Nothing we can do about last night now.
Really looking forward to next season. Hopefully we'll see more of Hampshire, Tierney, Williams and more youngsters coming through, plus Tautai.
We did ok this year and had a season some clubs can only dream of. Was always going to be tough the season after winning the double.
Although it's only gonna be a friendly the Brisbane game should be a cracker and will be a hell of an experience for our younger players.
This season is done, bring on next year

Tierney or Rocky need to be looking at taking over full back next season. Bowen for all the good he does was poor in the play offs and tbh a liability at times. We have the youngest squad in SL and some exceptional young players coming through. We need to sign maybe another prop if Taylor is leaving but we will be better next season.

Looking forward to see the new coaching set up that was announced a month ago have an impact on the team.

Agree. Bowen and Pettybourne are not performing to levels of the young English lads, let alone 'Aussie stars'. Bowen has had fits and starts to be fair to him, and has had moments of brilliance, but his defence is unreliable and Pettybourne is just here for a pension. I'd definitely get rid of him.

It's easy to say it now, but let's not forget that before the season this was meant to be a transitional year with the players we lost. I think we've done extremely well in getting to the Grand Final, and even though many expected us to win it as proven last night anything can happen in 80 minutes (or 2 minutes).

We have a lot of young players in our squad that will be hurting now but I'm sure in the future it will make them stronger and we have a good crop of talent coming through below the first team squad. It's important that we try and keep as much of this team together, it's amazing how much change we've had in in a few years yet we've still been coming up with the goods. Last night was a year to early for us and I think we'll come back stronger next year and more hungrier.

Looking at the squad again for nest season and my 1-13 would be

1. Sarginson
2. Josh
3. Bateman
4. Gelling
5. Burgess
6. Rocky
7. Smith
8. Crosby
9. MM
10. Mike Flower Tyson
11. Joel
12 Faz
13. SOL

Would like to see Taylor stay but can not see that now.

I think we might keep him given Flower's lengthy ban that he'll be getting.

We've got a young squad but a hell of a good one. Forget all that 'team of thugs' garbage, every team has their idiots. For the most part we play damn good rugby and we'll be up there next year.
I'm more gutted about the manner of our Challenge cup exit than our defeat last night to be honest. We played well below par in the CC quarter final, couldn't really ask for anymore from the 12 last night.
Let's have some positivity, look at the personnel we've lost over the last 2 seasons, and look where we are

We have to look forward but there's nothing to feel down about from last night from a performance point of view. One guy cost us big time and even with 12 I thought we could well of got home with a bit more luck.

In terms of what we can change I don't think there needs to be a great deal. Bowen has bombed in all our big games this year which is either a strange coincidence or he's got an issue with his temperament on the big stage. We have a couple of young lads who may push him but in fairness Bowen has been very good most weeks. We naturally need to start looking at replacing him anyway given his age. I also have to agree with people questioning Pettybourne, he's not been good enough IMO and is a liability. I would imagine Tautai will put him under huge pressure.

The young lads will be a year older so we just need to tick over and keep doing what we do. With a full team last night we'd be sat here as champions IMO so there's no need to start an investigation in to our problems as there aren't any. We're the best side in the league on our day and we'll be fine.

I doubt we will see as many changes next year as we can't afford to lose matches in the opening 23 rounds to the 'lower' teams in the league. Personally I would be looking at having enough points on the board after 23 games to be able to rest players in the 7 weeks before the semi finals when it will be tough game after tough game. I'd look at our main 17 being:

Bowen (needs to step up at the start and end of the season though. Both not good enough for me)
Charnley
Gelling
Thornley
Burgess
Powell/New Signing
Smith
Crosby
McIlorum
Clubb
Tomkins
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Bateman
Tautai (hopefully the impact we've been looking for)
Williams
Sutton (should get his chance again until Flower returns unless we keep Taylor)

I think there's a fair bit of throwing the baby out with the bathwater being advocated. No need at all for major changes. I'd go:

1 Bowen
2 Charnley
3 Sarginson
4 Gelling
5 Burgess
6 Hampshire (it won't happen but he's too good to leave out IMO)
7 Smith
8 Taylor (if he's still here)
9 McIlorum
10 Flower (Clubb during his ban)
11 Tomkins
12 Farrell
13 O'Loughlin

14 Clubb (Pettybourne or Crosby when Flower is banned)
15 Powell/Williams (depending on form)
16 Tautai/Pettybourne/Crosby depending on form
17 Bateman

I think it's very important to sort things out with Taylor. We look a lot stronger with him in the pack and we'll need him when Flower is banned

It was never "meant" to be that at all. It only looked like it was going to be transitional because of what happened to the squad. It looked like it was going to be hard to retain either trophy simply because the squad was weaker and the club didn't look like they has seen it coming. Going from double winners to a side viewed by its own fans as transitional was just bad management.



With all the injuries during the season we did very well to get there. The play off games were the best performances of the lot. Without Flowers indiscretion I think we would have won and so would have done so with a weaker side than the year before.



Next season we face sides in Wire and Saints who have addressed the at least some if not all of the weaknesses in their sides. We have not. We still don't have a good enough goal kicker. Green has gone so we rely on a young player there and our centres are not in my opinion good enough and we only have two anyway with Thornley out. We have people who can play there in Hughes and J Tomkins but that is no solution.

This year when certain key players were out we looked rudderless. Without Micky Mac and Lockers we were up against it. It will be the same again next year if they are injured. The best two young players have been Burgess and Williams. None of the others are at their level (thought Bateman started well but faded somewhat). I think we have a first 17 with some positions not well catered for and after that we rely on young players.

You mean like the rest of Super League?

That's us buggered then.

Bowen
Charnley
Gelling
Sarginson
Burgess
Williams
Smith
Crosby
McIlorum
Flower (Clubb during ban)
Tomkins
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Taylor (If here, else Powell)
Clubb (Sutton during ban)
Tautai
Bateman

I should have been clearer. We are relying on young players as 1st 17 plays and when the established first team players are out (e.g. MM and Lockers) we are also relying on [imore[/i young players to come in.

Powell, Williams, Burgess, Sarginson, Gelling and Bateman have all figured a lot this season. Burgess looks mature already and Williams looks the best of the rest. The rest are still learning yet will be regular 1st 17 members, not coming in when there are injuries.

With Flower on a long ban and it looking like Taylor is finished here we have lost our two best props. One permanently and one for as yet an unknown length of time. We have the guy from Wakefield to come in but the front row looks weak and may well require regular use of young players more than other teams will be doing.

I'd feel a lot happier with a decent kicker in the first team. Smith is a super player, but his goal kicking is pretty poor, and he seldom looks like converting anything that isn't in front of the sticks.