IMO Burgess is the perfect coach to get the best out of Bateman mentally. There is a question mark on his physical fitness..can he physically reach previous heights?Cautiously optimistic that this will work out well for us.

Lammy jnr done deal to Saints.

Bateman deal a waste of money. Won’t get in the team

i also think its going to work out... he will take the pressure off the young lads a bit... A good solid, tough player, who can do long minutes... Could have a a little Indian summer here under Burgess. he doesn't have to come into the first team and set the world on fire.. he has to do a job for the team. Its a low risk, high reward play.

Warrington looking to offer Bateman a deal after the loan if all goes great.

Vaughany in talks for another extension

Burgess in talks for a year extension.

Well I’ve been banned off the red vee for letting them know they have got Lam jr signed for next season.

Not sure how they took offence by it.

Things have ebbed very low there I reckon.

If we manage to fit Bateman and a ‘wow’ half back under the cap for next year it’s some impressive salary cap wizardry.

Who have we got coming off? Drinkwater and Nicholson?

Presumably we've created room for Bateman already
and as you say Drinkwater and Nicholson leaving would hopefully leave us the space for a replacement half.

Kassiano Bullock Russell Dudson Nicholson, perhaps Drinkwater.
King counts as £50k plus we were around £100k under cap in 2024 at the start of the season.

I think there is some margin within the cap for 3 players and drafting up academy players.

If true, this is the only bit I really care about…

Plus Dudson, Russell, Bullock ?, has Wood done enough to be retained ?, then a few small salaries as we will part ways with some of the following ; Bardsley -Rowe, Hartill, Lynch, Jake Thewliss possibly, Green, Whitehead ?. We will have to make room of course for the promising U18's like Taylor Wrey but I don't see as many coming through to the first team next year.

It must be a very complicated jigsaw to piece together but I suspect that if we really wanted to keep Bateman we could do it.

Would keep Whitehead and Wood.

Skimming the rules re salary cap I believe that players under 21 and earning <£30k pa don't count towards the cap. If that's the case, and of course I don't know how much individual players are on, then Wood may fall as under 21 but not Whitehead, which would count against him.

I go back to what Sam Burgess said about him wanting to retain Drinkwater but that cap space was tight for next year. We definitely need another experienced half, be that Drinkwater or AN Other, and a lack of space would suggest that we have another significant signing in mind that would account for the combined salary of Drinkwater and Nicholson. There was also no mention of not having an overseas quota spot for Drinkwater. The tealeaves are telling me a non-overseas half, but I haven't a clue who it is (please, not Lomax).

Well was talk of a wow signing at half so it can’t be Lomax he is gone now. Also he is not a 7

Agree about Whitehead and Wood.

I would also retain Ben Hartill, he needs to work on building some more muscle on his physique but looks to like a very promising hooker.

We need some cover for an injury to Walker/Powell and his wage wouldn`t seriously affect our Salary Cap.