But FS is it going to be enough to see us in to the top 8 or struggle down the bottom again, personally I can't take the stress of that again it was a nightmare i'm sure for all. really annoyed about the salary cap situation this season and fed up of struggling even with a full cap last year for other reasons. I hope we have a flying start and do really well, but the restrictions are in place already.
Anyone know if the cap can be increased during a season?

Kopczak's a decent signing and we have a few with potential to improve but it resembles a Championship level front row to me. I can't see Phil Joseph setting the world on fire, can you? Marwan may well be saving a few quid but we can all kiss goodbye any hope of a top 8 finish.

8. Kopczak
9. Lee
10. G.Griffin
11. Murdoch-Masila
12. Flanagan
13. Hauraki

I think that's a pretty solid and hard working pack. One thing you'll get from each of those players is 100% commitment, something we lacked last season. On paper it's worse than the 2015 pack, but if anyone knows RL isn't played on paper it's Salford fans. All of those players also have the capability of playing 80 minutes, my only concern is with Murdoch-Masila who needs a big pre-season to get himself back in shape and full fitness.

Where we appear to be lacking is the interchanges, Krasniqi I am more than happy with but then Joseph, Forster, A.Walne and J.Walne are not top 8 quality. I am sure we've got a couple more additions to make hence the release of Hood and Menzies.

Yeah. The forward line-up, to me, is 'competent' but thin.

I think there's a number of young lads and established forwards at the Club who could move on to the next level, but that's up to them. You're only as good as your last performance so I'm hoping that a number of lads get the bit between their teeth and prove a lot of us wrong. I'd feel a bit happier if we could bring in a couple more established forwards to strengthen the ability of the pack. I don't have the same feelings with our backs, who on paper (There's that pesky paper again...) are more than capable of holding their own against anyone if they gel properly.

If we could get someone like Ferres, it would significantly bolster us up front and make me feel a bit better. Scott Taylor's departure will be a hard void to fill this season coming.

I think the forwards will line up like;

8. Kopczak
9. Lee
10. A Walne
11. Flanaghan
12. Hauraki
13. G.Griffin

14. Masila
15. OBrien
16. Krasniqi
17. Forster

I'm also hoping we don't play George at prop not big enough for me so ideally he will be suited to play at loose forward. Still feel were 3 players short back rower, prop and hooker! If Lee gets injured what happens then another loan signing!

The pack is poor, it's very workman like, but there is very little quality in there. The depth of the pack is also a concern, if we get 2 or 3 injuries this year then we're going to struggle. I dread to think what will happen if we have anything like last years crisis. I still think we need a prop, a second rower and hooker.

For me having Gareth O'Brien on the bench is a waste of bench spot as he's 150% not a hooker. I know the game has changed, but I'm concerned that we're going into the season without a recognised 9. Tommy Lee started off as a halfback, then his arms got massive so they put him in the pack. I like his work rate, but he offers 0, zilch, nothing in attack.

On a more positive note the backline looks strong and we have two huge wingers. I'm just concerned they will be drawn into doing the job of our props getting us out of yardage because the props we have whilst workhorses won't be busting tackles or making massive meters forward. In an ideal world we need the pack to take us forward then give it our massive wingers in good ball and let them do the damage near the opposition try line.

As has been commented it resembles a championship/competent line up that will give its all but whether its enough to compete against top eight sides i doubt it. There's a few in there but not enough experience.
I thought we were building especially after last years disaster. Not with these players and it seems on this basis we are never going to.

If we can get them working together like the 2006 side then who knows, although the 2006 side did have some go forward with the likes of Rutcho , Coley and Haggerty from the bench. Also Sibbit (when fit) used to hit good lines as did Finnigan.

Only time will tell I suppose

I really hope they prove me wrong but I can't see anything other than our pack being dominated. Too many average joe castoff's for me that aren't physically capable of getting over the advantage line. Every team needs forward momentum but I can't see where it's going to come from?

On Phil Joseph's Wikipedia page it says he can play and has played hooker so maybe the plan is for him to spell Tommy Lee at times during the game now Hood has gone?

On another point though, I've been thinking about Big Phil's role a lot and although more recently he's been an out-and-out prop I'm starting to wonder if it might be worth us playing him off the bench as an impact back-rower? He's not just the biggest player in our squad but also one of the biggest in Super League and if he is running in wider channels at typically smaller men his impact on the game could be devastating!

Off the bench I could see him as an impact player. As a back-rower? I'm not so sure. I don't think he has the pace to punch holes, break and put someone away. I can definitely see him as impact off the bench. Trouble is, with reduced interchanges, I think this kind of tactic needs to be applied with care from the backroom staff.

2006 worked because we had a 6- 7 combination that clicked Dunemann - Robinson
a quick & elusive backline
1.Karl Fitzpatrick
2. David Hodgson
3. Kevin McGuniness
4. Aaron Moule
5. John Wilshere

and some genuine hardworkers
Littler - Alker - Highton Rutgerson Charles ,
the only impact forward we had was Coley.

If Watson Sheens have recruited well with Lui and he works with Dobson - O'Brien , and the pack is prepared to ' put a shift in ' the backline has the craft to deliver, Team spirit is the key .

Didnt know we had sold Phil Joseph to Leigh, and arent Leigh still in the championship.

Bye MR Barker / Mario.

People seem to keep avoiding the notion that the forward back is organically going to get smaller due to the reduction in interchanges, there will been less of a difference between front and back row players going forward. Salford might just be stealing a march on the rest by going for a big back line who can help share the work load around. Sa'u, Griffin, Vidot and Carney are all perfect backs to take the first 2 or 3 drives in a set.

We are though less light weight up front than people realise, BMM and Kopczak are pretty big props and as others has said for me this is the make or break season for the Walnes brothers, potential to be real big SL grade players or the types who languish in the lower leagues never having fulfilled the obvious potential.

Tommy Lee , Phil Joseph , Robert Lui, all being mentioned at Hooker - acting half back ... I have this vision in my head akin to Jurassic Park , three lumbering Brontosaurus meandering across the grass .. trouble is , it should be terrifying Velociraptors , ball in hand tearing past stunned opposition ...