Looks like the week off has seen clubs move forward with their recruitment plans for next year with many stories coming out in the media now.

Matt Shaw tweeting it looks like Seb Ikahihifo could be coming to us (would be a big signing) and we're still pursuing Jake Maizen.

On the fax board it looks like Joe Keyes and Matty Gee maybe coming to us.

I'd imagine we're likely to lose some quality too. I'd be amazed if Fulton isn't in SL this year, he's tearing the league apart as well as Doro rumoured to be going to KR

Ikahihifo and Maizen would be great signings. Not bothered about Keyes, only plays half a season.

Surely the perfect foil to Gaskell!

I think Gaskell is retiring at end of this season.

I’ve also heard Jack owens and Tom Gilmore mentioned

I'd be surprised if we re-signed Gaskell.

Keyes would be really good cover for either stand off or scrum half. Think we need a change there. Lilley moving to hooker would be better.

I think Fulton, Doro and Souter will all be looked at closely by SL clubs. Appo signed a 1 yr deal with a 1 yr option? I'm not sure who the option is in favour of - the player or the club?

I would be amazed if we can hang on to Eribe Doro, Zac Fulton and Mitch Souter for next season. They have all been a revelation this year and rightly deserve a crack at earning a full time Super League contract. I assume we will also lose Rogers, McGowan, Tindal and Okunbor when they inevitably return to their parent clubs. Add Blackmore and potentially Gaskell (retiring) to that list and we've got some major changes coming this off season.

The 2 names mentioned in this thread are very good additions to the squad but we will need a lot more people to come in to replace the players who are potentially leaving. I'd also prefer for us not to keep using short term loan players next season. Our injury record this year has been horrendous so EOC's hand has been forced slightly but I'd hope for a more settled squad next season.

Gilmore would be the HB we've been crying out for. A Controlling 7 who can kick goals.

Looking at the players off contract or likely to return to their parent clubs, it is a significant chunk of the squad that will be leaving. As I've posted elsewhere, this year represents a real turning point for me as EoC looks to establish his own ideas and professionalism in the club.... some players have really bought in whilst others have not, and are now starting to depart the scene.

1. Tom Holmes - 2024
2. Ben Blackmore - Left
3. Joe Arundal - 2024
4. Kieran Gill - 2026
5. Jorge Taufua - 2024
6. Lee Gaskell - 2024
7. Jordan Lilley - 2026
8. Jordan Baldwinson - 2024
9. George Flanagan - 2024
10. Ebon Scurr - 2025
11. Brad England - Left
12. Chester Butler - 2024
13. Michael Lawrence - 2024
14. John Davies – 2024
15. Dan Smith – 2025
16. Keven Appo - 2024
17. Eribe Doro - 2024
18. Mitch Souter – 2024
19. Sam Hallas – 2025
20. Billy Jowitt - 2025
21. Jayden Myers – 2025
22. Will Oakes – 2024
23. Dan Okoro - Loan
24. Aidan McGowan - Loan
29. Zac Fulton – 2024
30. Eliot Peposhi – 2026
31. Tyran Ott - 2024
34. Fenton Rogers - Loan

Mackenzie Scurr - 2024
Will Adams - 2024
Dan Moss (On Trial)
Jayden Barraclough - 2024
Kallem Rodgers – 2024
Dom Waites - 2024

The end of this year will be interesting as it remains to be scene how those leaving will react. Will they give it their best shot and look to leave on a high, or just play out the season running through the motions?

The squad we have has the potential for another top 3 finish but I think its going to be a mixed bag unfortunately and I don't see us finishing any higher than 5th as it stands.

Roll on next year and knowing where exactly we stand in terms of IMG.

Lots of talk on social media (I know!) about an intention to go fulltime in the near future. That would mean wholesale changes I'm sure. Can we afford it? It might improve our on field performance but would that be enough to get us into SL? The ground is the real issue for us isn't it?

I think the rumour of us going full time has come from Mick. If you listen to his choice of words though, I dont think we're going full time in that we train throughout the day etc

I think it will be a case of we'll have a couple more "full time" players who do foundation work during the day and then train in the evenings. But the majority of the squad will still have full time jobs throughout the day. It sounds more like BullInenemyland has been alluding to in that EOC and the club are wanting us to be a more professional outfit, training harder, stricter in how the players behave off the field, behaving more like a full time team rather than us actually going full time.

I read it similar to this too, I think the part time/full time ratio will rise but not a fully full time outfit

Partial professionalism would seem to make much more sense at this stage.