Absolutely. One game that sticks out in my mind is the one versus Huddersfield. Our pack got well and truly beaten up by the Giants. We need another fearsome Prop as an absolute must for next year. I'd also like to see us sign some genuine quality at 13.

We need a bit of grunt, someone who the opposition know won't think twice about dishing out a bit of biff! When was the last time we had an opposition fan on here complaining about one of our players.

We dont need another massive overhaul next season we just need to add some quality. I'd be quite happy with Leon Pryce and Ben Jeffries at 6 & 7, with Kyle Briggs and Cain Southernwood as back up. A quality forward, Trent Waterhouse would do nicely in a back row with Whitehead and Langley, with Elima on the bench. We have got to sign a proven centre, someone like Matt Cooper, and i would take a punt on Karl Pryce, bring him home with Leon.

I would release Walker, Raynor, Sykes, Herbert, Crookes, Crossley, Sibbit and Halley.

1. Brett Kearney
2. Karl Pryce
3. Micheal Platt
4. Matt Cooper
5. Patrick Ah Van
6. Leon Pryce
7. Ben Jeffries
8. Bryn Hargreaves
9. Heath L'Estrange
10. Andy Lynch
11. Trent Waterhouse
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Jamie Langley

14. Matt Diskin
15. Nick Scruton
16. Craig Kopzcak
17. Olivier Elima

Bateman, Briggs, Addy, Ainscough, Southernwood, Donaldson, Olbison, O'Brien, Burgess, Finigan

Point well made.

Some people may disagree on the precise identity of who to drop, who to bring in, but the addition of 2 or 3 genuine quality players in that team above is the difference between ok (with a fully fit squad, mind) and possibly top 4 contenders.

Ultimately this season we came in with depth and have looked just off the pace with a full team, but unfortunately we have currently got probably 7 of our ten highest earners out injured.

Highly plausible situation and with the likelihood being that the majority of those players will be released, i am confident we will have a side with definite quality in it, they have to after seeing how an abundance of 'squad' players has worked out.

So not a single centre outside the 13 and only 5 props in the entire squad? I don't see the wisdom in getting rid of Crookes and Crossley and then ending up signing up Walkers and Sibbits. 2 years ago lots of people said get rid of Koppy, he's rubbish.. This year he's our best prop. If Matt Cook had still been at the club he'd have played every game this year. We have to show more patience and let players develop. The 'Crookes not good enough' is becoming a little bit of a band wagon despite the fact that he played well against Wakey last year, has impressed in Sheffield and finally looks physically big enough. Hopefully he'll get a chance tomorrow and do well but it might take him time. We must stick with these lads because the alternative is where we are now.

2 crap wingers. Only 1.5 props. 6th in table at best. And that's with a couple of world class players you have no chance of recruiting.

I would take 6th at the moment!

Still waiting..........

First priority - attempt to extend the contracts of Kearney and L'Estrange. I say this not because they are exceptional players (both, I believe, are generally rather over-rated on here), but because they are good players who will be easier to retain than to replace, and negotiations with them will mean that - one way or the other - we will know where we stand with the overseas quota and a significant chunk of salary cap. If we can't retain them, replacing them will clearly beome the new first priority

Second priority - sign a half-back, presumably a stand-off, given that Jeffries is contracted for next season.

Third priority - [uat least[/u two threequarters, who are [uat least[/u competent and professional - though ideally including the mythical strike centre we have so lacked. Given the lack of quality threequarters in the current side and the lack of any juniors who seem likely to be ready soon, I'd be happy if we recruited even more.

Fourth priority - a forward to give us some impact off the bench. Ideally someone who can genuinely cover both prop and second row, to give us some flexibility.

Final priority - re-sign such other out of contract players as we have cap space for. There are none I see as particular priorities, though I'd like to see Ainscough get a further chance and Royston looks handy as back-up. If (though only if) we don't otherwise fill up the quota, I wouldn't mind Ah Van getting another season.

It shows the standard of our team when you say two years ago people said Koppy wasn't good enough and now he is our best forward. Unfortunately that probably says more about our fotwards than Koppy's improvement (although I admit he has come on).
Another positive for next season: What price will the season ticket have to be to get anyone to buy one.

Ah well, the truth is out there, but not from you it appears Adey. making things up and wrongly accusing people of things they have not done.

Shame on you.

www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/artic ... ague-move/ Why are we not linked him? Exactley what we're looking for.

www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/artic ... ague-move/ Why are we not linked him? Exactley what we're looking for.

probably because wire and hudds will turn it into a bidding war we cant compete in. plus 2nd row isnt really top of our priority list in terms of signings for next year. half and and arguably prop are where we should be directing any available cap space IMO.

