I'd sacrifice Manuokafoa and Sammut to sign Tim Smith, think he would link up well with Luke Gale. But it depends on how everything goes.

Please tell me your just trying to wind people up?

Sibbit, Scruton and Walker out for me. I know Scruton has a year left but between them they must be costing us a fortune when you work out how many games they've actually played! Sykes but I suppose he may just end up at Wakefield anyway!

Problem is who would you replace Scruton with? We are upto our limit with overseas quota. I think Manuokafoa HAS to be given a new contract. So that leaves us with a limit of signing English players. I wouldn;t mind Whiting at the club as his utility vaue would be very useful. Also impressed with Paul Johnson at Wakey.

Replacing somebody who hardly plays shouldn't be too hard! That was my point with all three.
How about Mike Cooper? Not gonna happen!
Ryan Bailey!!!!

Liam Watts, Mike Cooper or even Adrian Morley for a season.

I'd have Bailey if Elima is going awe need a nasty bast in the pack!

Fielden is nailed on...

Assuming as has been suggested that admin is to be avoided and it might take a two year contract to get him (with all the risk involved) but Morley might a good signing IMO?.

Wasn't Morley rumoured to be going back to roosters for one last year?

Didnt Bailey just sign a new deal last season?

But yeah I'd have Bailey, as well as Elima and Fielden.

Would love to see Menzies back again, but I agree with walker we may end up picking up players who don't fit anywhere else, we could do with a decent flying winger, if mainly just for cover.

But with the academy steamrolling most of the other teams why couldn't we promote from within for alot of the gaps we have.

Purtell won't have been weakend by his arterial blockage but he may worry that it may happen again and he may no be as fortunate I think that will play on his mind a it, shame if he does leave as he is nothing if not consistant

Wouldn't touch fielden as he will be injured most of the season with the problems he has.

The lads in the academy are under 18's. Whilst Bateman (and previously Sam Burgess & Leon Pryce) has shown it is possible to break into the team at such a young age, most players start to appear in the first team at 19/20 and usually have to wait a season or two before they establish themselves as regulars. Throwing the under 18s into the first team could end up being detrimental to their long term development.

Exactly, those 3 are exceptions to the rule. But the academy lads need to be given enough time to develop because there's a hell of a difference between playing academy and SL rugby.

TBH, our retention is what is going to dictate our recruitment. I know that's like saying "water, it's wet" but I think some people need reminding that we've got to get the balance right.

The main thing that needs to be sorted is how many open overseas spots will we have. At the start of the year it was only 1 that both Sammut and Manuokafoa were battling for, however Purtell's illness does raise the question "is he coming back?". Personally, I hope he makes a full recovery, but putting my pragmatic hat on, his spot is under threat as the club is a business and not a charity (a statement which will no doubt raise some ss from the idiots in the peanut gallery).