With Tomkins going, I am not sure the SKD signing makes sense. We are quite well off in the backs already and with supposedly another 2/3 coming in, surely that quota spot could be used on either a top class half back or another big man in the middle of the park? I don't see much in the UK for either of these and as delightfully pointed out, the idea of matty smith/kevin brown as a 1st choice half back fills me with dread

Kevin Brown is Salford bound, matty smith is a potential, on loan to Wire from Catalans and with Maloney going to Wire, unlikely to feature much. Myler rumoured, not been great for Leeds, but out of favour if Gale is coming in with Lui.

Good cover at outside backs, Minikin in for Shaw on the Wing, Linnett as a running second rower I think would add value and threat, rather than just a yardage 2nd rower, he can do both and play decent minutes.

Obviously halfs are needed, plus another solid prop or second rower should be top priority, maybe one of each, that will lay a good platform.

Ryan hampshire available,leaving wakey and the fans rate him highly,versatile.Would be a good signing imo.

We have signed matty gee from london for next season,24yr old back rower.

I guess we're preparing for life in the Championship in 2021.

Matty Gee probably outplayed our two back rowers this season, young enough for Smith to develop too and i doubt he'll be on the same wage as Tomkins

Sammut may be being released from Wigan. I realise he's not top drawer in terms of HB, but at least that is his dedicated position rather than us trying to 'manufacture one' in NH words.

What is he classed as, overseas wise, these days?

Rovers signing strapline “young and hungry” read into cheap and available.
They say it’s the hope that kills you, well I won’t be dying next year

The problem that I see with this is that he's cackamallabab.

Still need at least 1 hb and 2 props (aswell as Parcell and Minikin) and the squad will be pretty decent, not a play off challenging squad but hopefully a younger hungrier one

Would you class Salford as cheap and available?

They spent about half the amount FC did on their squad. Their respective positions in the league makes interesting reading.

Rumor Mill stating Sammut may end up in Championship as all Super League clubs searching for a half back are all in negotiations with others?

My point being that Salford would be classed as cheap and available yet look how they played and where they finished. If Smith can get us playing like that ill certainly be happy

Slightly OT, I had a look at the 2018 squad list earlier... https://www.hullkr.co.uk/hull-kr-reveal ... d-numbers/ Striking that only six of the 32 are expected to be with Rovers at the start of 2020. Quinlan, Masoe, Lawler, Mulhern, Oakes and Dagger. When you think also of those that have come and gone since, like Vaivai, Drinkwater, Tomkins and maybe Lannon, Minns going, returning and going again, plus the loan deals, the turnover has been pretty remarkable, even for a promoted club.

Slightly OT, I had a look at the 2018 squad list earlier... https://www.hullkr.co.uk/hull-kr-reveal ... d-numbers/ Striking that only six of the 32 are expected to be with Rovers at the start of 2020. Quinlan, Masoe, Lawler, Mulhern, Oakes and Dagger. When you think also of those that have come and gone since, like Vaivai, Drinkwater, Tomkins and maybe Lannon, Minns going, returning and going again, plus the loan deals, the turnover has been pretty remarkable, even for a promoted club.

Yes I realise that. I was showing that money does not always buy success. You need team spirit and good coaching. You can say the same about Cas. Being able to identify players with potential and develop them as individuals whilst moulding them into an effective team by good coaching has been achieved at both clubs. Tony S the ability to do the same for us.

Sort of I suppose, certainly overachieved this year, there is always an exception to the rule, see Leicester city , but if you wish to hype next year up on the strength of the recruitment then fill your boots mate, I have a somewhat tempered excitement of next year, I say all this as a long standing supporter of 40 years and was more than happy to stand with the 1400 on cold autumn / winter evenings playing and sometimes losing to sides like York, Whitehaven , Mansfield marksman, Runcorn Highfield, because of the clubs income streams and support base it matched expectations, however current crowd base and income levels suggest to me we should be at the very least consistently 5-8 in that league not perennial basement strugglers, think last 4 years , 2016 last game peril MPG drop goal, 2017 championship promotion (did well 2 games to spare) 2018 needing to beat Widnes by 16 iirc, 2019 needing to beat Salford ,or hoping London lose, funnily enough my biggest relief this year is seeing James Webster depart, full respect for 2005,2006,2007 seasons work ,cracking clever player , but as a coach , enough said.

I think when your down there at the bottom its harder to get away from being perrenial strugglers than we realise, the better players that are available are already signed up as weve seen too often, I do like the idea of a younger hungrier squad but im under no illusions that it could well be another hard slog next year, but if we can climb the table a bit and recruit earlier then hopefully we could start to push up the league.
Salfords season should be what all of us strugglers hope for, but when the smaller clubs have great seasons they tend to get dry bummed by the bigger teams picking there better players off too.
Hopefully Tony Smith can help us improve as a team as he has done everywhere else he's coached at.

Fully accept the point of recruitment disadvantage due to late late survival, but something for me is not quite right at the club and I for one certainly cannot point to what it is but it feels nothing like the spirit of the club in the Morgan years, it felt like we were all bound together as a unit from the chairman to the fans to the players to the coach to the sponsors, it felt like a family unit throughout and even in defeat felt like we could come back stronger next week, as I say I wish we could , as the Beatles would say “come together as one” again. Proof of what I am trying to say is our captain last year has asked for premature departure, the foooking CAPTAIN.

That was initially to be expected after so many years in the wilderness. The club and supporters came together after relegation as well in quite a remarkable way. Last season attendances were the best for some years despite our league position so many of us must have some affinity with the club.

It’s easy to be negative and ignore the positives. What are you doing to engender this wonderful togetherness that you perceive to be missing? Go on the hullkrfans forum. Yes there are people with negative thoughts on there as well but also a group of fans actively trying to help the club.

Interesting article from "the mole". Star to leave the nrl after the grand final,aidan sezer is the man and the rumour going round he has signed for us.Huddersfield also seem to be interested,but an article in oz a week ago said he had signed a 2 year deal with us.Would be a cracking signing if true fingers crossed.

Would mean an overseas player departing who would we pick?

Not pick as such but garbutt will almost certainly go as I believe Leeds were not that daft to let a fully fit garbutt leave as when fit “wow” absolute great prop, but if you watched him late on in the games he could play in he limped his way through most of them and I think it has a ring of scruton about it and I think he may have to face up to a career decision and I think he will give an off season a go and retire early feb, absolutely gutted if it happens as we need a fit Garbo more than anything

We'd have to find a quality prop and the money to pay his last 2 years off but I can see ur point

He seems a genuine honest guy but obviously needs to think about his family and earning potential, but medical facts are medical facts and if it looks like your playing standards are compromised by a reoccurring injury it would be dishonest to carry on, i for one hope it is ok for him to carry on but if he carries on by just managing the problem I for one thinks it’s wrong and a waste of a precious quota spot, btw I may be a mile off with my appraisal of him , it is just my observation and opininion.