This is what I mean - I know they don't have much money to go out and get 'big players' in to replace them - I think they should either get some decent, young prospects from elsewhere (whether Championship, other SL teams or Aus) on relatively cheap money and then give them decent game time the next year or so so that when those people do retire, the 'step down' in quality isn't as large because the young'uns have had a year or so of exposure.

Ideally (from a financial perspective) these 'heirs to the throne' would come from within the academy already but there aren't loads of brightly shining stars that have come through this season.

I guess (back to football again) what the likes of Man Yoo do is to get good young prospects from 'lower down the chain' and blood them in over a couple of years. It'd be great to go out and get a couple of currently-quality players but next season I'd have more patience watching a team in transition if the tranisition being seen was of younger people coming in, rather than older people getting a bit worse again from this season. Going in to 2016 I would then be more optimistic. To persist all the time with the older generation through 2015 seems like a waste of a year because then there is even more tranisitioning that will need to happen in 2016. May as well crack on sooner rather than later.

I would say that over the last 4 years this is what we've done with people like Achurrhc, moore, Griffin and Hauraki. We have also had young lads come in from the academy.

The common theme is that none of these have been given an extended run in the team. The potential is still there for Ward, SIngleton, Achurch, and even Clarkson, but it how we can give them that platform to start showing themselves off.

In some cases that may be a loan to a lower SL team. In others it may be a case of sitting down with the senior player in their position and saying that they are a squad player, and no-one is an automatic pick anymore, and that the club is looking out for the future.

Thats not throwing the senior players out of the squad, they will still get games they will still be at the club, but it may allow players that have been stiffled a bit over the last couple of years to get to prove their ability

Forgot about Griffin. Easy to do.

Bet you forgot about ben cross too?

Alarming the poor quality of some of the signings over recent seasons.

One could also throw in the likes of Chris Feather, Wayne MacDonald and Jamie Thackray. How far back do you want to go?

I remembered Cross, but thought he came in during Blueys time here

Hetherington does the recruitment IMO.

We have had some garbage recent years but also had some crackers too, all teams do i suppose.Although most recent few years the quality seems to be drying up.I can only think of Hardaker and maybe Aiton over last 4 years who could be considered good business.

The bad recruitment has been offset somewhat due to our continued success and great core of players who always seem to step up. But GH and his 'skills' in the market are going to be required very soon if he wants to see us remain amongst the top 4 from next year.We will need to steer clear of the likes of Griffin,Achurch,and Cross type signings.

Briscoe and Moon are good signings too in my opinion. Though I'm mostly concerned about our forwards especially at prop. I think we've let some decent props go over the years (Scruton, Burgess, Amor etc and not replaced them. So now that we need someone to take some workload off Peacock & Leuluai we don't have anyone.
Though hopefully Cuthbertson will be one.
Another good prop for the year after, then a halfback signing and I think we'll be fine.

Yes i agree i have overlooked them 2 off the top of my head.Moon is a class act as far as SL centres go.Still not sure Briscoe was a signing we needed to make but at his best he is an excellent player and i think he has plenty more to give for us so it can't be classed as bad business yet.

I Believe luke Burgess would have gone sooner or later anyway with all his bros. Being at Souths.Amor, i have always been quite miffed at allowing him to go after his stint at Wakey.

I agree with all that. On Amor I don't think it was the monumentally terrible decision that some people seem to think it was but I think we missed out on, at worst, a perfectly decent prop who would've helped during the transition of our top props.

Wayne McDonald was outstanding in 2004, that version of McDonald would walk into the current line up.