I'm optimistic about the state of the club.
On the field I am at least not pessimistic. I think we have a decent chance but realistically after the years we've just had, Mid table will be a successful season, building towards more improvement.

Does that make them bad players because he signed them? I'm sure we've got plenty of old Chester signings that aren't too shabby.

Very optimistic indeed.

I'm personally excited to how Poching links up with Cummins, especially with Applegarth alongside them.

Lineham and Hood are two important acquisitions imo, Wood and BJB needed replacing and I'm not sure we could've done better. Throw Whitbread and Sid into the mix, Fifita finding some 2017-19 form and Battye playing like he did whilst on loan for us, we could really hold our own.

Absolutely.
Poaching seemed to do pretty well with "Chesters side" at the end of last season and without a ball having been passed or kicked or a tackle made in anger (apart from at Leeds) there is plenty to be optimistic about and with the ground improvements looking like they will begin in just a couple of months or so and the club turning a profit in the most difficult of times, things can only get better.

Makes you wonder about the logic at times.

Well Chissitt we do agree about old signings because that is what they are .If things start of bad for us it will be W P who gets the stick .witch he would not deserve .The damage will have been done before W P took over

That makes no sense to me, sorry.

Also as assistant coach don’t you you think WP had a big say in these signings?

Most of that Chester team got us to 5th too.
And to a semi final

This season could be pivotal for a few reasons: structure change, Stadium rebuild etc but also for the development of the young uns to cover the inevitable departutres, good or bad, due to contract dates.
2022
Sadiq Adebiyi (option until 2023), Tinirau Arona, Yusuf Aydin, James Batchelor, Jack Croft, David Fifita, Tom Johnstone, Liam Kay, Jacob Miller, Jay Pitts (option until 2023), Bill Tupou, Brad Walker, Jai Whitbread (option until 2023).

2023
Matty Ashurst, Eddie Battye, Harry Bowes, Jordan Crowther, Lee Gaskell, Corey Hall, Liam Hood, Max Jowitt, Lee Kershaw, Mason Lino, Dane Windrow.

2024
Tom Lineham, Kelepi Tanginoa.

2025
Reece Lyne.

Some next year off contract that will need to improve this year, and stay within our budget whilst doing so, some that could be seen as end of career, some just not up to it, but 13 possibles is a chunk.

Well first of all, I wasn't one clambering for the sacking of Chester, and so by your logic then if Poaching doesn't deserve the sack then surely Chester didn't as the damage was done before he took over, and can I just point out both my replies to you were in the context of your two posts only, and not my views on either coach.

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.

I'm optomistic every season, and tend to end up disappointed.
This coming season I'm hoping for a good season and a good cup run.
I'm expecting great things from Lino and hopefully a good half back partnership will see us through to many a good result.

Interesting post.

I can’t honestly see any huge issues with the build to be honest.

The East stand offers no issues as far as I can see, it’s a flat surface with brilliant access. It’s a relatively small stand of a type that’s been built elsewhere umpteen times. It’s as close to off the shelf as you can find.

The North stand is more likely to throw up issue. We think we know what’s under there but you can’t be sure until you start. We know some of it is potentially toxic but you’d assume that’s been taken into account and is probably the reason it wasn’t flattened and replaced. All the same in it’s way the North stand will be transformed, it’s already the most popular part of the ground and now it will be more than fit for the purpose. I’ll no longer be embarrassed to take people on it.

This year on the pitch?

Let’s hope WP is a lucky coach. He has a potentially good team there but not much depth. By depth I don’t mean quality I mean resilience. If we lose a lot of experienced players we could be in bother but I suppose that applies to most teams. What Poching needs is for players like Fifita, TJ and Mason or a few others to hit real form and stay fit. That happens and the rest will follow.

That’s where it all went wrong for CC, for three seasons he got total value from his players then for a million reasons he didn’t. Poching avoids that this season we will do fine.

One final plea. Can we please take the CCup seriously for once. I know it’s a risk if you’re in the bottom part of the table but if by quarter final time we are reasonably safe then let’s go for it. This is by far the easiest route back into the hearts and minds of the Wakefield public and thus fresh supporters. I may be wrong but since 2008 we have been lacklustre to say the least as I think 2016 was a bit of a freak.

Anyway who knows, I’ll just be there shouting support.

So with two sec

At least unlike last season if either Lino or Miller get injured there is some cover. Gaskell looked very capable to me to cover either whilst Walker is no slouch if needed.

In truth HB’s are incredibly thin on the ground and most clubs have very few options. Keep those three relatively fit and we will do ok and I do hope I haven’t just jinxed it.

We could play Fifita there as he does seem to fancy a run out in almost every position, I’m joking but Dave probably isn’t.

Would be good if this could be included in the squad list thread, is it possible Poptart?