"Should he accept the lucrative deal he would join former NRL stars Brett Hodgson, Adrian Morley, Joel Monaghan, Michael Monaghan and Matt King in the UK."

Maybe the question you should be asking is how come Wire can seemingly afford all that lot PLUS their UK stars? And add Waterhouse?

Remember a few years ago, we were supposedly set to sign Matt King then Wire gazumped us?

One can only presume these kind of players' agents must be pretty damn good at stacking up image rights or other deals with "unconnected" third parties - either that or they are prepared to come and play over here for far less than their market value just to get some overseas experience in?

'Quality' is where we should be directing our cap space and Waterhouse is precisely that. If we accept we can't compete with Wire and Hudds then nothing is surer than we won't be competing with them. Apparently we haven't spent close to the salary cap this year and unless we see dramatic improvement or 'signings to whet the appetite' then season tickets will be harder to sell etc. Waterhouse and Lafranchi are probably the 2 biggest bames coming to SL this season and we should aim to sign one of them.

I don't disagree with the need for reinforcement in the areas you suggest but who from either hemisphere are available. Pryce? Joel Reddy? Bryce Gibbs?

not saying he isnt the quality of player we should be looking at. just think we've more pressing recruitment needs elsewhere which would have a bigger impact on the squad. We need to get the best bang for buck we can out of our salary cap spend and paying big money for a player in a position we're already relatively strong in isnt going to help IMO. Wire and Hudds have the backers in place to pay over the odds for players like waterhouse, with probably a significant part of package being through a backdoor so it doesnt appear on cap. we dont have a backer to finance that type of deal AFAIK.

That said we have managed to recruit Menzies and Morrison in the recent past so it is posible to get a decent quality player if we want one. One decent performance in defeat doesn't change our season yet and I think we do need a player of that calibre in the pack at least.

menzies at least was a bit of a gamble due to his age, morrison was a bit of unknown quantity too but at point we signed him we were in lot healthier position in league so a more attractive place for him to come. Dont think either we're being looked at by anyone else so we werent in position of having to outbid other clubs. Just think we need to be careful how we spend cap we have available to get best value from it.

Both signed when we looked to still have realistic chances (on paper) of finishing in the top 4? Two seasons of missing out on the playoffs, with a third looking to most third parties to be on the cards, is not going to help our club look attractive to a prospective marquee signing? Or, perhaps, to induce some of these mystical "independent" third parties to want to back such a player if he is likley to get minimal exposure?

I'm not sure everyone recognises just how much harder it is to sign the best talent if you are struggling to offer him the prospect of success. Top-performing teams are able to attract the top talent. I fear we will have to try and claw our way back up the rankings mainly by our own efforts first, before we are in a position to once again be a little bit attractive to prospective "high quality" signings.

The top 8 isn't completely beyond us yet.



While I agree that it's probably harder it's not impossible. IIRC Hull signed O'Meley and Fitzgibbon after finishing 12th in SL. Catalans too haven't had a problem recruiting despite a pretty abject season last year.

I'll join you.

Relatively strong in the back row? Are you serious? Langley is our best back rower and his playing record over the last 3 seasons is poor. Elima is a good player and the only back rower we have who would stand a a chance of being named in the 17 of Wire, Hudds, Wigan. Whitehead has struggled in a struggling team and Olbison and Donno are only young. Sibbitt has played better these couple of weeks but wouldn't have been picked up by another SL side. Even when all are fit it's only OK and as soon as Langley/Elima are injured we are bottom 4.

We are relatively strong in the back row. Langley has had very bad luck with injuries but that's life, he's back now. Elima would be a cndidate for most teams. Whitehead, Olbison and Donaldson are our future in that department and of course they aren't the leading forwards in the comp, but they are learning fast, and have all shown great promise so far as I'm concerned. All three look way above average, and Donaldson was on fire before his injury. It doesn't help them to have played so much in a weakened team on occasions getting flogged, but to varying degrees, while they are a way from the finished article, they are hot properties. "Relatively strong" is to me a fair call.

They're not mystical Adey, other clubs have attracted them. I'm beginning to wonder what responsibilites the board do hold if by your analysis they;
can't sack a coach
can't sign good players that other clubs would want
can't attract inward investment in support of their vision for the club

These are pretty serious failings and would raise the question of whether the management was fit for purpose.

Love way you try to turn every thread round to your pet hobby of taking a pop at the board. You really do have a bee in your bonnet about them don't you?