What's happened to Ollie Pratt? Haven't seen him mentioned for a bit.

Poptart when you say `The team we have is perfectly capable of beating Toulouse. And to be honest Leeds.` please can you advise on what basis you conclude that we can beat Leeds .

Got a bad injury ,his ligaments lastvi saw him was still in a boot think hes out for about 3 months.pity quality player though.we got good team out tomorrow though

Well to be honest I think our team is capable of beating everybody in the bottom half of the table...when they play to their potential.
Based on how I've seen them play when they've been at their best.

Fair point vast man halo slipped again hahaaa

Only if the other team has an off day but that’s the same with anyone in the table to be fair.

This is the problem and the main reason there is such infighting amongst fans.

At the start of the year the expectations were totally unrealistic, I don’t think the club helped with that where I seem to think Carter mentioned top 5 as a target.

My expectation at the start of the year was 10th would be a great result for us 11th an acceptable return, 12th a disaster.

I still believe that to be the case, unlike some at least I’m consistent.

Talk of top half finish was ludicrous and some supporters expectations are not realised the club leaves itself open to attack and this feeling of discontent.

This year was always going to be a huge challenge with the ultimate result being survival, that’s probably the case…and a bigger challenge next year too. We need to get this stadium built and start generating further revenue for us to kick on and start moving up the table to initially hopefully mid table security.

We are probably the least financially supported club in the competition, as that’s the case finishing 11th is a result as are the last 20 years of survival at this level.

The last 4 seasons, in reverse order, have been 10th, 10th, 9th and 7th.
We have to aim to improve year on year, so 11th or 12th would be extremely disappointing.
I agree that 5th was wildly optimistic.

Sadly it doesn’t work like that though.

Contract lengths injuries ageing players and form etc all contribute.

Even the traditionally top clubs go through dips and transitional years.

Looking at the squad for me it’s the 11th best in SL at the moment. We can all point the finger about the who why’s and wherefores but that is the reality of it in my opinion.

If someone offered me 11th at start of year I’d have taken it, and if someone did now I’d take it.

It’s where we are at the moment whilst ever we are in this cycle.

INOUTI agree with the above. In some ways Trinity have had some good fortune this season unearthing real SL young talent in Hall and Murphy…along with the development of Bowes.

I do think the OP does have a point.

It is fair to ask the question of funds, quota spots etc, but as a club who's potential long term future as well as short term (you have to ask the question, if the worst possible scenario happens will it impact the clubs long term as well as short term), we should be seriously looking where our downfall is, and if it comes to it, think outside of the box.

We have a player in a position where we are weak in, out of his depth, we have another, who us really filling in, who has come back from a really bad double knee injury and another, ego whilst has looked quite effective, came to the club to play a different role.

Furthermore, we have a player, who was ripping it up, but has played very little in the past 2-3 years, taking up a quota spot and probably a large part of the cap.

Over and above that, the over compensating in the backs, with the signing of Lineham, Minns, Hall & JD.

Yes, it comes down to costs, but balancing the books could be said in a similar way to balancing the squad. In my eyes, we have failed in this

We need to think outside of the box, we have before, why not now

I fully accept that injuries, especially to key players, have a massive effect on sides to compete, especially with clubs like Trinity who run with a relatively small squad.

However, I really dont accept that, when the coaching staff and management sit down at the end of last season, that they believe we should be aiming for a lower finish than in previous seasons.
Of course, stuff happens but, as a business you aim to move forward year on year and on the back of 9th, 10th and 10th in the last 3 seasons, no way ate "we" planning for 11rh.

Tbh, remaining 10th and with good progress on the stadium, Trinity would be "moving forward".

Getting back to the op, I fully agree that we need an additional prop forward or 2 if Fifita is departing at the end of the season and whilst accepting that Toulouse seem to have made a decent signing, decent props are almost as hard to find as decent half backs, certainly not easy.

Of course they aim higher......but so is everyone else.
It's a new challenge each season.

No one?

I’ve seen him play live many times… solid unit always on the verge of breaking through but never quite making it… a big robust lad, great work ethic. Very consistent in his attitude and performance … not a game breaker at NRL level and at 28 has probably had his chance …

Very much in the Whitbread mould but Jai is much younger.

Ok. I except you from the no one comment

I’ve seen Alvaro play quite a few times over the last few years in NRL. He’s a genuine prop and got to be about 18 stone and about 6 ft 3 tall and is a strong ball carrier. He’s played a lot of NRL games and at 28 is probably at his peak for his position.

He should go well in Super League.