Quote fartown since 1961="fartown since 1961":3ek3m27dIf you look at our team there are currently rumoured to be three leavers and three already gone
Connor to Hull
Grix to Superleague/Halifax
Wardle to Newcastle Knight.
Patrick gone.
Ferres gone.
Robinson retired.
Incoming we have already got Brierley, Ormsby is rumoured to be signed already there are rumours about Gaskell and Jack Reed.
A fit Jack Reed and Ormsby would give us a pretty good 2-5 with Smurph and Brierley vying for full back and Brierley and Gaskell if he comes back ups/ rotation for Brough and Ellis. Sam Wood should push on and get better so competition and cover in the backs should be good.
Brough and Ellis halves.
If Red doesn't come I believe we still need a high quality centre if Wardle goes.
For me that would improve our back line no end with options to rotate.
In the forwards we have four experienced props Crabtree, Huby, Smith and Rapira plus Johnson and Mason who will have strengthened and matured a bit more for next season and improved from playing a lot this one.
Hookers we have Hinchcliffe, Leeming and Wood which gives us enough cover and Leemng should continue to improve both physically and performance wise. Wood is playing for a new contract but looks a back up hooker not a half.
Back row we have Symonds, Ta'ai (hopefully re-signed) Lawrence, Roberts, Ikahihifo and Hinchcliffe can spell and play 13 if we get injuries.
Plus some more good youngsters coming through to make their mark.
Survive the middle 8's get a good new coach on board and he would seem to have the raw materials to put out a competitive top 8 side next year with a couple of signings and tweaks.
So to me Connor going and us allowing Wardle to go to the NRL makes sense , no point having unhappy players, these things happen in team sports, just so long as we spend the cap that creates wisely the future looks quite bright really.'"
Survive the middle 8's get a good new coach on board and he would seem to have the raw materials to put out a competitive top 8 side next year with a couple of signings and tweaks.
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Hope springs eternal mate, and nothing wrong with that. I think myself that we have too many average players to reach any great heights but who knows , with a new coach.
I'm interested to know why you regard Brierley as Full back, As jools has pointed out he has had some poor games there,
I know P Anderson said he wood be our long term fullback, but look where PA is now. Brierley was a prolific scorer for Leigh, and not at fullback.
I'm hoping we get a coach with different Ideas to what PA had, For one thing I don't regard Ellis as nailed on at Half ( as you do ) I think there are positions he is better suited too. Big Eorl has said himself he is finding the going hard , why keep a player who is going to do less and less minutes, ( make an excellent PR man ) Smith has never impressed me as anything more than average ( don't know how long his contract is ) Wood Jack of all trades etc.
No disrespect to any players at all. But things are what they are, I hope we get a coach in the N Brown style who can recognise what players talents are and bring it out.