I can appreciate that mate but what do we do? Where do we get the money from? How long do we wait? We were previously spoilt on a unsustainable business plan that's hurt the club followed by some questionable tactics but what do you do when the rebuilding stalls? Stop supporting ? criticise incessantly (not a dig btw)?

As I've said before now Potter is able to judge first hand and not whilst he's managing saints he should be better placed to look at who to bring in whilst they are available. If no improvement then, well.....ship out. Danger is,the replacement is no good and needs to build squad and bed in, then you are back to square one.

This would have been fair comment last season when we had a coaching team and set of players that had been in place awhile with no improvement (and in fact the opposite).

To tar Potter and a team with 11 different players with whats gone before isn't fair. We are unfortunately back at stage 1 of building a new team. I'm just as frustrated as you are (and assume so are the others coming out with the rebuilding line) but I think we are just being abit more realistic.

The events that have got us here happened long before Potter arrived and its going to take a season or two to set them right.

I would just like to make a point to those on here who are being purposefully stupid;

You can't walk 5 miles along a road and then expect to get back to where you started from by taking just 1 step.

I think there's been a large amount of unrealistic expectations on the team this year. It's understandable given the change over in back room staff and players. However, the injuries we've had this year combined with the other changes has meant that the team has not gelled the way they should. It's a long road to get back to where we were. The contract extensions given out already are the bases of long term stability, something else we've lacked for the last 4 years with massive player turn over every season, and you can't expect a team to go from underachievers who fail to make the play-offs to some kind of world beater in less than 6 months. Just isn't possible.

I'll admit that some of the players signed have yet to sparkle, but as I've already said and I will say again [sizeIT'S A LONG TERM JOB TO TURN THIS CLUB ROUND AND GET US BACK TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE[/size

Everybody understand now?

Well we sign some players that make a difference for a start I would say. With the money that we've got available, full salary cap is it not? Why are we still letting some just sit there when there's quality players available nearly all of the time. I dont know how long we wait, but how long do we keep saying it's a rebuilding process etc etc. Has our rebuilding even started? Seriously, because I can't see where it has. Apparently we've got one of the best youth systems in the country now, well where are the quality players? Because IMO very few are looking good enough. Ive never stopped supporting, never will either. I know youre not digging by the way, no probs.

Injuries, not gelling, dry tracks(havent heard that one in a while), lack of structure, it's all nonsense Ive heard before and tbh im sick and tired of it. All teams suffer with injuries, most get on with it fine. Teams train alsorts of combinations for all eventualities. Herbert's trained alongside BK all pre season as well as the rest of them, so what's the excuse that that's not working? Because it isnt, at all. We're a poor team with very little potential.

I really hope it comes together, but with this heap of shoddily put together players I cant see when it's going to come.

Hear Hear!!!

Yes we agree it's a long term job, but hasn't it been a long term job now for five years.

Why are we not spending the full salary cap once again? Thought we were going to address weaknesses in the team? What are we waiting for? Us to be completely out of the playoffs?

Apart from Matt Diskin and possibly Olivier Elima, most of our signings were average and with something to prove. With Potter having the full cap to spend, i would have liked a bit more quality, obviously it depends on who's available and who wants to come to our club, but attracting top players from the NRL should'nt be too difficult, we have a top aussie manager who is well respected and big crowds back at the 3 times world champions club. The difference between us and the top clubs at the minute, is quality on the pitch. I admire St.Helens the most for it, whenever they lose a quality player, they always try push the boat out to bring equally gifted players in. When Lyon left they brought in Matt Gidley, Eastmond announced he was leaving, Saints then announced they'd captured Lance Hohiha. Graham and Puletua are off to the NRL, and there looking at Laffranchi, Waterhouse and Kite as possible replacements. I think the signings of Iestyn Harris and Matt Orford have knocked the boards confidance on who they bring in.

How many of the players who have been bloody good for this club looked like nothing players when they first came?

It honestly seems like some people think it's simply a case of signing players and suddenly we're invincible. To my mind Wire have had some of the best players in SL for the past 4 years yet have been average to good and lacked consistancy. Leeds had a lot of success not only due to having decent players but having players who have played together for a number of years and knew by instinct how their teammates played. Not every team will make the play offs and there are teams who have been growing and developing over the past 2-3 years whilst we were in freefall such as Cas and Hudderfield who are more likely to hit the ground running and be able to compete at the top than a team which was cuched together from whoever was available in the pre-season.

I think as a whole the new signings have played OK but as a team we've not played well. I questioned whether we were stronger in depth this year compared to last at the beginning of the season and the general concensus was that we were - I still don't believe that we have significantly more depth, especially in the halves and think the club have obviously struggled to find available players who were willing to play for a team who have been e for the past few years. The kids seem to be doing OK when they come in but they lack the experience we need when we're having to dig in for wins.

From what I recall, Ah Van, like Walker is just back from a long term injury and Raynor has just been let out of the nick! You can't expect them to be at their best straight away but as long as they continue to improve I'm happy.

Don't get me wrong - we've been shocking at times and it's bloody infuriating, but you can't judge the current team based on the last few years.

Could it be there's no one worth signing?

It's all very well saying "Why aren't we spending the full cap?" but the fact is, if there's no one to sign, you can't sign anyone.

Plus, I'd imagine the new deals for the young lads that are being pen'd this season are cutting into whatever we had spare on the cap

Yes, but for the last 4 years we've had someone in charge of the club who could only lead the club round in ever decreasing circles as they headed down the plug hole.

I'm sort of with you on this one, but it is a bit disappointing when you see saints signing the likes of Hohaia for next season, when we too have cap space and a quota spot.

Maybe we went in for Lance, offered the same amount of cash and it was a straight choice? Which team would you sign for?

Offer more cash. Though i can't say i'm overly bothered we missed out on him.

I'd be suprised if we ( or any other SL club ) did offer him a contract.

Read all the posts so far and I have a couple of things to say:

1. The re-building process takes time. Look at Wigan in 2006 - on the brink of relegation, new manager in Noble. Took a few years to build a steady squad. Then brought in some class in the likes of Barrett and Richards. Slowly built the squad and won the GF in 2010.

2. Looking at our record in the past 4 years no class players will want to come unless we pay big money. EG. Salford with Patten. Hohiao (forgive the spelling) has come from a place where theres been not much success. Saints (top 2 and GF finalists for god knows how many years) offer te same amount of money as NZ Warriors and also offered him a chance to be Scrum Half (a position he has wanted for a while).

3. If we don't get into the playoffs this year it isn't the end of the world. And if we do (hopefully we will) I doubt we'll make much of an impact unless they treat it as cup finals.

4. To get an extra positive out of this season we need to aim for Quarter Final/Semi Final spot in the Chalenge Cup.