Thought similar - our youth development is great but we need to recruit bigger and better players.

It also goes without saying we need to spend the full salary cap which we surely can't be at the moment.

I love scott taylor and he played ok but he didn't play to his usual standard, but like i said not sure wether thats due to the way the team played or if he choked a little. Not a dig at taylor at all apart from o'loughlin and mickymac nobody had a good game.

I agree this was a fear of mine that I wrote about before this season started. A good goal kicker can often be the difference when the top teams play, and it was a concern because I never thought Matty Smith who seemed was going to be are first choice kicker would ever be an adequate replacement for Pat.

Our pack was over run. Warea Harhreaves and Nuuasala (sp)were unstoppable. They also had SBW who is a very big man.
We have said on here for years that the second row of Faz and Tuson was too small and that was for SL, Bateman is no bigger. Robinson started with three props and they were all Kiwis. Huge guys!
If we are to find men of that size then we have to look outside Rugby League. There are hundreds of players in Union of their size and we never look there. I wonder if Hargreaves, Frank Paul & Sam Moa have played Union?
There is only one pro Union club in the North West yet how many amateur clubs there are I don't know. Most if not all will have junior or colts teams. I honestly think that if we looked around we'd find one or four lads who given time could change code and make it in League.
Andy Powell may not have made it but prior to Union going pro there were plenty of Union forwards who made it. Koloto and Big Jim Mills from Widnes would have taken on the Roosters forwards and they wouldn't have come out second best, no chance!
This is real challenge for the club if they want to take on the leading teams in the NRL. I wish them well, if they go for it there could be some interesting times ahead.

Our pack has a few issues at the moment - IMO i'm afraid guys like Clubb, Crosby, Dudson, Burke are just their to make up the numbers. Taylor should walk a starting place this year - he's been one of if not our best forward and looks like he has the potential to be a great. Farrell and Lockers will be there and probably Pettybourne, but other spots are up in the air.

Look elsewhere and do some of the rest of the squad have what it takes to get to the level Lockers was talking about? Guys like Gelling, Thornley, Hughes, Tomkins. It's fine spreading the cap out to make sure there's depth in the squad, but there's a danger of having too many average players, diluting squad.

You've forgotten Ben Flower who IMO had a great season last year. I understand your point though although I think some of the players mentioned will develop to a higher standard. They've got all season to get up to speed before the meaningful games, as has Smith with his kicking.