Saints have supplemented a home grown pack with some pretty average props in truth. Walmsley is the key ingredient who has been an excellent signing. He has been supported with Thompson previously, Lees & Knowles. Alongside a Graham cameo. Then it have been Amor and LMS (both have been long standing members of that pack, and have added value, but I wouldn’t say either are world class), then Douglas and Paasi are the only notable props over the past 4/5 years.

Hull have signed great props, and have built a nucleus of south sea islanders that aren’t huge names. I think this could be a sensible route to follow. No fanfare or expectation, lower wages and by recruiting in groups it’s easier for overseas players to settle.

That said, there could be a lump of salary cap available at the end of the year. Lose Clark, Davis, Hughes, Robson, Ratchford (unless significant reduction on terms) and maybe Butler, unless we see some development. I’d go and get Oledski, Satae in place of that list.

i went through this with lord tony smith about 12 months ago, aside from saints who have also had some stinkers in the last 10 years, no one has been totally happy with their forwards in recent years, prop has been a difficult area to recruit in.

Wigan were under the pump for a while until they went out and got, arguably two nobodies from the nrl, would we be happy with those signings? the usual suspects definitely wouldn't be happy, are they doing the job? definitely.

Leeds fans think they're short on props, they've got oledzki, prior(big money) and tetavano (marquee) who start at 8 10 and 13, and then they're using bodene thompson and james donaldson as props/middles. tom holroyd is another big unit but can't stay fit.

Hull fc, people keep banging on about satae, sao and mau(whos more of a backrower) as if shane webcke, glenn lazarus and steve price (the other one) despite the fact they are around the same area as us or worse, also brad fash, who's similar size to philbin iirc.

and then you've got rubber duckie *sigh* banging on about eddie battye.....

Oledski is class but he's also contracted until 2025, Satae has another year after this as well. So both would need to be bought from their respective clubs. I think it would be worth throwing cash at Hull for satae though and maybe ligi Sao as well?

Of our players you mentioned I think ratchford will sign an extension, he can cover Dean in the halves with Widdop also likely to leave. The rest are very much playing for a new contract and only Jason Clark so far looks worthy of one, Matt Davis is likely good value on the cap as well.

I agree about Matt Davis, but for his next contract, I expect that his agent will try to negotiate a more lucrative deal for him, which could mean that he is no longer good value for money.

Like mamo if he gets a better offer in terms of money and playing time then realistically he should go. I'm jot sure what his best position is really, I think he would be best suited by specialising at hooker but we really don't need him for that behind Clark and Walker. I like him but I don't know where he fits in with us really.

Not sure Wire will be able to retain Daryl Clark after his current contract expires, with the salary cap constraints and Walker emerging as his successor?

I think having a specialist hooker on the bench is an expensive luxury since the reduced interchanges and having a forward/back who can cover the hooking role for a brief period of the games is the way the game will develop?

If it happens we will miss Daryl Clark

Clark should really take a marquee spot when Widdop leaves IMO. Build a team around Williams and Clark for a few seasons.

Agree with your comments on the specialist hooker role but we still have 2 hookers ahead of Davis under contract. I'd still like to keep him, I like his work rate and his commitment but I don't think he's a second row or a loose forward really. Certainly not if we have a full squad to choose from.

It`s all about managing the Salary Cap to our optimum advantage.

Most of us are in agreement that we need desperately at least one prop ASAP and Widdop`s marquee salary could be used to sign one.

Maybe we should keep Clark, cheat on the Salary Cap, and sign a marquee prop too.

Opposition fans claim we cheat the Cap anyway!!!!

That was one hell of a coma one of us experienced.

I would argue Daz Clark is now beyond a marquee salary. Still a great player, but his contribution in the last 2 seasons would suggest he’s already peaked and on the slide, as is Ratchford.
Still 2 of the first picks for me.

did you read one of your own posts as well? it does tend to have that affect

Ratchford has a successor in place. For me, retaining Thewlis is vital. To do so, you need to get him on the pitch. Ratchford (in 2023) either is the fourth sub or is moved on.

Widdop, while Dean is on the rise, is still head and shoulders above the next best. His value needs adjusting, but I’d keep him for another year if he is the right price. Same with Charnley, still a valuable player but not at the price he once demanded.

A clever retention strategy could see us shave a lot off the cap this year, we just need to use it wisely.

I agree with everything you say, this bit about using it wisely made me shudder though! Let's face it given our track record in the past few years we are likely to release some small props and replace them with even smaller and replace some none ball playing forwards with some none ball playing forwards who also can't catch!

Recruitment for us is so important over the next 2 seasons. We have a lot of our big players coming to the end of their careers, we have some ineffective players to move on and then we need to identify and recruit the players who are going to make the difference to us. At the same time we need to allow some youngsters the chance to become first choice. Longstaff, Wrench and especially Thewlis have the potential to become first choice players and Riley Dean could also fall in to that category. I do feel we don't have enough young players on the up making the first 17 at the minute, the hunger and energy provided by young talent desperate to make an impression is really useful for upping the tempo. Hopefully Magoulias will fall in to that group as well.

I agree, our recruitment had been poor for a while. I’ve been vocal on this. But, Powell is being on record for being solely responsible for recruiting, so let’s see what happens.

There could be some long term players in our current squad who could fill vital roles too. Let’s not forget we have not seen Minikin or Harrison yet. Doro is getting lots of minutes, I assume Robson will get a lot of game time too. Wrench needs to force his way in somewhere, and Longstaff is the bright light of our youth.

There’s some scope for organic growth, and some green shoots for what they can deliver. It’s not all doom and gloom. I just think we need to give them some momentum with a huge set of angry props.