I d like apologise to the fax fans for dragging this up , I am currently posting on an I pad , or I would have just posted a link of this thread to the one on the widnes board , but not too sure how to do it with this device

Snap, Ipads are awesome bugman.

And with that you have lost any credibility you had, come on here talking about finances etc when you are lording it up using an I Pad! Show off!!

Didnt it state in your announcement that you are spending the full cap? Kids dont count on the cap, so there has been something going wrong at first team level.

Long term thinking costs money - something we aint got. You're right though - investing in your youth is a sensible policy and a license requirement !! although i think it'll end up the same as Halifax's - all the success at youth level but with none of the conversion - and you've got a hell of a conversion to make in Super League.

Im sure you have noticed the sad times that Paul Cullens gone though, he's been missing for around half the year training wise, and our injury list the first 3 months of the season was nothing short of shocking.

It helps that our Under 18's are mixing it with all the super league boys and whooping them, of course you need a sugar daddy to keep all this running and were very very very lucky indeed to have Mr O'connor at the helm. As for conversion it's much easier for a half back or hooker to slot in than it is a forward for youngsters but im more than confident that some of the lads will step up. The other 20 or so squad members will have Steve getting his cheque book out. Im fully ware that we'll get our backsides spanked that first year should we go up but thats part of the super league life.

Of course i am aware of the terrible times for Paul Cullen. And i havent brought that in to this.

The point is, having outstanding juniors hasnt had an impact on your ability to spend the full salary cap. So that cant be blamed for your average performances for the past 3 years.

2 cup finals, one win and never missed the playoff's... sometimes I forget what a terrible side we really our, why do we even bother?

Yes it could of been better but it could also be worse and off the pitch it's nothing short of excellenyt which is more than can be said for 90% of the clubs so called better then ourselves!

Are you happy with your first teams performance over the past three years whilst spending the full Salary cap?

As mentioned not overly and it could of been better, BUT we won silverwear last season and injuries hugely crippled our early season decent form, I mean looking at Toulouse at home with more hands on deck should of been a solid win, maybe even Batley, so it wasn't an embarrsing posistion when the RFL made it clear that league spot wasn't number one priority!

We are simply playing the game as it's designed to be played (only one's?) do I agree with it? No, not really bar a few minor details but those be the cards we have been dealt and if it get's us into SL i'll be delighted!

Everyone's working to the same cap!! I would be surprised if 95% of this league aren't spending to the full. Some teams are reputedly spending above that If we had been spending £500k in a £300k league and we had remained full time then certainly we would have a right to feel miffed. Otherwise how can you be annoyed when the league is so competitive. We don't have a right to win the league year on year.
We have been to two cup finals which are a fantastic day out, had a tremendous cup win and we have had some very good league wins along the way.

You can then take into account the fact that we have needed to use somewhere in the region of 40 players this year to field a team week in week out due to injuries and the terribly saddening situation our coach has experienced.

Am I happy... categorically yes. Come March I hope to be deliriously happy.