That's funny they still use him as their "go too" man and they openly talk about him as their best player ala Sinfield at Leeds but of course if you don't agree then that's the debate over.
How are we going backwards?
The squad has been decimated this year with injuries and we have still seen the emergance of Clarkson,Pitts and Ambler.
Having Bjb on loan will be great for us long term,Smithy will only get better with a full RL pre-season.
You say certain posters can't see further than the past what about those who write a squad off without looking at the bigger picture i.e Injuries which lead to chopping and changing combinations,no rotation and a loss in confidence.
I personally wouldn't of given Senior another year and i'm surprised Donald and Buderus are staying simply because i thought they would return home.
Even with that considered we still have players who have age on their side and are yet to reach their peak.
There's plenty of life and quality left in this squad and to announce it's going backwards without taking all the facts into consideration now who is being naive?

There is no facts to take into consideration. Injuries is a pish poor excuse. It is only excusable like the time we played a near full strength Wigan side with a lot of players out. It is not excusable when you play Crusaders or Hull Kr with more players out than we have. That is not something that bodes well.

Of course players like Clarkson, Pitts, Ambler, and BJB are only going to get better with experience. But where are they going to get into the team? considering we have just resigned our whole squad for next year. Are you hoping for the same injury crisis as this?

The only players playing regularly in this side who are still to reach their peack are Delaney, Hall, and Ablett. Who else of the regulars are you considering in that respect?

By contrast Saints have had just as bad an injury crisis as we have had, and have done it with a smaller squad. They have introduced more of their younger players and have still managed to be above us in the league and reached the same semi. That will serve them extremly well for next year. To add to that they have gone out and made a significant addition to their squad that will undoubtably improve them, and are rumoured to have made two more which will be a significant improvement. Yet whilst they have had to use their youngsters at first team level, their academy sides at all levels have been outperforming us.

The main fact I see is that Saints will undoubtably move forward next year, and you can only see the same for Wigan and Wire also.

As far as Huddersfield is concerned, If I was an Huddersfield fan I would feel much happier with Cudjoe at fullback come 2011, than a futher aged Hodgson.

Bailey is still only 26,there's still more to come from Mcguire and Burrow imo we also have Smithy who is far from his peak.
With the youngsters proving themselves you don't need an injury crisis to intergrate them.
It helps with rotation so your older players get plenty of rest and how do you work out the HKR and Crusaders had more than us missing?
For the HKR game we were missing Leuleui,Ali,Beastwood,Webb,Buderus,Diskin and Burgess whereas they were missing Welham,Colbon,Walker,Webster!
injuries is a FACT and to dismiss it as a pish poor excuse is bollox especially with the combinations and structures it effects.
Again you are virtually writing a squad off that still has the chance to do the double this year and compete for everything again next year whilst showing a distinct lack of faith in a CEO who has delivered un precidented success.
I think you are been way too harsh and ott and again we can debate as long as you want but i don't agree with your assessments of this squad and to dismiss things which clearly have an effect on performance and structure of the team doesn't make any sense.

Hull KR were missing Colbon, Walker, Welham, Webster, Wheeldon, Ratu. 4 of which are centres, you don't think that would effect them? they had to bring in a player who had not played super league previously from another clubs juniors.

Crusaders were missing, Thomas, Witt, Sammut, Trimarchi, Lee, and Thackray. There were some other fringe players missing also. They played without first choice half backs, you don't think that effect them?



I am not writing off a squad at all. I am saying that next year will be a year too far for many of the senior players. That's different to what you are saying I am saying. I have already voiced my opinion that we would win the comp this season, because I think there might just be enough left in us. I don't think there will be next year, not when our rivals will certainly be moving forward.

Weren't Lauitiiti and Burgess named in the initial 19 for Hull KR?

If they were, were they injured or simply not selected by coach McClennan?

I'd say not quite ready but the available numbers forced them to be named.

Burgess played for the under 20's.

He did which shows he wasn't quite ready for the 1st team.

Or it shows that Ambler was ahead of him. And probably rightly so after the previous weeks performance.

Eh?

I think what it shows is that he was available for selection and coach McClennan chose not to select him from his original 19 man squad. Somewhat scuppering the claim that he was 'missing' when in fact he was not selected despite being available.

It's not unheard of for a player to go play for the u20's to gain some game time/match fitness when they are deemed not ready for a SL match.

It's also not unheard of for Burgess to be named in the 19 this season and then play for the under 20's instead.

True but he's been out a while and whilst he's not one of our A* players i'm not surprised he was chosen to play at u20 level before 1st team.

He's not been out as long as Burrow. Burrow was picked for the first team.

I agree with the Hodgson transfer, he will be 34/35 at the end of his Wire contract, he's had a few injuries this year and he's been nowhere near his MOS form.

Yet you claim Wire will be "going forward" next year.