The times I've seen Manning on Sky at the business end of the season he's looked one of Featherstone's better players. Not sure how that's reflected over the course of the season mind, not seen enough of him to judge.

I think he's had a decent year tbh and i'm sure he was on a years loan but the last couple of sky games they've reffered to him as a "former" Leeds acadamy player!

Over the last 3 yrs we have won the tiltle, had to start the season early to accommodate the WCC game, had varied runs in the CC cup & also had to contend with key players playing for England at the end of a long difficult season.

To me all these things could contribute to where we are now. Coulpled with bad injuries/form & player recruitment.

Hopefully the squad can have a well deserved break. I would imagine maybe only Hall & Sinfiled will be selected for England. Therefore a majority of the squad can have a good break & then get stuck into a decent pre-season which they haven't had for a couple of years. Bluey & Brian Mac can then look forward to a refreshed squad. Hopefully they can add 1 or 2 new players to the squad & welcome back BJB from a successfull loan spell & Watkins from a tough injury. I would like to see a quality replacement for Eastwood but don't believe there's any decent options in the market so I fear we'll end up with a 30+ Aussie/Kolpak stiff.

I look at Saints/Wigan/Wire & see that this season they had good juniors out in the championship who came back into there squads when needed & performed well. Could this be the case for us? We have Worrall, Amour, Coady & Manning all to come back from long term loans & push for a place next year. We also have Pitts & Ambler on the fringes.

The rest of SL wish. Of course you meant 2006 so we'll let you off.



Just on this specific point you appear to be including Saints' first past the post Championship of 1996 as a Grand Final appearance and win which of course it wasn't.

I really shouldn't get into convesations with children, and I will refrain in future.

But would you care to put something where your mouth is?

Can you show where in any of the title winning seasons I have written off the team for that year? Infact it was only 2007 where I offered to double your bet with snake eater that we would win the title. Even this year I have said all along we would win the title.

My views have been made clear for 18 months, that 2011 would see us challenge for nothing unless we made changes. I think Brian McDermott coming in as assistant is a very positive change and will do well, but we should have released players, and we should have made a couple of quality aquisitions to complement the promotion of youth.

Now, I may well have written off the odd player over the last couple of years, if you are getting mixed up with that, then I can excuse you, but you said the "team.

Why do you keep resorting to personal abuse when your opinion is challenged or disagreed with?

You're playing a dangerous game there Gotcha. You seem to have forgotten that at the end of each season between 2007 and 2009 I brought up threads and posts from posters writing the team off.

Is that really what you;'re asking me to do again?

No you didn't. You brought up threads writing players off, and in the most part brought them up completely out of the context that posters put views on. Or you brought threads up where posters have complained about the way we had been playing after a couple of defeats on the bounce, usually around easter time.

Let's get away from fogknitting here and be clear. You said I had written the team off in each of the titlte winning seasons, making out I had said they would not win the title those years. Have I misunderstood you there? or is that what you are saying? or are you saying that I was one of the posters complaining about the way we were playing as early as Easter in each season?

If you are saying the latter, then I would be man enough to admit I have expressed views of not been satisfied with what I was seeing, even as early as Easter, no problem.

But how can someone who has tipped us for the last 4 seasons to win the title, and even in 2007 (coincidentally a year you are saying I wrote the team off) offered to double your bet against a poster saying we had no chance, be classed as "writing off" the team?

I make no secret of saying we would struggle in 2011 without changes and I have to put up with the ridicule on that if proven wrong, for which I dearly hope I am. But I won't listen to something that is plainly untrue to say I had written them of in "each" of the title winning seasons.

I'm just pleased you managed to post without resorting to personal abuse of other forum users.

Let me review the Gotcha archives and I'll come back to you. Might take a whee while as I have some big boy busy work to do this week.

Before you do that, is there no chance of you answering the questions I raised?

I would hate to have the board ruined by petty "you said" "I said" (for which I accept blame), hence why I asked the question to clear it up first.

That way if your saying it the way I was man enough to admit to, then you would not need to ruin your working week, because I'll just say fair enough and leave it.

Gareth ... Your efforts to get one over somebody else and gain some self perceived superiority astound me.
Why do you feel such need ? Why the desire to " play to the gallery " to such an extreme .... digging through past postings ? Does that not smack of pliable to one that is quite evidently intelligent and articulate. What are you hoping to prove ? To whom ?

Those that revere you will always do so regardless.... Those that merely respect you - like I now do (did ) - are more perplexed and think rather less of you when you resort to this, such jejune, behaviour.

Grow up man.

Yes you are right it was not a GF appearance (which makes it 7 GF appearances) the first 2 years of SL were first past the post. Still an impressive record.

I fully exepct this team to come back stronger next season. There are a few older bodies on board now but by no means is this team past it.

IMO Senior depsite his age is still one of our most potent attacking weapons and why people constantly want to put him in the pack is beyond me.

A good replacement for Eastwood, a good run with injuries and we will be there or thereabouts.

I agree he has been pretty good on attack again this season....it's his defence that causes concern... BUT do you really think it wise to depend on him yet again next season....or better to blood his pretender to the throne (Watkins) as much as possible ?
Think it's only suggested he move to cover the second row because he actually seemed to go well there against Hull....and it also won't be quite so critical a position to keep him fit in as there will be more cover for his 'new' position.
We can always slot him back in there at centre if all fails (which won't be such a good thing going forwards).

I will listen to you advice.

Gotcha, you can breath a sigh of relief. Your posts writing the team off will remain in archive as I take heed of nantwich's words of wisdom. I just hope you can also take heed of his post and stop resorting to abuse whenever a poster challenges your opinion.