To be fair they have had a massive turnaround of players we will have to see!

Iconic club playing out of the iconic Odsal, I feel sure this is the year we retain our rightful place in SL. SL needs us.

IMG have decided they need us, more likely….

Absolute joke isnt it. Question marks at 9, Short in the front row and nothing in the 3/4s barring Gill.

I dont have us top 6 as things stand. Obviously still plenty of time to bring 4 or 5 in yet before the start of the year and then things will look a lot healthier.

Im confident by the time we kick off things will be looking good but theres still a lot of work to do to get us there yet in my opinion.

You feel the "shape" of the future SL is already decided don't you, with "rules" to be made to fit

On the playing side it'll be more interesting to see what the coaching staff bring in terms of attitude and style.

The inherited squad can't really be used as an excuse now....

I think the squad is a lot healthier than you suggest but I wouldn't go as far as being 3rd favourites either.

Personally I'm happy with the forwards as we are. Lawrence and Thompson to be backed up by a leaner, quicker and more mobile pack is what we need. I can see us strengthening later in season but I feel we have enough there to start with.

Where I agree with you is the back line. Gill is a proven try scorer but is weak in defence; Max Clarke looks a great prospect but is unproven, as is Jaden Myers (who I fully expect to get more game time). And as for DFJ and Blackmore as first choice wingers???

Top 6... just and 25/1 odds sounds more about right to me.

Compared like for like the odds are laughable however outside of Toulouse and Featherstone, it doesn’t really matter what the bookies say or offer as odds.

Similar to last year’s season long shoot out between Leigh and Feathestone, it’s a two horse race and then a ‘best of the rest’ unfortunately

What about this new French team though Les coougers?

Aright they might not have signed any household names anyone’s heard of but they could be dark horses?

At this time last year (according to bookies and pundits alike) Fev were practically odds-on to clean up better than Mr&Mrs Spratt. But the "Fevourites" ended up with Jack some time before the skinny beggar's fat lady sang.

Batley were the MPG runners up.

Risk a "bullseye": cock'n''en each on Bradford (of course), Batley, Barrow and two other "outsiders" of your choice at these odds - it keeps the season interesting!

]
2 doesn't constitute massive.

Kear wood Kibula have all come in for you I can’t think of anymore off the top of my head but I’m sure you haven’t only had 3

I see that Ben Blackmore is 5th favourite to be Championship top try scorer this year. Not too sure about that but Gill could be worth a punt as he is not anywhere an the list.

]
Massive? 3?
I think our turnaround has been far less than most other clubs, certainly yours. Gilmore, Hooley and Whitely have left, to be replaced by Woods, MacGowan, Hirst, Kibula and Kear with a local amateur taken on too. Not excessive and certainly not massive. One of the persistent gripes on our forum over on TotalRL is that our recruitment for 2023 has not been wide ranging enough, and indeed, our coach himself has stated in the press that he is not particularly happy with our recruitment for the coming season.