Oh I don't know, walking away with the majority shareholding didn't exactly help the club find new financial backers or enable balanced funding. Think an element of blame can be laid at his feet. More probable blame across the board. Lenaghan could have helped make us a success not would have.

As for appointment of Rea. Given the state of the senior playing side, confidence and winning more than being lost are the most essential things. Other aspects spin out from that. Agree he may or may not be the long term future but after last 18 months of terminal decline a period of stability will not do the club any harm.

i might be wrong here, but I seem to recall a couple of 750k payments being made to the club once he had gone.......the fact that that money was pi55ed up against the wall by others is not his fault, but it does explain why nobody else was prepared to pay for his shares. Don't forget either that without IL, we may very well have ceased to exist in 2005.........as for helping make the club a success, I repeat, he would have made the club a success........David Hughes has simply enabled the club to exist, but we have made no progress under his chairmanship/ownership....in fact, dare I say it, we have gone backwards!

Tony's Super 14 experience will certainly assist as and in his time away, he will have improved his coaching skills and as many have said, his man management is excellent, plus he's London through and through.

The best man we could get has the job.

Hickey > Wheeldon
Bryan and Thomas > not in top 20?
Te Mata and Golden > 2 spots free but these may be required to upgrade Dixon and Krasniqi whose agents ought to be demanding top 20 contracts

Not much wriggle room for bringing in anyone new unless some contracts are paid out/contracted players loaned out etc.

We seem to have no problem giving 18-year-olds professional deals - could we assume McMeekan and a.n.other (maybe Bishay?) will follow the example of Sarginson, Dixon, Lovell?

You really have a problem with Wheeldon don't you? Did he steal your burger?

Oh, I see what you did there now. I take it back

If his performance for the Skolars at Wrexham's any guide then Lamont Bryan isn't a SL player anyway - might hack it in the Championship, but no higher.

Bryan has found his level. He doesn't have a position and most certainly isnt SL standard.

that's how I read it first as well.

www.code13rugbyleague.com/2012/0 ... contracts/ Scott Wheeldon signed a new contract, announced on 25th June.

www.code13rugbyleague.com/2012/0 ... contracts/ Scott Wheeldon signed a new contract, announced on 25th June.

Sorry - my bad!

For the record, I'm pleased Wheeldon has a contract for 2013. Earlier in the year, I wouldn't have been.

Now, how about releasing a back or two on to find space for a world-class right centre?

We have 20 players out of the 'top 25' under contract for next year.

Dorn, Colbon, O'Callaghan, Howell, Robertson, Witt, Gower, Kaufusi, Randall, Bryant, Rodney, Bailey, Clubb, Rinaldi, Melling, Krasniqi,Sarginson, Cook, Dixon, Wheeldon.

With Shane Grady presumably to be a top 25 players that takes us up to 21 players.

That leaves four places left.

The out-of-contract players like Temata, Golden, Bryan, B Bolger or Caro could take one of these spots.

Alternatively an upgrade for R Thomas, S Bolger, McMeeken, Lovell, Channing, O Thomas, Bishay or Dollapi could also fill a slot.

At best we might get four new signings to add to Grady.

My info is a little dated but I understood Craig Hall and Andrew Dixon were out of contract plus some good players from Catalans and they'd be who I would look at.

Cheers
Mark

How many slots do we have for Aussies? I suspect TR will be looking there whilst on his post season leave!

Ah, OK, cheers Mark. Thought it was top 20 not top 25.

We may have 4 spots open then but probably only the salary cap £££ for one major signing - and he won't be overseas.