At the end of next year I think they'll be shopping for a hooker. By all accounts they were in for Levi this year, so it's clearly in their thoughts and rightly so in my opinion.

Fine if you want mid table mediocrity. Time to move him on, Austin would have been let go at this season’s end, I see no difference between the two players. They both have had decent careers at the top level, no doubt they can possibly squeeze one or two more seasons in elsewhere. If we want to build a top four team it won’t be around slow and aging players.

Iirc myler is still on contract for next year. Austin wasn't.

So letting Myler see out his last year as a back up isn't the end of the world.
We already have to find a 7 ,prop and centre.

I realise Myler has one year left on his contract, might be able to do a deal with someone to offload him. When it come to money there is always a solution. Just imagine Myler coming on midway through the second half in a tight playoff game against a fast and aggressive three quarter line. I think not.

We will need a few more quality signings if we are going to be making the playoffs next season I reckon

I dont think he will be used an interchange, he either starts of doesn't play, unless hes back up 9 if theres an injury.

I agree but it depends at what cost - we know it’s hard to balance the books under salary cap etc. So does retaining “nice to have” players like Myler, Donaldson, I would include Bentley in that / does that mean we have less money when we’re trying to retain a Sam Walters?

We have been guilty of hanging on to dead wood well
Past it’s sell-by date for years. I’m all for being human and having a happy camp with good people but I think we often get the balance wrong and end up nearly getting relegated or struggling mid table for years….

We've got rid of tloads of dead wood since RS arrived.

Bentley is a good player, let him go and it's another player we need to replace and if replaced would need to be better than him and maybe with a higher wage, same with Fusi. We've got to concentrate on the areas that need most work RE recruitment.

Don't get me wrong. He's contracted till the end of next year. At that point I would say thank you and goodbye. Personally I think it was a mistake to sign him for 2018 and it was a mistake to resign him in 2020, when he was practically out of the door and packed for Toronto. That's not to say he hasn't been a good player, or had a bad attitude, he's just never been the calibre required to keep us at or near the top of the tree in the post "golden years." Just can't see us parting ways till the end of next year at this point.

But I would play Martin (who don't forget reverts to second row as soon as we land a new centre), McDonnell, possibly even Gannon ahead of Bentley for 2024. I'm not sure he even makes the bench for me in a first choice 17.

The lad is game and tries hard, he has some quality about him but he's also prone to penalties and brain farts, he's not physically imposing for a forward and neither is he especially quick. I literally prefer Donaldson to him and definitely McDonnel who in my humble is a better player.

I'm suggesting that retaining players like this just reduces our capacity to attract and retain the very talented ones who command a premium. So, yep keep him on at maybe £50-60k a year at a push - if he's on more than that absolute waste of money for me. I heard we signed him as one of the better paid players at the club - I don't know if that's true but it's madness if it was.

Yep absolutely.

My guess is there was no one better we could get and he was planning on NRL or catalans but that didn't happen.
Hopefully he has a big year and either earns his place or puts himself in the shop window better.

We really need some power and or offload in the pack, just don't have enough of either and too msny work horse types

I'm glad Bentley is staying ,also we need a revitalised Oledski next season, I suspect he is still troubled by injury but he has had a very average season

Genuinely interested, would you play Bentley ahead of McDonnell? I imagine unless Clueso is right, we sign a new centre (or Nene returns from walkabout), and Martin takes one back row spot. Or Gannon?

I'd have been much happier keeping Martin, McDonnell, Gannon, Donaldson, and possibly one or two academy lads next off the line, and freeing up more salary cap where we need it most, i.e. 7 and probably for me another proper prop. Having five first grade props makes far more sense than 5 second rowers to me - most games you use 4 props.

Sorry, of course I am forgetting Goudemand as well here, who also might get in the second row ahead of Bentley and isn't a real prop....