If Hudders did go down (but I really can’t see it) I expect Ken Davy would cushion the blow financially. So much as it would be funny I think they’re least likely to go down. I think it’s between HKR and Salford really. I think Salford would really struggle, especially if Koukash threw in the towel. HKR I think would find it difficult too unless Hudgell can find some new investors – there’s a bloke who I have little sympathy with. Rovers would at least bring a few supporters which is more than the other two.

Indeed. Each are better players than the ones they're replacing.

The current bloated squad was only good enough for 5th position. I think given a good pre-season and a squad that Smith has chosen that actually wants to play will make the top 4 next year.

His posts come across as if hes debating but its a way of trolling for me! Ask him about stuff to do with his club like the lack of paying rent, when the football club that play there play in non league and contributed more to the new stand than the rugby side he delfects and ignores

1. Bradford will have a much better quality squad than the dross this season. There won't be a better spine in the league next year.
2. Motivation. Playing in the shield will give the players plenty of motivation not to be in it again. There is a slowly changing attitude at the club.
3. We should start seeing some reward for our hard work with the academy as more break through.
4. Toulouse coming up will be stronger than those going down. But playing Hemel, Newcastle and North Wales, will be a damn sight different to going to Odsal, Mount Pleasant and the Shay. They won't lose many at home, but i think they may struggle away from home.

A big thing for me is, whoever comes down (which is looking likely) is that they will only have 3 months to sort their squad out. Many contracts will likely become void meaning they almost have to start from scratch. We no more than anybody how ahrd it is to get a HB's. Most will be signed up by now. Back in 2014 we had a year to sort everything out.

That's difficult to say without knowing who comes down and which players they sign/retain.

For example if KR were to retain Campese, Kelly & Lunt (unlikely I know) and sign a better fullback than Cockayne, their spine is arguably better than ours.
Similarly if Salford were to retain O'Brien, Lui & Dobson and sign a decent hooker.
Huddersfield with Grix/Connor, Brough, Ellis & Hinchcliffe.

Yeah we all know it'll be hard for the relegated team to hold on to those, but people said the same about us with Gaskell & O'Brien when we went down.

No doubt, I'm happier with Moss, Pryce, Chisholm & O'Brien as our spine next year than I have been with any of the last few years. But we don't know it's the best in the league just yet.

I'm fairly confident in the spine. I'm confident in the backs for a Championship level, although I'm not sure about the right centre position at the moment. The forwards is where my doubts are at the moment, but that's largely because we have no idea who will be signed for the pack.

The thing we should have learned from the last two years is that it is not just about how good the spine is but also how good the back-ups are if/when they get injured. e.g. Gaskell was good but if he only plays 40% of the time?

For the game it would be a shame for Rovers to come down because, like us, I reckon they won't be going back up again under this system. Hudgell is not a particularly wealthy man, I mean how could he be, he's a poxy solicitor when we all know the real money is in sundecks.

Salford and Huddersfield can have a decent pop at going straight back up.

Well Hudders could.

Salford will be fecked if Koukash pulls out.

From what I've seen of Keyes so far, I'm happy with him as backup for the halves. After that you're looking at Thomas or Pickersgill, but any team would be looking lower quality if two of their halves were unavailable (except London who seem to hoard halves and Leigh who would just buy more).

Fullback wise, I'm happy with James Clare moving there if Moss is injured. You can't expect to have a second player of Moss' quality just sat around just in case, so I think Clare offers enough to move there as a backup option.

Hooker, I still think we need better quality cover, but that may depend on getting rid of the already contracted Halafihi. O'Brien & Lumb I'm fairly content with as they are, but I'd rather have Lumb as the backup at the moment, as I still think he's more of a prospect than a regular in the 17 at this stage. We could do with another hooker to interchange with O'Brien and then have Lumb covering their unavailable games.

I notice that Salford keep stressing the point that their players are currently 'playing for their careers'. I mean, is that just a bit of hyperbole to try and drum up some interest or do they know a bit more than they're letting on?

Just because you go down a division, it does not mean your career is over.

At hooker we lost a fair bit of momentum when OB went off and Howarth came on yesterday. Howarth’s passing may be more accurate but he’s slower and less effective in defence. Lumb’s hardly had much opportunity. Has Halafihi played much for Swinton? He never got a chance under Lowes so hard to rate him either.

I expect a few Salford players were attracted there because of money. If they go down I expect Koukash to pull out. If that happened they’d have a player exodus to rival ours.

The only reason contracts would become void is if there were a written relegation clause or if the team coming down were going part time neither of which seems likely.

I do agree that Bradford should be better next season but imo so will Batley and London along with whichever SL team comes down. Top 4 is realistic but top 2 would be unlikely in my view judging on signings so far. lets face it though Leigh's team is on a totally different level to any team in this division but they are at a level that is needed to have a chance of promotion. London the closest other team to them are still a long way off even competing with SL clubs let alone beating them and with big spenders Toulouse and Toronto coming in in the next 2 years it makes it even harder for teams like Bradford, Fev, Batley, Fax etc who have no big money backers to make the top 4 let alone dream of promotion to SL.

Not sure where the thing about Koukash leaving has come from but he will not be going anywhere and he will throw a ton more money at them.

Not sure I agree that they are that different. We had to play them 3 times this year(unlike every other team, which actually means that had we only played them twice we would have qualified for Q8's) in those 3 games Leigh had a total points difference of +6 so hardly at a different level.

To be fair, Leigh also played well against all the other teams.

Agreed, and if we had had Chisholm and Moss when playing them I reckon it would be the other way round. Thing is they have been consistent against weaker sides and we have basically been complacent.

Did notice about Drinkwater probably wont be there next season supposedly already agreed a superleague contract with someone else and will be announced after the season. With him and Burns off wonder who they will make a play for as they will only have Ridyard and Reynolds. Saw Jarrod Mullen touted cant see why a starting NRL half would swap that for SL