Makes you wonder if the club has agreed terms with some big names,be it from the southern hemisphere or elsewhere for SL next year to make them start a clear-out at this stage,I sincerely hope so or we could end up scrabbling around for decent players in the close season.

Well i have looked at it as a positive, as gives them a chance to look elsewhere for a job than be hanging on wondering?We are looking at bigger players than Thackeray, and Grant Gore,Craven, and Gilmore are top youngsters at halfback.I can see Craven at Standoff and Hulme at Fullback when fit.

I'm sure your right about these youngsters OFFTHECUFF but do you think they'll be ready to mix it with the SL players by next season?

What will happen should we finish in the bottom two? Confused.com

To who ?

Widnes go into SL , as for the Championships , they're being re hashed , again

James Ford looked out of his depth when he played for Cas in superleague, and Thackary didn't look superleague standard either, though he may have matured into a better player than when he played for us.

Which is why they are,or rather were,with a Championship club in Widnes.Not many people are saying that Ford,Netherton Thackray and Gerrard are SL standard,although I think Thacks deserved an opportunity to play alongside a decent pack and srum half.This is about these players carrying the can for atrocious results due to poor recruitment and coaching, under the guise of 'assesment phase one'.In my opinion.

Hey how will we know unless give them a chance and experience?Richard Myler i watched in the academy and now look how he is playing in Superleague with Warrington.

Not all will make it, but better put them into the team gradually, and next year the youngsters will be playing in a higher reserve league.We will be able to send some out on dual registration like Wigan,Warrington,Leeds etc.

Wish people would look at the big picture, and not be blinkered.Yes i love Widnes to win everything this year, but the wish i wanted was Superleague.

York have confirmed offers for Thacks & Ford. Fax & Barrow also said to be interested in Thackeray.

That's what I mean. Is the restructuring of the Champs to begin next year?

Being a Bradford fan, i know all about poor decisions from 'upstairs'- bad news for you guys.

The players wont be playing again, theres a settlement figure to be sorted then they'll be out of there.

Bad news for Widnes and fans... good news for them, they're still getting paid for doing their gardening whislt rest of team are playing!

Good news they are not playing as we can try some of the youngsters with ability.If Thacks,Gerrard,Ford,and Netherton where here then players like Hulme,Gore,Lunt,Houghton and others would not get a chance.Sometimes big decisions need to be taken and Ford wants part time anyway.Netherton fat and slow, and Lunt is three times the player.Thacks is the best of the lot but once loses his pace he has nothing to offer in his game.He is not an organiser and has a bad kicking game.Gerrard is a strong lad but lacks pace and no kicking game.If can not handle the championship then no chance in Superleague.I am positive so onwards and upwards Vikings.

New blood is always a good thing... but players like Ford, Neth and Thack still have a lot to offer- bags of experience between them which could help the young guns as well as on-field performances. Youth needs to be tapered in- if Widnes get their s handed to them week in week out cos of inexperienced players its going to be detrimental to their development rather than constructive.

I still think the foursome are the winners here. Getting paid week in week out for free, will get a decent settlement lump sum then will simply play rest of season with another club still getting paid week on week. Next season will sign a proper contract with whichever club.

Here's one for the pot then. Completely unsbstantiated rumour heard today at The Shay, thackeray to 'fax - straight swop for Ben Black. ou heard it here first

He will probably be better on his crutches than half the current Widnes team.

Yep

And what does that make the no win wonders?

Carrier pidgeons not arrived in Widnes yet?

We shot them and ate them, were subsequently court martialled by a senile old general and his bitter secretary and sentenced to death by shooting by a sarcastic team of gunners, saved at the last minute by our friend's uncle even though he forgot to tell him because he was drunk at the time and then in retaliation we sent him on a mission called "operation certain death".

You shot Speckled Jim?!?!?!

I know for a fact that Thacks has been in contact with Wakey and Harlequins (although he is not keen on moving to London)

Wakey could do a lot worse than Thackeray. They're half-backs in Jeffries, Smith (if he ever re-appears), Wildie and Hyde just don't cut it. Tommy Lee has been their only decent option. I hope to God that the rumours of us going in for Jeffries are not true.

I was at the club today and seen Thackeray and Ford walking around together in their training gear. Hopefully they've not been outcasted completely while they try to come to a settlement.

Wakey would be a good move for Thacks, he could move back home to Hull and have 3/4 months to prove if he's a SL player or not.

I hope he gets a SL move, just for us to see what he could have done for us if given the chance.

Wakey have just signed Moore from Batley though, so I doubt they were ever an option for him really.

Chuffed that he's at York though.