Doesn't it make you feel proud how things have changed the last few years considering now when even though we haven't made the playoffs this time round we still have the challenge cup under our belts a great squad of players and a world class coach who can only take us higher as far as im concerned anyone else agree?

Aye, With a full pre-season under Tony and the 3 new signings we should be in a strong position this time next year.

More like the last 5 months tbh.

3 top signings and a strong youth policy which gives real depth to the squad.

Where we have come from, is nowhere near as exciting as where we are heading.

That's the real key in taking the club forward to a new level to match Leeds & Saints, allied of course to a fantastic coach

Not according to Live Wired.

I am going to reserve my judgement on this question, yes we now have a trophy which is fantastic still don't think it has sunk in, however, we finished a lowly 10th in the league.

We have had top signings before but in the past it usually seems that as soon as they wear the primrose and blue the suddenly become average

The reason i am reserving my judgement is because as a poster above said lets see what we do next season after a full close season under Tony Smith.

Can't wait for 2010 season bring it on.

Paul

Looking at next seasons sqaud its a very exciting time to be a Wire fan.

Three quality signings, the key one being Myler to allow Monaghan to play a full season at hooker.

With the young players coming through we will huge competition for places, especially in the forwards.

The squad still lacks a quality loose forward IMO, and we are also one prop short. TS hasn't said recruitment is over for next year has he?

With the squad we have, there's lots of head scratching really, who's future lies where.

Grix could be your loose y'know, he has everything, barring maybe the body. Is Clarke now looking at a life as thirteen that spends spells of games at hooker, thing with Smith is, there's plenty of positional movement 'in game', you often say half a dozen players spending small periods at hooker, or moving around, so sometimes it's not as black & white as we all make out.

I think any of Westwood, Harrison or Louis Anderson, maybe even Solomona would make a fist of that '5th prop' slot, and that's excluding Adam Neal. The emergence of Tyke, may push this along.

It's an exciting squad next year, especially with the numbers now starting to come through, and be 'instantly ready' for SL from the junior set up. It's a squad with many options, and with Smith and his willingness to play people anywhere, it gives him alot of scope week to week.

Agree with PostL.

The margins between success and failure can be very small, and how things are perceived can be very different.

We beat Hull KR by one point in the Challenge Cup quarter final. If we had lost that how would it be perceived. 10th in the league and a Challenge Cup QF - would we still have as much optimism...?

Still if you look at Tony Smiths past record, he took over a permanent wooden horse in Huddersfield and made them competitive, he took over a permanent "nearly there" team in Leeds and won them two Grand Finals, he took over us and won a bloody trophy. He does bring success with him whereever he goes so that bodes well.

Yep, can;t really disagree, but on your point about the margins being very small, well that works both ways.

After 9 games, we were 13th, and way out of it with some very poor performances, however there are a few games where we lost by the smallest of margins. Leeds home and away, Salford away, and then we had the period around the cup semi and the final. Had we lost at the qf stage, then the focus may have been greater on the league, and players wouldn't have been rested. Now I'm not saying we would have beaten Wigan away, Wakey at home, or Hull KR away, however I do think we would have been closer in all three, and we have proven that we can beat all of these teams.

For me, overall, it has been a pleasing season. We have done something that we have never done in the 22ish years I have been watching, and that is win one of the big two trophies. That'll do for me for starters, and then let's see what they can deliver next year. For once, our optimism is justified.

You are right, fine margins.

At least this year, we have something tangible to build our belief on, as oppose to the usual thought processes.

If nothing else, forgetting any player in the squad, we have the best coach in SL, so that gives you a fighting chance, as proven.

If we had lost that CC quarter final, I would have expected us to finish 6th or 7th.

ok then if we had not won the challenge cup and finished 10th then thigns would of been said diffrent but when you look back at the hull kr game the old warrington would of given up all hope after going behind in the 2nd half where as now theres more reason to be optomistic with smith in charge and the right squad of players to choose from exiting times next year i think and a few more players to come maybe?