I do agree the conditioner will make a difference but think it will be just enough to make the 8. Saints have strengthened quite a bit adding Walker and Douglas up front with Walmsley and Amor will make them so strong down the middle. Hull look a tad stronger with Griffin and Kelly. So I don't see how wel finish above Wigan, Wire, Hull and Saints (Hope im wrong though). That been said they could suffer major injuries similar to us last season.

2/3 new faces of good quality and I believe we will make top 5, battling with Catalans and Cas for 5th spot.

Notice you make no mention of Leeds

ellis had a bad injury last season, shame as he looked good at the time for us, the shoulder/collar bone wasnt it

i think wood and not leeming was our best 9 last season, great impact from the bench to give hinchcliffe time at loose forward, looks like it would be leeming now to take over that roll, big gamble but hope it pays off, stone is good at working with youngsters

Don't understand why some of us are all doom and gloom??

Look at the squad, yes got rid of crabtree who had physically gone, same with grix,johnson wasn't good enough, ellis bit part player and same applies to wood. Huby gone, not done a thing for us but the lad can play think he might end up being a good signing for wakey if he can discover the want to play the game. All the above cleared out, agree with all of them going.But replaced by who....????

Were in a real mess, I think ourselves Salford and Widness are going to be detached from the rest of the sides if you look at those 3 squads compared to the rest. I am afraid a coach and a conditioner can only work with what they have got..!

Lets just do a little exercise for those who are massively optimistic/deluded that were going to be fighting for the top 4. Lets pick a middle of the road super league side here (castleford) and imagine we merge both squads and pick the best 17 and see how many of are lads get in. This is CAS remember a side we should far superior too not playing catch up!

1.Hardaker
2.mcgilvery
3.Cudjoe or Webster tough call will give leroy benefit of doubt but toss of a coin
4.Shenton
5.Eden
6.Brough
7.Gale
8.Lynch
9.Milner
10.Millington
11.Taii
12.Mckeenen
13.Moors

Bench - Mcshane/Symonds/Massey/Rapira

Cas=11 and Giants =6

All the information says to me, We had a very small squad last season, and we had some poor luck, This season we have an even smaller squad and we are going to get some poor luck again at some point in the season ( all teams do ).

It doesn't matter how few points we lost games by, we ended up bottom. Like you i think we can have a better season than last, but to be honest at this moment i wouldn't put a cent on us being top four, That might change because i don't believe we have got everyone on board yet, Top 8 is a more realistic target for me and that won't be easy.

This is not doom and gloom, It's my idea of a realistic forecast for us as we stand, I'll be delighted if we do better, but i will settle for the 8. We are better where we have changed players, but we are still a very small squad, and remember the smaller the squad, the more the injuries count " when they come". So much depends on tricky Ricky.

I know right

I wonder if they remember seeing Eden play?
Webster isn't fit to lace Cudjoes boots
Hardacre might be amazing, more likely a liability

I'd take Lynch from Cas and that's it

So you would pick Ormsby in front of Eden? Ikahihifo or Mason in front of Massey? Tough call Massey is a real prop ikahihifo is not and Mason is inexperienced. Mcmeekan -I'd certainly take Roberts over him.

the squad isnt complete yet

will still be on the smaller side numbers wise

if we have some luck on the injuries front we will be fine

If the powers that be are relying on luck they are doing a bad job.

Well rumour has it Thewlis wanted to sign Bailey Stone vetoed it and Wakemans Visa got rejected because of a lack of first grade games and we've appealed rumour I know but given the situation how far from the truth??

I don't see how a Visa could get rejected if he has had no criminal offences? he is coming here to work same as anyone else???

Wouldn't surprise me if Thewlis wanted Bailey though .....

To play super league there certainly usd to be a minimum amount of games for a visa

So the only player you would take from the team that finished 5th is one of the oldest players in the game.

They need to have played a number of Top flight gameS. Wakeman hasn't played in the NRL, but was selected to play for Italy this year. Looks like we didn't do our homework?