Even though we have a stronger side than ever in SL, with the losses of Fergie, Nene, Stone and Sidlow, I can't see we've added any size to the team to replace them. Really need more oomph to the small squad in the props and outside backs. It will take a few games for the team to gel. Best 17 on paper will get a few wins, but with injuries and suspensions I can only see another season of struggle in SL. I can foresee timeout with injuries for both Charnley and Briscoe, especially Briscoe as they are long past their best, and I fear for Hardaker staying with us for the season. I can imagine him leaving halfway through citing travelling as the reason. I think that once again we will be fighting relegation unless we bolster the squad with some class signings soon. I look through the SL sides and I see some very strong squads and I can only come to the conclusion that we will be in a dogfight with HKR and Wakey to avoid that last place, with us being favourites to be relegated. My heart says we will stay up but realistically, with the current squad size and a couple of them not SL standard, I doubt it.

It's tough, and I agree about the lack of size. Hopefully we will be able to address this at some point, as I'm sure that we as a club are aware of it.

I still think that we've got a good squad, and I think it's better than our 2017 SL squad, and they didn't finish bottom of SL. I think we'll be looking at 9th or 10th, and hopefully we'll be well clear of the relegation zone by the end of the season.

I think the quality of our coaching staff and steady recruitment process will see us good.

I think we finish 8-9th. (If we can get on roll we may even reach 7th)
At the moment we do need a couple of big forwards but I am confident that our recruitment is not done.
As said, the one thing we have right now, that we have not had before, is a quality leadership team. With no disrespect to any that have gone before, we simply have not had a leadership group like this. And I do believe that Lammy and Co know how to get the best out of the players we currently have and have the knowledge (and respect of others) to bring in the right players where needed. We also have a dedicated owner who has proved time and again that he will back the club and leaders.
One other key element, is that we have a great halfback combination and two quality hookers. Additionally we have quality cover in the halfback position.
We also have game changers in key positions in Lam, Ipape, Hardacker, Leutele.

The coaching staff will use the squad wisely and with a couple of additions we should be fine. Hopefully finish around the 7 or 8 mark. As for Hardacker, he won’t leave. He would only end up at a championship club if that happened half way through a season, plus he travels with other squad members now, not on his own.

I’ve stated in another thread we are desperately short on numbers, our squad is 23 players plus another winger/fullback on trial in Hanley. Nesbitt, Jones& Wilde probably don’t get near the team so that leaves us very short. To put it into perspective Wigan have just announced a 30 man squad and have reserves.

Ferguson leaving leaves us really short on strike and we have no depth in the forwards. I really wish we had kept Stone.

Agree on points in all those posts the club will not leave a stone unturned in terms of what is needed and when , it will be tough and a times possibly unbearable .I do get a feeling that the club will do anything necessary to keep this team up we have simply come too far .Derek has talked about competing not just surviving ,me personally a clear no stressful gap between us and a couple of teams below us will do . Also as much as I was sorry to see fergy go it could be a blessing in disguise as in terms of our lack of props we can scour the world for reinforcements as no superleague team will let front line props go at this stage , the quota spot left could end up making all the difference between surviving and .....who knows maybe competing.

Wakefield are favourites to be relegated according to bookies,and I agree with them.

Me too , but with hkr and Salford that's three teams who have turned escaping relegation in to an art form , come to the last month of the season and I don't want to be in that mix ( and that's if those teams are down there , if their not then that will be interesting).

I currently don't see us finishing above the bottom two and I would be really nervous if Wakey added any extra decent players to their squad. I think as soon as we get any injuries to a prop we will be at our bare bones and English props aren't easy to come by qt the moment. We need a big forward that can do some good minutes. I also feel we need another good winger but I feel we will sign Hanley and I'm happy to give him a chance but signing any winger would have been a downgrade on fergo

Fight between us an Wakefield for bottom spot.In my opinion we need props and our lack of speed in the back line worries me

We have 5 or 6 very good players in key positions that need to have big seasons, lammy will have the game plan to work their way up field before any fancy stuff in the last third of the pitch ( the pie fans hated it in lammys last season at Wigan but it will suit us, our goals will be a lot lower than theirs )one player who really could give us a bit of " off the cuff" is ipappi , opposition props will dread seeing him when their blowing at the end of their stint look after him and the other spine players doing their stuff and we will catch some teams out , let's not start chasing dreams and concentrate on who we really are competing with .

I can't see Salford struggling. They will be in the top 6 with Rowls in charge. I can only see us in a dogfight with HKR and Wakey to avoid relegation. Our squad is too small and we lack quality and size in the depth of the squad. Forwards win matches. 2 big quality forwards are a must have plus a class outside back. Problem is where do you get them from as we only have 1 quota spot. Letting Sidlow and Stone go, though we didn't know Fergie was going to leave at the time, may come back to haunt Leigh.

As many have posted squad depth and size are a bit of a concern going into the new year, the NRL salary cap increase may have thrown a fly in the ointment and I hope we don’t end up using loanees, and we aren’t gambling and waiting to bring players in mid season like we did when we won promotion from the championship a few years back to bolster the ranks (admittedly though it did work and got us over the line but a gamble that paid off )
Battling out with Wakey for me, think HKR will go well, brought in some good experience and will look to match or improve on 8th last year

I also don’t see Salford as a main rival this season. I think they are a top 6 team. I do think we are overall competing with Hull FC, Cas Tigers, Wakey, Leeds HKR and maybe a seesaw Catalan.
We are in prime position to pick up an up and coming, or recognised and displaced, NRL/overseas forward, and some will
come available now the NRL cap is announced. I’m hoping for another young find at prop, in the same vein as the Kia O’Donnell move. Lam and Chester have the knowledge, contacts and respect to tempt exactly the player(s) we still need.
Our spine, and the depth we have in case of injury, is stronger than all potentially around us.

Let's be honest who knows who our main rival could be Rowley did a cracking job with Salford to get them on that run of wins , hkr had a real go and Wakefield did a mini surge to get of trouble even Toulouse had a spell then fell away ,there could be a couple of teams down there that will surprise us ( better not mention Warrington surely they can't be that bad again can they ...