Ignoring my views as to the actual possibility of anyone being promoted, I would say that keeping essentially the same squad is a positive thing. Those that are the mainstay of the side have had a season playing together and if they are actually any good, will be significantly better for it. I have often said that building a good team takes several seasons, and it does, even if we don't have the luxury of several seasons.

I frankly don't know how we will go if we manage to keep Gaskell and Siejka fit for the majority of the season. Clearly we are stuck with Siejka, even though nobody but Jimmy rates him, and even if he doesn't improve, if you have settled halfbacks, which everyone else knows what they will (or won't!) do, that would surely be a plus.

Without a doubt we need two elite massive props but so does every other team in the world and the questions are who is available, can we possibly afford them and last but not least, would they come.

We don't really know who is ultimately responsible for our hiring and firing but it's not gone that well in parts. Some of t is puzzling, to say the least, and so far it looks like, again, even if you are in the camp that we now have two fit halves, we have no genuine cover, our fallbacks being Addy, Purtell, Mullaney and maybe Mendeika, in that order. Which worries me.

We've signed Oscar Thomas don't forget FA. Cover for if (when) Gaskell gets injured.

They're really selling the 2016 season to me at the moment! Sounds as though we're hoping to pick players up as the season progresses and hopefully shed some of the fringe players to accomodate those signings. Gamble being whether the right players in the right positions become available at the right time. Perhaps leaving a little bit of room for manoeuvre if a new coach wants to make changes mid season perhaps?

So, we're pretty much stuck with what we've got then?

Shame, but not the end of the world. We've held on to our best players who've all had a season to grow and learn together. We still have room should we need it and should the right player come along.

The trouble is, I kind of get the impression that the club were confident of gaining promotion this year and they're a bit out of sorts because that did not come to pass.

I think they needed to make a bigger noise over players like O'Brien and Gaskell announcing they're staying if there wasn't any big name signing coming in

To be honest, I don't believe 'the club' were ever truly, "confident", of going up. Naturally, when selling season tickets it was [and still is] the obvious thing to be spouting and equally obviously, you'd hope the players would always hang onto the belief that it was possible, but for senior management to be "confident" would show a remarkable naivety, imo, and I'd be disappointed if they really did. Not that we'll ever find out what they [ireally[/i believed.

They may well have come to the view that last year was our best shot - and they may well be right but, as mentioned up the thread, we've been boxed in by some poor recruitment decisions and lengths of contracts last year, which seem to be making any incomings a wee bit difficult. Again, as mentioned above, it won't be easy to 'lose' any of those players, so we are down to hoping they really have improved or that we can get some of them loaned out again. That would, at least, free up some cash and cap space.

It's incredibly difficult to read that piece and not ask what was the thinking/discussion behind the signings throughout last season.

I'm not knocking the individual players here but for example Ferres has signed Uisele, Ulugia, Caro and Clare as wingers. Yet our coach picks Blythe on the wing in the MPG.

A Fev lad I bump into through work tells me Mendieka is a line breaking, try scoring centre. I replied, oh, we've never seen him play there. Having signed Halafifi and at the lasy second decided we might need a second hooker, he played him against Halifax and guess what? He wasn't anywhere close to match fit or up to the speed and physicality of the game and we played a centre at hooker (who was awful).

I like Campbell and I'm happy to see Clarke given a chance as I would've been happy to see Tahrouie/Fleming get more time but can anyone see the overall plan here?

Because I really can't.

As Ferres said 'that’s how the process evolves...'

I agree with you, Maisiebugs, I don't see a proper strategy here. Far too many players given 2 year contracts is the root of the problem, meaning that we've got a load of deadwood hanging around that we still have to pay, but its obvious aren't rated by Lowes who - at the end of the day - picks (or rather doesn't pick) them.

I don't know anything about Clark, so I'll reserve judgement. But is he going to force himself into a bench spot ahead of Lauaki or Crossley who seem to be shoe-ins regardless of performance? And where does that leave Fleming and Taharoui in the pecking order. It looks, on the surface, as if Clark is simply replacing the invisible Karl Davies in the squad. Let's hope he knows the way to Oxford

As for Campbell, he probably won't be fit for the start of the season anyway, but I don't see where he fits into the team? He isn't going to shift Mullaney from Full Back, unless we're planning on playing Mullaney at half back or assuming he'll be injured again. In any case, we already have Oscar Thomas as Full Back cover, not to mention Mendeika or Clare.

Either way, this constant downbeat press briefing from Ferres is doing absolutely nothing to make me feel like I want to be stumping up for a season ticket...

Are they trying lower expectations so we might be pleasantly surprised with recruitment or are they just being honest with where we stand? This squad needs a decent 7 and a couple of forwards who can take us forward. If Ferres hadn't signed so many below average flops on 2 year deals I wouldn't of thought it would be beyond us in terms of budget.

Whatever the story somebody up at Odsal needs to start getting some good news out to the fans and I don't mean further reductions in the end of season sale or a chance to rename a bar. Feels like it could be a long off season right now.

Biggest improvement they could make in short term is to stop ferres giving interviews. Reckon he's reduced our season ticket sales by at least 500 with his last couple of articles. Management should be emphasising the positives, instead he seems to go out of his way to highlight negatives.

^^^ This

Is this the same Johnny Campbell that got banned for betting on matches he was playing in and got away with given a bloke brain damage in the street?

I notice in today's T&A Jimmy has admitted that he, [imay not have got the the use of Adam O'B in particular and squad rotation in general, [/i "quite right".

I have to say that does give me a little more optimism, since seeing the problem is always the first step in curing it.

Indeed, but we still have the troublesome situation where somebody at the club has bought a shedload of players and somebody else t the club thinks they are crap and won't play them barring nuclear armageddon. How did they let it get to that, and how unhealthy is it? Do Ferres and Lowes ever have a conversation about the hundreds of thousands being spent on wages for players Lowes will simply never pick?

And is Lowes right, have we indeed signed a bunch of absolute dregs duffers, or do we have a number of non-playing players who could actually be good?

It's all a bit baffling to me. If Ferres buys them but Lowes refuses to play them then surely that must cause a helluva lot of serious friction at the club, not least with Green?

Disappointed.
I wont rehash everyones views, suffice to say that I also believe we need a proper scrum half. We don't currently have one. Without one I don't believe we'll get promotion. We could also do with another decent prop but that's not as vital IMHO as a new 7. (I think with the right coaching and development either Fleming or Tahraoui would be an improvement over lauaki)

My worry is that with the current squad ad coach we will be too good for the majority of the Championship, even with our failings and squad gaps I cant see us not getting in the top 4, but IMO we are not currently good enough to get in the top 4 of the playoffs...

On our possible rivals for the 8's recruitment, Salford/Widnes/Hull KR aren't going to be troubled by us, Wakey are going well and will be stronger, Halifax will be tough, Leigh are improving...although reports of them signing Chase seem less than clear;

rlhttps://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/could-sacked-super-league-playmaker-rangi-chase-score-nrl-lifeline-exile-files/story-e6frf3ou-1227585485817rl

"While Chase was expected to join former NRL players Reni Maitua and Cory Paterson at Leigh next season, the club is believed to have some salary cap issues which could prevent a deal going through."

Also, anyone know if Sammut has got a club for next year yet? Is he still at Workington? I still think he'd have done a good job for us at this level.

Mot seen anything about him signing for a club. Amazed we've not snapped him up