Hughes is not centre but sacrificed his own game last year for the good for the team so it would seem. I am prepared to give him a clean slate and see how he goes in his preferred / better position is what is hopefully a better team effort this season coming.

Regarding 'grunt' BMM showed some yesterday as well as some real class with a couple of off loads one of which led tot a try. A great buy.
Coops put in a good shift but I would like to see him eat a couple of Welsh Oggies and beef up a touch

One of the pleasing aspects of yesterdays game was the defence. Yes we were not necessarily playing against the most dynamic attack we will see in 2018 but to concede only one try and a fortuitous one at that was a good effort. In attack we were missing possibly our two most creative players in Roberts and Patton so improvements to come there

Lot more optimistic for the season that at the same stage last year after the dreadful Huddersfield performance.

I agree with this but we were unable to change out all the squad due to contracts. The worst of it is Russell and Hughes are here until November 2019. Tony couldn't extend them quick enough. Unless Dom Crosby has a very good season he can leave at the end of 2018.

we are short of a decent prop....end of.
Nobody would argue that when we were at our best a few years back, we had an amazing front row WITH an amazing replacement front row on the bench waiting to come on.....4 top class props and two top class hookers. We are well short of that...therefore we should set expectations accordingly.

Bloody Hell its all doom and gloom.

We're all doomed I tell ya, doooooomed!

Just need to lower expectations
5 or 6th place more likely this year
Which would be an improvement
It will take time for new players to gel
As for Hughes and Benny
Bench warmers at best sorry

Hughes was switching between second row and centre in his early seasons under Shaun Wane at Wigan. I remember us playing Huddersfield when he was there and he played centre there.

He's not suddenly going to become "unsettled" because TS played him a few games there last year. Lots of second rowers who have decent pace cover the centres.

Just goes to show the importance of an intermediate open age reserve level. Nobody can expect kids to be big enough to go straight into super league.

its not doom and gloom..we will be better than last year (not too difficult)..BUT we have to have realistic levels of expectation....otherwise the new coach and the team will be put under too much pressure based on unrealistic expectations.

I expect a top 6-8 finish and a decent cup run....more than that is a bonus IMO....we are building again....heading in the right direction....but I really don't expect us to make the top 4 or a final....because we are still short of enough top class players to achieve that IMO. Hope i am wrong.

"6-8"....
So you're happy if we get one more point than last year and "everything else is a bonus"..?

Ok ... I'm out...but I agree I hope you're wrong.

It's not doom n gloom its maybe a bit like 2009. .... not good enough to win the big prize and we may finish midtable. But with a new coach and still a smattering of quality players we could get to Wembley.....
I expect nothing better because we are a hooker a good prop and a good winger short.

If Price wins a trophy with this team he will have already done infinitely better than Tony Smith.

Rubber, there is a difference between being happy with mid table and expecting it. There was a lot wrong at the Wire and it had been brewing for a while. It will take time to fix that due to hysteresis.

Hysteresis. Now there's a word that you don't see very often on a RL forum.