Congrats and welcome back

Think Sheens has got it perfect with his tactics this year, play it old school Aussie way, strong forwards, defence and high completion rate. He has comfortably completeing the task given.

It will be interesting what he does next year particularly in terms of recruitment, finishing top 8 in now the target as the middle 8's next year will be much tougher.

Will need to recruit really well to finish in the top 8, you don't have many overseas quota spots left, so you might need to release a couple luxury quota players like Clarke and ZDC.

It's been a fun year with plenty of banter, but SL is better for you in, certainly you offer more than Leigh and probably Widnes.

Well done

Perfect from Rovers and a Middle 8 campaign that I fully expected. Congratulations to everyone at the club who have worked so hard to achieve this. Even better news I heard yesterday is that Rob has sold many of his business stakes so budgets for a big squad investment could be available. Let's just say the half back and back row names being bandied about were mouthwatering. But with Sheens's contacts not surprising.

Peacock has said there won't be much in the way of recruitment with the players already been brought in and maguire coming in Mose and carney already signed ZDC is contracted think Clark was on a 1 year deal it's probably best we keep the core of what we've got it's a mistake we've made in the past signing 9 or 10 players

You fully expected us to breeze through the middle 8s last year

I did but the half back disruption and a 90 second freak period could not have been expected.

On recruitment Sheens has talked already about the need to strengthen to be a competitive super league team week in week out. From what I hear and expect we'll be trimming the size of the squad but bringing in some real quality which is exactly the right approach.

I haven't allowed myself to think about 'what if we do get up?' and it is a pleasure to be able to do it now. When you say the qualifiers will be tougher next year, do you mean because of the likely involvement of Toronto, or is there another reason too?

They're a weird little mini-league, the middle 8s. It's kind of mad that Leeds and Warrington followed up really strong seasons by playing in them, and that we've spent a season in the championship having won 16 of 19 games so far across 3 years.

SL seems to have evened up these last couple of seasons. Cas, Hull and to a lesser extent Wakey have put some big cracks in the glass ceiling. I'd like to think we're aiming higher than scraping 8th next season. Aiming ain't achieving, but we seem better organised with Sheens in charge than we have been before. On the other hand, the cap going up (rightly IMO), should favour the wealthier clubs.

Man, that game yesterday, then I had to leg it back to Terrorist Towers to then go to a wedding. Suffice to say I am as rough as toast today.

Who is to say that they will be this comic stupid qualifier 8s It should go back to 1 up and 1 down

well done hkr six easy points next season for the black&whites

This quote is so 2006. Appalling lack of originality in trolling these days.

Congratulations to you all. Great to have you back.

I know it's getting very boring Jake posts it about 3 times a day

Yes Toronto, also think Toulouse will be stronger and expect London to kick on ( they have unlucky this year).

The top 4 will probably be

Toronto (who will spend the full cap)
Toulouse
London
Leigh/Widnes/Catalans

Add in 4 SL teams it won't be fun to be in.

I think your recruitment needs to be outstanding to even make 8th, McGuire is a good start, but not much quality available particularly with very few quota spots.

At least you have a couple of extra weeks to sort your recruitment out.

I wouldn't say the top 8s recruitment has been outstanding I think you need a good coach which we've finally got that can get the best out of the squad castleford been a great example

Wishful thinking I know if only we had had him instead of the last clowns we have had who called them selves a coach we would not have gone down

We definitely need to recruit and quality is definitely at a premium.

On the other hand, when I look at teams fielded by Hull, Cas and Wakefield, they don't strike me as being rammed full of brilliant, talismanic players. Obviously they have a handful, but we're not talking the best Bradford, Saints and Leeds teams of the noughties. What I do see, and tbh find more admirable in many ways, are decent depth and well-organised and coached teams that have found a way to play that suits them. And a sense of belief. That's what we need to continue building.

In Minns and Heff we have a centre partnership ready for superleague. Shaw has been excellent after severe injury .Carney and Quinlan we know are good enough .Moss I think has the potential also.add in Salter and Marsh, Oakes we only need 1 or 2 outside backs so can spend a bit more and get real quality. Over next few week we will probably release fair few players? Plenty of cap space so hopefully the talk of top class players coming in is true? We need quality rather than quantity. Can hardly believe with 2 games to go we can speculate over next year's squad? Woke up tired and rough head but main feeling was relief.Quite different to last promotion when it was a one off game but now it's going to be nice to watch season unfold and watch GF and MPG.Job done and everyone at the club should be proud of themselves

There's a restructuring in the way the NRL cap works and apparently they'll be quite a few good players on the market.


I'd expect quite a few to come over, some clubs will fill their quotas and it will have a knock effect with decent home grown players getting pushed out.

Could be a good time to have a empty(ish) roster.

Cas have an exellent coach but their recruitment has also been really good, particularly use of their quota, they have taken some risks which have rest paid off Hardtker, Webster Eden etc

Cas fan here. Congratulations and well done, good to see you back. You offer far more than some others, and Hull FC can get back to irritating you rather than us.
I was concerned that had you missed out this time, next year would be really difficult as Toronto are earmarked for SL.

Well done KR and glad to have you and the derby back.

Looking forward to the Derby again next year, but 2 only. No preseason game and a different opposition at the Magic Weekend for me.

Apparently Houghton testimonial is against you, and you can guarantee Magic will be, the RFL won't be able to resist.

I fear your right about Magic, cant see the logic of putting the newly promoted team up against the team likely to finish 5th (sorry couldn't resist

).

Seriously though, they have supposed to have made the magic weekend a 'seeded' event with teams paired against teams that finished in similar league positions the year previously, so it should be us against the winner of the MPG. Bet its a derby though.