For me this is the most important season in a very long time for Trinity.

Off the field the progression of the stadium is massive. Money is there, contractor in place who has been working on the pre construction phase of the stadium on and off for a few years which gives the build phase a very good opportunity to go well. Stadia are notorious for being problematic for contractors and loss makers. Hopefully the club will have procured the contractor on a basis that puts the bulk of the risk on them, so financial wranglings don’t delay or halt the development mid build. The club have appointed a very good project management team so I would assume this will have been dealt with.

The financial impact of the new facility is more often than not a massive shot in the arm for the clubs involved.

On the field I have to admit to being a little nervous.

There are so many unknowns throughout SL for 2022 in relation to new players, coaches, the ongoing impact of Covid etc.

Toulouse don’t appear to be doing a Leigh ie having a punt at SL survival and I think most other teams have also on paper improved from last year. Games are not won on paper I know and again that adds to the unknowns of how they settle in to their new clubs and different environment/coaching ethos.

I think we are less reliant on keeping key players on the field, in that I think we have a bit more depth of quality and versatility.

If the Boxing Day game is anything to go by we will be playing some expansive eyes up rugby and hopefully we can pick up that early win to ease the nerves of everyone at the club. The more confidence the players have the more the passes tend to stick.

If we do play to that high risk expansive style I think we will pick up some entertaining wins, but on days the passes don’t stick, which they won’t every week I think we may take a few big losses, I just hope it they come we all get behind the team and hold are nerve.

As others have said it’s very much for me a transitional year and much will friend on getting an early win to settle nerves and get the players and us fans to fully buy into WP and the rest of his coaching teams coaching philosophy.

I personally would be satisfied with survival again this year with a view to finally getting the foundations in place with the new facilities to start to see the club move to be mid table regulars from 2023 onwards in the short/middle term. Long term we’ve a great youth set up and with shrewd recruitment/retentions we could certainly step up to regular play off contenders.

There is a lot going right at the club and as I said this year I’d personally be satisfied with survival, 9th/10th I’d be pretty happy with.

Agree with the above not there yet

Massive difference between passing from the floor and whilst running in open play. Not just Crowther, but Kay, Ashurst, Walker and everyone else who covered at hooker were well behind Kyle Wood in this respect.

Regarding your other thread, I’d agree Hood needs to be one of our key players this year. Not just in terms of getting us on the front foot, but I think he’ll be expected to play some big minutes as well. I was pleased when we signed him, but I did hope we’d keep Kyle for another year as well.

Are all our overseas quota spots taken up?

Why?
Have you been in training and are now 100% fit?

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