A lot of the players we've kept weren't of great use towards the end of last year! Obviously it's down the coach to weed out those he feels have served their purpose and rejuvenate those he feels can come again.

I can't understand why Robinson seems to be one of everyone's prime scapegoats for the decline; he barely played during the losing streak, starting only three of the last twelve games including the only victory. If he continues to be so injury prone (I think he had five separate absences of varying lengths) then he will become a liability, but if anything I feel he's one of the least culpable. I felt Williamson's form was good during the first half of the season and his subsequent decline was something of a barometer for the entire team.

Possibly so, but the point I was making was that those who've gone aren't going to be much missed.
I'm not scapegoating Robinson. To be honest I hardly saw him play because I missed most of the early season games. But if he ain't playing, as he wasn't when I was watching, he isn't effective.

I (as a bit of a closet Manly fan) had high hopes of Williamson but I don't think he performed well at all (though I didn't see much of his early season play). When I did see him, he seemed to mistime many of his supporting runs resulting in a lot of dropped ball, maybe not his fault but he wasn't combining well with team-mates. And he became a penalty machine defending PTBs.

Sorry, I was being a bit flippant. None of the players who've left us has joined another SL club (unless you count Tony Gigot, who never actually played in SL for us) which pretty much proves your point. I don't think the squad looks any weaker than at this stage last year

Haggerty is still a SL prop, I would argue Heckenberg is also, no offense to Cook who i have no idea on how he plays, or Dave, but these two on their days could be very good.
So i think we are much weaker in the forward front

Haggerty won't be a SL prop this year because he's plying for Widnes! Personally I thought he'd done enough overall in his time with us to have been worth keeping, but it appears no other SL club made him a decent offer (or any offer?) when we released him. Heckenberg clearly had a recurring injury and was never going to be fit enough for long enough to justify another contract - a good club servant, but we have to be realistic. How can you say we're "much weaker" in the forwards when, by your own admission, you know very little about the replacements who, again by your own admission, "could be very good"?

Of the newcomers Ben Jones-Bishop looks a tremendous prospect (albeit only on loan of course), Andy Ellis was the best player in a team that would have been promoted to SL on merit under the pre-licence era, Oliver Wilkes & Matt James are experienced SL forwards, Ben Jones is the sort of young player on whom we inevitably need to take a punt sometimes.

If there is going to be a weakness I reckon it's more likely to be in the halves & backs, where we seem to have less depth than in previous years, than in the forwards.

I would agree with that-Centre is an area I have concerns with

I meant SL-quality prop, he could be in SL if a northern club wanted him that was closer to home, I thought James was young? So how is he an experienced SL forward? Unless im mistaken.. I thought he spent most of last season on loan to Halifax? Or was that Bradford's other young prop? Heckenberg on his day was very effective, as was Haggerty, I just don't see James and Dave stepping up, i have no idea about Wilkes as he was playing for Wakey as they finished the season so he might be useful, but as far as i know James wasn't even good enough for Bradford, why is he good enough for us? Ben Jones i don't expect much from, this is why i think we are much weaker.
And why did we get Ellis? We have Randall who's capable of playing 80 minutes, Kaye, who can replace him, Gale looks a little bit handy jumping in and out of their occasionally, why did we need another hooker?

Centre and prop is where i have my issues.

Not too concerned about our front row, more our half backs.

I think a pack can battle away without 4 out and out props-Under Mac we've rotated props regularly. (I thought Worrincy's best games were at prop-both against HKR)

I dont think a team can play without a centre- I know Clubby has played there but Im not convinced.

Either way its what we've got and I shall be cheering them on.

I assume Ellis will play in the half-backs as cover? Don't know if he's ever played their before, but i guess thats one of our options.
Have we still got Gigot? Or has he gone back now? Shame if we didn't sign him, looked a good prospect.

Gigot has signed for Catalans. Let us hope this is not one that got away.

It could be said that we over-achieved during the first half of the season...Or that our potential couldnt be maintained for the run in due to whatever rumour we care to listen to......If we can get over the mental block we developed late on then we can make a play off place, as we have pretty much the same squad, minus Haggy and Hecks who were regulars when fit...No point in being downbeat ...lets hope the key players we still have stay fit and as said before that Robinson and Williamson earn their salary as our season could well hinge on them performing.

if we'd kept Joe Mbu and McD had decided he liked him Id have gone for 7th not 8th.

If we play like we did at the end of last season when we lost 48-0 to Castleford then we're going to finish last, but if we start playing games like when we beat Leeds 21-4 and Warrington 60-8 then I think we can easily finish in the top 8 and if we play consistently good at the end of the play-offs then there's no reason that we can't go to Old Trafford.