Quote: Winslade's Offload "I think I saw more ideas / inventiveness / moves in the first half than I saw in the whole of '22. Powell really seems to have brought the best out of his players and has got them ticking along. No doubt we will have some 'bumps in the road' but he has been an inspired signing so far.'"
I think what is different this season in that he has a group of players who seem to have bought into his plans and who actually seem to be enjoying themselves playing a very watchable brand of RL - Yes, people will say that will obviously happen when a team is winning and that it could easily change with a few losses, but even after winning the first 3 last season, there was a sense that all wasn't well and that Powell was fighting fires within the camp.
This season's side does remind me of Cas from 2017 - very free spirited and a side given licence to play - I think it's massively helped with the professionalism of guys like Vaughan, Drinkwater, Ratchford and Williams, who are bringing out the best in the younger lads. Players like Ashton, Thewlis and Walker look to have matured massively and then you have a x-factor player like Dufty, who provides that unpredictable magic that makes supporters want to come to games and, at the same time, frightens opposition to death.
Of course, we don't know what will unfold results-wise and it might well just be another of those anti climatic seasons trophy-wise, but, personally, if this level of RL and entertainment continues then we, as a fanbase can't really ask for much more - We don't have a god given right to trophies, but we deserve to see some decent RL and this side is finally giving us that.