There are plenty out there still and as the WC draws to the semi final stage a lot more will be known quantities.

There is also some inevitable fall out pre NRL when you can nip in and get a decent player.

I’ve said it before but I’d be happy if we went into the season with one spot free. It worked a treat for Salford with Hastings and ourselves with Tanginoa to name but one.

Its impossible to guess who will get injured in a season or where the problem positions might be. That spot free could be the difference between a good or bad season.

If those teams who are "full" do want to get someone else in, they will have to release someone...there may be someone to pick up that way - with the added benefit that the releasing team may well pay some ongoing wages.

Further, when some players in the NRL find themselves on the outer, when back for pre-season, they may be willing to take a "good" deal with us to a) pay the bills and b) keep themselves in the shop window.

Whilst we'd love to have some big names signed up, we are probably in quite a strong position.

Said that earlier myself. As NRL teams start to train, some with new coaches, some well known players are suddenly no longer wanted. Why rush, it's not like we won't be able to put out a reasonably competitive team even now, we certainly won't be dragging some bloke out of the pub to make up the numbers.

Our other big advantage is our expectations. We will want to finish top six but it's not the end for us if we don't. So our coach can take a few on the chin to work out who is and isn't working and rectify it. This is far easier with slots still free.

We are not building to win the comp this season, we are hopefully laying down foundations to do it in the future.

It's not the end of the world no,but IMG could be looking atthe league placings. Another fight near the bottom, which would mean 5 seasons in a row, could go against us. However a top 6 finish, added in with the completed east stand, and a fresher looking north stand, could make a difference. Remember 7 of our defeats last year were within a converted score, and points wise, we were closer to the play offs than going down. It really is fine margins. That bit of extra quality in the regular first teamers, could make all the difference.

I think we got lucky with Murphy, Hall and Taufua coming in for Johnstone and Toupou, so personally, those key replacements are for Miller, Fifita, Batch and Arona. I think all the other exits were really back up squad members.

Get it right for those 4 I listed, and I think we'll go OK, but as each player signs for someone else, the talent pool potentially drops a little.

Is it like those unfortunate kids at school that in PE gets picked last perhaps?

To me that makes no sense at all.

Funny thing is you are sort of disagreeing with yourself. If we do get Taylor and Proctor, are they not exactly the sort of short term impact players who might get us that top six for next season? As opposed to the long term investments who will come good a few years down the line? At least with Proctor you know he can play, you're not living in hope that one day he will make it.

Yes it is a balancing act.

I'm loving the idea of a top 6 finish but, it would be one hell of an improvement, especially given the number of high earners that have gone and not yet been replaced.
Hope you're right though

Unlike last season then, cos that's exactly what Lineham looked like when he returned against Leeds!! I honestly thought that night that we'd been a player short and found some fat bloke in a pub to wear the shirt.

Lad had just come back from a leg injury he was out for a couple of months with and from what I heard he came back early before he was match ready as we were struggling for wingers at the time. A bit harsh tbf.

He did look fitter at Fev.

Regarding Leeds singing Lisone
Wasn't Dave Fifita also carrying quite a few extra pounds too?
You Wakey fans seemed quite happy with him performance wise despite his excess baggage and I'm sure that Lisone will be a great impact prop for Leeds too whilst not being on Fifita's wage either too
Didn't Carter say that Fifita was the highest ever earner in Wakey's history?
Not a bad wage for a fatty then

As an aside Andrew Fifita has retired so we were never going to get them both here next year.

Funnily enough, reading through the Titans forum, they seem pleased to be rid of Lisone, a few fans on there mentioning Jai Whitbread!