I think it's pretty fair, my big concern is that the side is now packed with youngsters, and the few that are a bit more experienced are not world beaters. Of our imports Slyney is a fringe NRL player, not particularly experienced at top flight and the others are bascially youngsters coming in from NRL reserve grade sides. There is a terrible lack of experience.

Mmmm, thing is I think most fringe NRL players are 'prolly good enough for mid-table SL sides.

Mid-table is fine for this season Pete

Maybe, in a side where nobody is expecting anything from them except graft. The problem in this pack he'll have a couple of journeymen forwards in Cook and Moore, and then a lot of youngsters, the best of whom is probably Olsi K (Olsi may very well be our best forward this coming season). We've had beaten packs for the about 5 few years and even more experienced NRL players like Luke Williamson and Shane Rodney struggled to lift us, I don't see how a fringe NRL player will produce more when even more is what is needed?

True, but maybe these new players will be different in the fact that they actually have some pride, show some effort and guts. All the experience in the world is no good without that. These young guys might actually want to play!!

Our club went through a spell of appearing to disregard injury/appearance record when going out to sign players and it would have shocked no one when these players inevitably continued a long term career trend.

We also signed more than a few purely defensive forwards who had played 200 NRL games probably making 30 tackles a game and who must have had cumulative huge wear and tear on their body.

The other thing that happened all too often was our willingness to offer a new contract when the player was clearly well past their best. I can appreciate a gamble but there was simply no need to offer multi-year contracts to players who would have done well to get one last year.

However, since Tony Rea arrived he has tried to sign players with a career in front of them and from what I can see stand-out players within their respective clubs and he has not renewed anyone who seldom played. For this he has my thanks and still my full support.

I had got very fed up with the rag, tag and bobtail sides that he was forced to play because of the mismanagement of those before him. You couldn't ever build from that kind of foundation.

I would not compare the two capped England internationals Matt Cook and Scott Moore who are both in their prime with genuine quality and regularly available for selection with the older injury prone Australians looking to see out their career with a couple of years in London.

I am really looking forward to the new season that is for sure, I don't see any reason we can't fight off Wakefield and Bradford for 12th spot. Players will surely become more available once the season settles down and when the NRL season starts.

I'll feel much happier if we have Leary and an experienced SH by the weekend

You'll get a good price at the bookies if you nip down quick Pete

It's gonna be a long hard slog as the Chemics have shown us today, we still require at least two more big old ugly props and some real experience at the half backs.

BUT we WILL come good towards mid-season and finish 9th!

Squad numbers as sent to Ian Ramsdale and put on his twitter site. My attempt at positions added.

1 Nesiasi Mataitonga –FB
2 Kieran Dixon –WG
3 Jordan Atkins –CE
4 Thomas Minns –CE
5 James Duckworth –WG
6 Ben Farrar –SO
9 Scott Moore –HK
10 Olsi Krasniki –PR
11 Mike McMeeken –SR
12 Matt Cook (c) –SR
13 Alex Foster –LF
14 Mike Bishay –SH
15 James Greenwood –PR
16 Nick Slyney –PR
17 Will Lovell –CE
18 George Griffin –PR
19 Erjon Dollapi –PR
20 James Cunningham –HK
21 Joel Wicks –CE
22 James Woodburn-Hall –SO
23 Denny Solomona –WG
24 Mason Caton-Brown –CE
25 Iliess Macani –CE
28 Jamie O'Callaghan –WG
29 Harvey Burnett –WG
30 Jonathan Wallace –LF
31 Sam Hopkins -SR

Having trouble cutting and pasting today
1 Nesiasi Mataitonga –FB
2 Kieran Dixon –WG
3 Jordan Atkins –CE
4 Thomas Minns –CE
5 James Duckworth –WG
6 Ben Farrar –SO
9 Scott Moore –HK
10 Olsi Krasniki –PR
11 Mike McMeeken –SR
12 Matt Cook (c) –SR
13 Alex Foster –LF
14 Mike Bishay –SH
15 James Greenwood –PR
16 Nick Slyney –PR
17 Will Lovell –CE
18 George Griffin –PR
19 Erjon Dollapi –PR
20 James Cunningham –HK
21 Joel Wicks –CE
22 James Woodburn-Hall –SO
23 Denny Solomona –WG
24 Mason Caton-Brown –CE
25 Iliess Macani –CE
26 Tony Gigot –SO
27 Jamie O'Callaghan –WG
28 Carl Forster –PR
29 Harvey Burnett –WG
30 Jonathan Wallace –LF
31 Sam Hopkins -SR

Sam Hopkins? Surely this has been identified as a mistake by someone by now?

Alleged signing Jake Leary has in fact signed for the Illawarra Cutters instead

That is so bad news.