[quote="bonaire":1izckq7r]But we could be in the battle for a top four position in 2026 if we can add three quality players at centre,second and front row. Lack of real pace is still an issue but a quality centre would give us a decent backline with the two wings we have and Moy/Rapana fighting for the full back role or even moving Rapana to centre. Adding a couple of big name powerhouses to the forwards would make a huge difference but as i said we cant do any of this for 2026 without moving several of the 2025 signings on and possibly only Sao moving on if Cartwright extends would give us just one quota spot as it stands Understand adding experience for 2025 to try and stabilize the clubs on field perfomance but there seems no strategy for 2026 given what is likely to be a lack of quota spots.and cap space[/quote:1izckq7r] Of course there will be a strategy but their focus publicly at this time (and rightly so IMO) is on the upcoming season and the work that has been done to improve things at the club through a new head coach, staff, players, facilities and owner. In fact that is probably part of the strategy for 2026 when you think about it. They're doing a lot of PR work and it won't just be aimed at us fans but at the wider sport as a whole. As has been mentioned by others, our situation in recent seasons likely means that we aren't in a position to sign top quality players not just because of where we have finished in the table but also because the club will have developed a reputation over it's facilities, attitude etc. Putting on a PR front will help make us more attractive. But the biggest thing that is going to make us more attractive is improving ourselves on the field. You mention that our signings for 2025 are to try and stabilise the club's on field performances which is a fair assessment but maybe the price we have had to pay to do that is these two/three year deals for players and that will hinder our 2026 recruitment. Maybe the club don't want to run before they can walk and we find ourselves in a position similar to 2014 and 2015 where we also didn't have a lot of room and manoeuvrability on the cap/quota but work was done to change that for 2026. Maybe the long term strategy is for 2027, not just in terms of getting our youngsters developed and ready but also in terms of improving our position for recruitment but that requires a different shorter term strategy that includes what we are able to do in 2026. Or maybe they are planning on ending a few contracts early for 2026 recruitment. Who knows? It's all if's, but's and maybes right now. Anything can happen and with FC it frequently does. Let's just get behind the club and enjoy the ride.

[quote="Jake the Peg":18cxirsz]I don't disagree with the decision but I'm not sure we should be allowing a player to start pre season then paying him off. We surely knew some time before he wasn't in our plans so why not let him know early before everyone else spent on other players[/quote:18cxirsz] Maybe we did. Let's not forget that this is just Walker's side of the story we're hearing at the moment. I think we heard from Myler at the time talking about it being a difficult and hard decision to make. And wasn't his agent talking months before hand about not expecting him to be at FC in 2025? If I was to hazard a guess, we probably told Walker and his agent months ago that he was free to find another club (probably the same with Morgan Smith and Liam Tindall) and when no offers presented themselves, Myler's then had to take the decision to pay off their contracts. Someone also mentioned that they are surprised that no Championship club has come in for him, but Walker himself says he's confident he can play Super League so perhaps he's been holding out for a contract offer from one of the other clubs and will have to adjust his sights going forward. I do have sympathy for his situation. It's harsh. But I have to echo what a lot of others are saying in that I fell that it's the right decision for the club and one that the club wouldn't have taken previously.

Walker has been at four clubs in the last three seasons and none seem to require his services.

If he's as good as his agent seems to think he is , Then He'll be signing for Penrith anytime soon !! Personally , I think he's a decent player but not the player his agent seems to think he is , Maybe Walker needs to stop reading his headlines . As COYH says , 4 clubs and nobody wants to sign him , They must be something there keeping the clubs from going anywhere near him . I hope he sorts a club out soon though .

[quote="B0NES":2239qn1o]If he's as good as his agent seems to think he is , Then He'll be signing for Penrith anytime soon !! Personally , I think he's a decent player but not the player his agent seems to think he is , Maybe Walker needs to stop reading his headlines . As COYH says , 4 clubs and nobody wants to sign him , [quote:2239qn1o]They must be something there keeping the clubs from going anywhere near him[/quote:2239qn1o] . I hope he sorts a club out soon though .[/quote:2239qn1o] You would have to assume his track record injury wise won't be helping his cause. Squad management is so important these days, players being unavailable for whatever reason can have a major effect on how a club's season may pan out. The clubs who get these kind of decisions right tend to the ones who have the successful seasons. Squad recruitment/management has been one of our (many) failings over recent years. I feel for Walker as he is still more than capable of being a decent SL player, he showed it for us on occasion even through the mayhem of last year, but I have a feeling club's are viewing him as too big a risk especially if he's angling for a sizable salary. If he continues spending as much time on the treatment table as he does on the pitch it can become a hindrance to a club's hopes and ambitions. It's hardly his fault that he's developed a habit of breaking down at inopportune moments but, unfortunately for him, elite sport is a fairly ruthless business today, those that take the hard decisions even when they may be unpopular are the ones who tend to thrive as hard as it may sound and appear. Walker (and his agent) may find they have to lower their sights, and demands, in order to secure a deal with someone. Like I said, it's become a brutal business with little room for sentiment these days.

[quote="Jake the Peg":2xhkcop0]I don't disagree with the decision but I'm not sure we should be allowing a player to start pre season then paying him off. We surely knew some time before he wasn't in our plans so why not let him know early before everyone else spent on other players[/quote:2xhkcop0] To be fair I think it was obvious he was told he was free to find a new club a long time ago along with Sutcliffe and Trueman. It’s still not nice for the lad the situation he’s in as he comes across as a good lad and pro but there’s no way it was out the blue to him, his agent publicly said so months ago. There’s always loads of examples of contracted players looking to make moves like Clifford last year, so it can work both ways.