Did I upset you in a former life?

Perfectly reasonable to assess two teams side by side. One the champion side the other the aspirant. Nothing unique about it.

Time will tell if we have indeed strengthened. e.g. Russell will have to be a hell of a player to improve on Nicholson.

It was French, Field, Smith and O'Neill missing. The whole spine. I would challenge any team to try and cope without that. It's obviously going to impact any team if your best players are missing. Also, through that period of just over half way you could clearly see an intensity drop off for about 5 or 6 weeks. Somebody on our board says that is a planned drop off every season and then towards the end of the season everything gets ramped up to where every player is at their optimum. Our Pre-season sessions are notoriously savage. I know a former player who went into detail that includes sprinting up steps at Rivington with loaded back packs on. He said most players are physically sick at the end of it.

Mago's first carry when he came on was pure destruction. I would love a player like that again.

we've recruited, strengthened is debatable.

Careful. Their family may be reading.

Totally right. We have lost Nicholson & Drinkwater. Only time will tell if Russell & Leyland can fill their boots.

And Bateman.

Again, the risk is in assuming that all the players we have retained provide the exact same performance in 2025 as they did in 2024. It assumes strengthening only happens through signings.

If Wrench or Tai, and Holroyd or Whitehead, improve by the same factor as Dufty and Currie did between 2023 and 2024, we will have strengthened. Obviously the challenge is on the coaching team to deliver that.

On the plus side Holroyd's improvement ought to continue. The concern will be how Fitzgibbon will recover.

Can only hope the surgeon and the club are confident with the recovery/rehab and that barring other injuries or suspension we can get a full season from him.

I must admit to currently feeling a bit flat about our prospects for next season. I think this year has been really good, and there's no reason to believe that we won't go well again in 2025, but do I see us being better than Wigan? No.
Unfortunately, I think Wigan are going to dominate for a few seasons, and if we want to seriously and consistently challenge them, we need to be making signings on a completely different level to Leyland, Russell and the RU Sevens mystery man, who feel more like Steve Anderson era acquisitions to me. In addition, I echo Wires71's concerns that the Vegas sideshow and its aftermath will likely harm our league prospects.
Sorry to be a downer, and I obviously hope I'm completely wrong and end up with egg on my face, but 2025 just feels like it's going to be a bit of a 'treading water' kind of season.

Holroyd has already shown he has ferocious defence to his game. Whether or not that is sustainable at 14 stone is another thing. I hope he's able to really pile the bulk on this close season.

Fitzgibbon, if fit, is arguably the best all round second rower in the league so I hope he makes a full recovery. We can't afford to have a top level quota player out with injury for too long.