Bonita works for the RFL and is fully in the loop.

Incidentally, this is [iexactly[/i what I mean when I speak about people being ignorant of the facts. You've no idea what Salford fans were thinking at the time, nor what we're thinking now, and I see little evidence to back up your assertions, which suggests you haven't checked. Instead, you've decided you know what we're thinking, and, [iquelle surprise[/i, what we think backs up what you believesome[/i fans of certain, unnamed clubs tend to do on here: distort the facts so they fit the opinions they've already reached (or make those facts up) rather than use the facts to inform their opinions.

I don't think any serious Salford fan thought for one minute that the top 4 was a realistic target for this season. I think most like me thought that making the top 8 would have been seen as a successful first season in which we could compete with the big boys in SL.

I also to some degree think that the Doc made his statement about making the top four based on his previous head coaches say so, this and some of the signings/loan deals he made have proved too be for me what will ultimately cost us a top 8 finish this season.

Matty Ashurst , Andrew Dixon??? As far as i know both young Wigan/Saints lads

Dixon is from Warrington

Both came through the saints academy.

I sincerely hope he does. I have made my views on the home grown vs marquee debate clear - and have no wish to have one now - I must confess I found the report disturbing, as little/ no progress appears to have been made - but I do hope it gets the care and attention it deserves, having the ability to tap into the Manchester area for new talent would have a massive affect on rugby league imo.

Anyway to answer the OPs question, saints home grown team for this season would look like:

Lomax*
Makinson** Percival Jones* Swift
Eastmond** Smith**
Graham** Roby** Thompson
Clough Ashurst
Wilkin**

Ellis Emmitt*** Richards Greenwood

* England knights caps
** full England honours
*** not technically in sl I admit but a good player for Leigh

With a couple more (Dean, Moore, Dixon, Gaskell, Foster) running around.

I know that but Dixon is a Warrington Lad played for Crosfields.

Morley at prop?

I don't think he ever played for Salford's academy did he?

And another point regarding this 'ability to tap into the Manchester area' argument. This 'Manchester area' ignores the fact that the sport is all but non existent in Manchester and only exists in some of the towns and cities around it, where there is a bit of competition from the likes of Wigan, Warrington, Leigh, Rochdale, Oldham, etc. for that talent. I suspect Saints face less competition for talent in the Liverpool area.

Indeed, didn't Saints also have a dual reg/tie-in to Rochdale in the last couple of years too?

The truth is that all the scouts for Wigan, Warrington and Saints are regularly seen at amateur grounds certainly around the Oldham/Rochdale/Salford area where there are a number of amateur teams. On top of that, Leeds, Bradford and Hudds scouts plunder the area too, especially in Oldham and Rochdale. So, we have actually have quite a small amount of talent in the Manchester area where half of the SL teams, including Salford, are operating to try and pick up the best talent for their Academies.