So that'd be 6 from the 29 definite stays, so I guess that'd leave room for 2 new signings/re-signings giving us a squad of 25 with possible room under the cap

Need a bigger squad than 25 I think. 30 Is good.

Unless we can somehow offload some of unwanted players who are on 2-year contracts, we will have a squad of at least 30

Guess it depends on the injuries we pick up, which is unquantifiable, to be fair. I'd be happy with 26 or 7, and definitely no players that Jimmy just isn't going to play. As I said earlier, we seem to be recruiting with a view to probably still being in the championship next year, which does leave us in limbo to a fair old extent and the uncertainty definitely doesn't help.

I hope that the Bulls start a new reserve team like a number of the SL teams are planning to. If that is the case then we could accommodate a bigger squad but still keep them first team ready.

We've had a massive squad this year, which I think in part was over compensation for last year where we barely had enough players to put out a 17 every week. More focus on quality over quantity is needed for next year, I feel, regardless of what division we are playing in

I can't even begin to comprehend how difficult it must be to try and arrange a playing squad when you have no idea what league you'll be playing in, no idea how much money you'll have to spend and no way of giving anyone any guarantees. It's an absolute nightmare scenario, and it's not something I envy steve ferres for having to do at all.

That's a good point, does anyone have a link to the 'prize money and distribution of central funds please'? What would be the difference between the amounts receieved by ourselves and say, Wakey and Salford or is it purely based on where you finish in the middle 8's?

Lowes likes young players and he and is maybe of the view that being at the bottom of SL and the top of Championship does not represent a huge financial differential and is about no more than 2 or 3 players, on the basis that even in the event of promotion to SL, the type and number of players that could realistically see us challenge for 7th or 8th place are not available to us anyway.

Think that's spot on.

Given that around four or five of this season's squad never even got a game, it's pretty obvious that, given the understandable recruiting dilemma at the end of [ilast[/i year, a few of our recruits were maybe brought in on the evidence of youtube videos, rather than actually having been seen in action. Hopefully that can be avoided this time round.

I see Warrington are releasing Gareth O'Brien, wonder if we have first refusal on him with us letting him go back to them

Where you saw this ?

On the wakie board, releasing 4 players, don't know how true