The last few weeks seems to have been very quiet, there was lots of talk about a new assistant which we all presumed Veivers was going to get. There was also talk from the club about signing another 2 players. Do we now think that our recruitment is finished? If so I am a little worried about the acting half position!! surely we need two hookers!! Just wondering if anyone can clarify any of these things!

I'm not sure about the Assistant position, but i do know thats Simms mentioned that we do look done in the recruitement drive. He said you can never say that you're finished, yet we look done. It was in the Salford advertiser .

You two cynics: we all know, "He is coming".

I’d be more worries about a winger (Gardner was of course a target so we know the club are aware of this) and maybe a loose forward, if Wild gets injured then we are potentially short in that area. And as a few of us have been saying for a while another 60 minute prop to go with Cashmere and Jewitt and use the other guts for impact.

Potential Positions/Cover

Full Backs
Patten, Ratchford, Gibson

Wingers
Broughton, Gibson, Clay

Centres
Henry, Bailey, Nero, Gibson, Gleeson, Adamson (T)

Half Backs
Holdsworth, Smith, Ratchford, Sneyd, Palfrey? (Is he still with us?)

Props
Cashmere, Palea’asina, Jewitt, Boyle, Sidlow, Parker, Anderson

Hookers
Leo-Latu, Owen, Gibson, Smith

Second Rowers
Anderson, Bailey, Adamson (L), Adamson (T), Parker, Sidlow, Nero, Wild

Loose Forwards
Wild, Spencer, Holdsworth

Oops forgot Adam Neal as a prop.

And you could have added Ratchford as cover for centre, wing, hooker, second row and loose forward.

You're not expecting wonders from the conditioning coach then?

i know what your saying about the prop thing but still think hooker is the issue.Owen is still 2-3 years away till he can be considered. too small and too young at the mo leave him to develop. Gibson is not a hooker by any stretch of the imagination, was truly awful when he played there last year, anyone is a hooker if he is being considered. And i am not so sure about having your 1st choice scrum half as your rotating hooker as well.
The winger position has not really bothered me at all to be honest, gibson broughton, gleeson,clay, henry even steff, unlike the hooking position you really can place almost any back there if needs be. i think Gibson and jodie will be 1st choice and will be great next year and will score a bagful, having decent centres next too them will make a big difference attacking and defensively

Palfrey has gone to Blackpool IIRC

Not according to Malc he isn't.

I'm not implying that, I'm saying we've been told that it looks like Owen will be our No2 hooker next season but we [iwill[/i get injuries and if one should come at the hooking role then Smith [icould[/i cover with Ratchford or Sneyd coming in at half back.

I'm only posting what the coaching staff are thinking.

Now thats a decent typo if I've ever made one!

I had heard that but I just don't recall reading anything official. Cheers.

Now thats a decent typo id I've ever made one!

I had heard that but I just don't recall reading anything official. Cheers.

well if thats what the coaches are saying then he must be , but i am surprised as personally I felt he did ok when he came on last year but it was only potential I saw and at 17 for me he is way too young!! think steff made his debut as a 16/17 yr old looked okay and then we put him back in the academy for a few more years to develop and it worked a treat. I just presumed we would follow the same route with Owen

First person who seems to have said what I'm thinking.

In terms of ball distribution, Gibson was even slower than Alker when passing from the play the ball when he filled in last season.

Don't worry Malc's coaching him now so we'll see a dramatic improvement