Well done and good luck Franny.

Good for him to get his chance after showing the loyalty he did. 7 years assistant also gives him far more experience than anyone else who we may have appointed at 35ish.

He's got the play-making positions largely in place (1,7,9) and familair with each other and, while we're going to need significant recruitment in the front row, if we can agree deals with the majority of the ooc players I think we should be competitive in most games.

We may have to look at the Championship for a few players. Players are there, you just need to get the right ones.

Look at Chris Hill at Wire - been excellent this year and had already had a go at SL.

I've not seen too much of the championship to have a full view on it, but I have seen Fax a few times and been impressed by the likes of Sam Barlow, Sean Penkywicz. A few of the lads at Fev look as though they could step up too, players like Liam Finn, Stuart Dickens.

I know the likes of Dickens etc are a bit long in the tooth (he's about 32/33 I think), but these were meerly examples of where we may need to go short term as you would expect most players to be signed up already.

In terms of us losing / playing with a 2/3rds playing budget compared to last season, it's probably not that difficult to chop / maintain a squad similar to last year. If we remove / lose Sykes (I suspect we were paying some of his wage while he was at Wakey), Burgess, Jeffries, Sibbitt, Hargreaves, Sammut, Elima, Briggs, Walker, Kopout, Crookes, possibly Purtell then you lose a vast amount of salary cap.

When you look at the amount of time Sibbitt, Walker, Sykes, Purtell, Kopout actually played for us last year we'd have been better off with one or two solid lower end SL players who had a good injury record.

Given where we are in proceedings, I think will have to look at a smaller squad, possibly losing our better players when contract renewals come around, UNLESS our kids come through and boost the first team (ala Bateman). These guys will be cheap short term for a few years and we then may be able to push into the play-offs. Generating more money, increasing support / sponsorship and enticing players to stay and targets to come.

It will be a long few years. Personally I think it's too big a job for Franny as it stands - he needs a very good number 2. Time will tell I suppose, but best of luck to him

Problem with a skinny squad is injuries as we have seen a few years ago

And problem with a big squad is that we won't be able to afford it.

Solution?

I wonder if OK made the comment about paying the full cap before the 50% cap on the Sky money became known?

Excellent choice,great to see a young British guy getting a shot!

My impression is that the offer to take a lower amount for the next 2 years was a key component of the business plan and was one of the reasons that the other clubs were in favour . So his comment was made AFTER he knew Sky money would be limited.
If he can still fund a 1.7 million salary cap we have some leeway and if Cummins is able to call on :
all the contracted players except Kopscak
a good proportion of the remaining OOC players
then we should still be competitive with fewer additions needed than we feared.
Also appointing him so quickly gives him a chance to review who might still be available either released by other SL teams or worth a punt from the Championship. Of the latter really sorry that we missed out on Walmsley but Moore at Batley is still relatively young and I think is a good player. Finn from Fev is probably too much like Gale to complement him but some of the Sheffield side look decent--- certainly better than Fax judging by yesterday. Of those out of contract at other SL clubs I think Solomona (who I'm told is planning to return to NZ but previously said he'd like to stay) and Fielden look possibilities

I'm delighted Francis has been given a chance and I am content at the comparatively long contract. I think that sends good signals to the rest of the staff including players .
Very impressed at the speed and decisiveness of the new owners-- within 3 days we know the identity of the coach , we know the pricing policy and we have a fans forum arranged.

On radio @£$%s that Franny will be building his team around the academy squad

Only put it in because you mentioned it debaser 10 Games to see if he can motivate players and get them to a structure. If he can do that he's already proven something Hell an opening day win is worth a 5 year deal seen as though we aint had one since around 2007.

Just seen Franny and Gerry Sutcliffe on Look North, to be honest it didn't [isound[/i like they knew about it earlier. Still having talks, apparently.