That is probably right.

Ken gambled on success and building the crowds in the last 4 seasons. It has not happened therefore Ken is saying the club have to be self financing. That is why i feel that the NB years were a failure. The disaster of last season and the corresponding poor sales of season tickets meant LOD was allowed to go and the club saved the money.

Not only will we probably not see a big signing again it may well be we sell players and replace them with juniors. Thewlis said at the supporters club something along the lines of we are more likely to be selling than buying.

We will have to sell, the crowds aren't coming therefore the income isn't coming, Ken isn't going to keep shovelling money in forever, and when we become in serious need of finance then the assets, eg the players will have to be sold to keep the club going.

Well we only have three overseas players none of them top class. A stalwart in Fuey, a good but not top level player in Chan and T'aii who's a work in progress.

We have built a team on British talent with the odd big signing like Fielden. Settled back line we are a top six team nothing more but with the ability to over achieve on our day. We have a hard core of 5,000 to 6,000 but away support has been dramatically down especially the Hull match and to increase gates we need more Sunday afternoons not stupid Saturday tea time kick offs and the financial climate to improve.

Look at our Easter fixture Widnes that's gonna get people in !!!!

The better weather and some big home games Warrington, Leeds, Saints should boost the average attendance but if we have to sell to survive then it's a four team league, Wigan, Warrington, Leeds and Saints because everyone else is in the same boat I think.

The Challenge Cup and playoffs are one off matches all of which we should be capable of winning if we get our best 17 on the field !!!

We are currently top of the league with 6 more points for the taking if we play anything like followed by what should be 1 v 2 against Warrington considering we were tipped for 8th I think things are going pretty well so let's leave the doom and gloom at home !!!

Just a quick thought about money and we have or don't.
Pre season we was on the hunt for an established player to partner brough it don't happen so Money not spent there.
Brown went ferres came
Faalago went Taai came
Eden, walker, molloy, went fielden came
Mason went Koppy came
Connor, miller, kruise promoted
Then lod went
So I would say from that lot (educated guess) that of the cap was to spend we would have some brass to spend from the wages of lod but not all ofbit as I recon fielden will be on a large sum but there must have been Money from the half back hunt?

Don't think we should buy anyone go with what we have got and promote from within. Davey should not have fund players like lod, faalago, Simpson who we don't get out what we want of them over the term of their contract. Also the acadamy lad and younger members of the first team cost a lot less, they don't perform ship them out and look to the next crop of youngsters. We need to get our own lads through the system to save brass in the long run!

Pre season we was on the hunt for an established player to replace brough it don't happen so Money not spent there. Eh??

Do you mean partner Brough rather than replace?

Ooops. Yeah meant partner!

Predictive text sorry about that I ment partner! My bad

last i read was that anderson was biding his time and seeing what happens during the season, no one has cropped up yet and there is no need to panic buy right now.

on chan not being a top level player i disagree...

as i said at the end of November and everyone except daz poo poo-ed it i believe in the last couple of months give or take that inquiries had been made about dobson at HKR but he came in a little expensive at 170 grand with regards to fielden he has come cheap and had better offers as i was told don't know what cheap means

Its not just about players for player or wages for wages though. We need to find income to keep other aspects of the club going. Just because LOD has gone doesn't necessarily mean his wages are put to one side for another player, they are more than likely going straight into the admin/business side of the club.

Personally i dont think we will replace Luke this year, and i dont think we need to just for the sake of it, we're doing ok on the field and if letting him go means what would have been his wages are now taking some of the financial pressure off Sir Ken for a few weeks/months and helping the club off the field then that can only be a good thing.

Chan is a very good player but not a top dollar earner and not a marquee signing ala LOD.

We have had better value from Jason I agree and along with Brett Ferres offers one of the best second rows in the competition.

However for all our big pack we still need a real hard man/enforcer because we have been bullied a couple of times this season and I think we could fix this for far less money than a 'name' half back who just ain't out there !!

Gaskell going to Salford, Stuart howarth in exchange to cover for roby.

said it many times we will miss a LOD on the pitch for us, class act.

dr koukash gets his man... others teams including us are going to miss out on signings when hes involved.