like they have had to. That has taken its toll on them this season. The positive is the experience for next season will be so valuable.
My only concern with the squad is the likes of Green struggles with injuries and so have Mini & Manu this season plus the latter two will be another year older next and we've retained them plus Washy. For me we lack another forward and would love someone to come in like Murdoch Masila or Fafita as since losing Watts on top of Ellis retiring we look too soft.
Also we really have to address the poor attacking options as we are just so predictable it's too easy to defend against us.

I'm not that surprised our attack is easy to defend against. We have neither our best creative personnel available in the halves with Kelly, Connor, Sneyd and Westerman on the sidelines, nor a dominant pack to mitigate the impact of this. We have 2 issues this year. One is hopefully temporary in the ridiculous injuries to our pivots, such that we are going into the next round with probably our 6th and 7th choice halves in Miloudi and Harris. The other is more fundamental though in that the quality of the pack which brought rich rewards in the last 2 years is diluted. Taylor has been utterly magnificent this term, playing with a dodgy shoulder and never taking a backward step. Beyond him, though, it's hard to pick out a stand out forward. Paea has been OK, but a shadow of Ellis. Bowden and Green have been unavailable. Watts has left a gaping hole in the pack. Mini, Hadley and Manu have been hampered by hernias and injuries, and Westerman looked good but in a brief cameo only. In my view we need to play the long game, get all the operations done now so that everyone (bar Bowden) is back in on the first day of pre season ready. Knowing our luck this year though Taylor and Connor will get selected for England squad and not used but will therefore not return until January and we'll pick up more injuries in the remaining 5 fixtures. I'd really be looking to protect our senior players now to give us the best pre season possible.

This ^^^^^

Good post + we would of hopefully only had to use one or two young squad players at a time, rather than almost half your team week in and week out.

Is Matongo injured?

I think the squad players are fine, as others have said it's the senior players are letting us down.

We weren't far off on Friday and than was without our 4 most important attacking players, take that away from any team and I think they will struggle.

Saying that I think Radford is making mistakes with his team selection, both Miloudi and Litten should be playing, we are struggling to score and these both offer an attacking threat.

I think we have to make some tough decisions for next season, I'd look to release either Talanoa, Paea or both and bring in one attacking forward.

Two of the big decisions sit around around Shaul and Houghton, unless Shaul improves his link up play in the off season, then I'd start Connor at FB next season and I think it's time for Houghton to stop playing the full 80, that's why giving Litten some game time in nothing games would be ideal.

Radford needs to learn, take some risks and adapt our style or I feel he could be under threat my Easter next year.

I dont think Shaul can improve his link up play.He has had several seasons now to do it and i see no improvement.
We would be a different attacking team even with an average Aussie like Quinlan at full back.
Shaul seems to take the ball up from acting half a lot more which Houghton should be doing but he is burnt out in my opinion.Surely this is a perfect time to give Litten extended game time or use Shaul as a back up 9.
I am not a Miloudi fan especially as a full back but he was far more of a threat on the wing than Talanoa.Even taking the ball up he seemed to make more metres than Talanoa who i keep saying takes the ball standing still.
I think Radford is under threat now never mind next Easter.
We are likely to go 0-11.Any other Super League coach with those stats would have been shown the door irrespective of squad injuries.
Just wonder what Gaz Ellis now on the coaching staff will bring to the table

Injuries are playing a part, but our confidence has gone, plus we are playing for nothing against Sides like Wakey (Last game of the season) and Hudds who still have something to fight for.

We need a win, it doesn't matter who or how we get it but it will do us a world of good, think it will come against a tired Warrington side in a couple of weeks and I think we will also beat Catalans at home, think these wins are important we don't want to go into next season on the back of a massive losing run.

If we we lose everygame this season, Radford has earnt the chance to turn things around next season.

hull linked to young halfback tom holmes from fev just been released

Chris Green injured again, out for the season. Really need to move him on, no room for sentiment with the salary cap

So why keep Minichello,Talanoa and Washbrook?

mini think will be ok if looked after, binman 50/50 washy defo would have let go,

I’d have freshened up the squad a bit more next year, but think the injuries this season has given this years squad one more crack at it.
What’s for sure though, is that there’s some big recruitment decisions to be taken for 2020. Potentially we have a lot of quota spaces available.
Replacing players could be difficult, but as Kenny Edwards has shown, you can be a second tier player in the NRL, but a very good one in Super League.

Mini is an NRL player of distinction and of many years, was superb alongside Ellis but should of probably retired when Ellis did - still a decent player though, Talanoa has been magnificent for FC, admittedly gets his fair share of injuries, Washy mr dependable still plays lots of games to a decent level - Green has a couple of decent games a year, a handful of invisible and doesnt play the rest - thats why

Plays 3 if you are lucky then misses 2.ok when he plays but think he has a soft centre