This year yes I agree we need players to do a job for us. However for me we need to be starting to look toward the future from 2024 onward. It’ll take some rebuilding so I get some players do need to be retained but our problem is there’s too many older lads in the squad. Hope we keep Franco then add another young speedy winger to the squad. Possibly keep Kershaw as back up after Kay but I don’t really rate him. Two good centres needed a good half back next year and another one the year after. If anyone comes in for Lino let him go he’s certainly not the answer. If we can keep our existing props I’d be fine with that. Been heavily critical of renouf this season and rightly so imo but he’s improving with big Dave by his side and has shown us there’s a player in there, need him to carry that in after Dave goes. A good 13 would be a nice addition but I don’t think that will be 2024 with the amount of back row forwards we have under contract especially if we stay up with Kelepi still being under contract. I’d like to see dagger retained and fight it out with max for the one shirt or get a prolonged shot at halfback with Gale. Harvey Smith needs to be offered a long term deal with appearance incentives that trigger pay rises and bonuses. I’d offer Croft one more year but it would be make or break for him and I like the look of Law who could well be ready to replace him soon. A lot of wheeling and dealing to be done and for consistency and fluency it can’t all be done at once. I’d also look at bringing Hooley in from Leeds. He’s not getting a shot and it looks like they’re on the lookout for a new fullback for next year. He knows the place and has quality written all over him. He could well overtake max at the back which would leave dagger in the halves as stated earlier.

Do you read the same words as me?
Agreement means both parties need to agree. Batch didn't.

Maybe we could have offered more I don't know but both coach and CEO are on record saying we wanted him to stay.

And yes I think the agent is the one he fell out with.

Wakefield have developed plenty of lads throughout the SL era and have unfortunately lost some to lazier clubs with bigger cheque books. Was Shudds in the early days, now its Rovers who choose to buy-in a squad.

Maybe things will change when the money man finally arrives. It would be nice to both develop and retain.

Absolutely correct, we do leave ourselves vulnerable because we have a history of paying Youth products the barest of minimums until forced to do otherwise and sometimes it’s too late

Indeed, it seems a bizarre policy after spending so much time and effort into getting them to a stage where they are ready to become regulars in the first team.

Maybe a "policy" in the days of Ellis and Wright but I don't think that is current as we get no cash benefit.

Victims of our own success at one end of the scale whilst not having the resources to match it at the other end.