Rawsthorne given 2 year deal according to one of the rugby papers

do we need a second rower for next season?
Hadley, Washbrook, Turgut, Mini, Manu, Thompson (though played as a prop quite often), Fash, Downs
Props;
Watts, Bowden, Taylor, Green, Matongo.
if anything I'd say we need another prop rather than a SR but as I've said previously trusting to the younger/junior squad members and they continue their development and getting playing time is by far the better longer term option IMHO, yes we will need to be looking to replace Minichello (though the rate he is going 2019 isn't out of the question) and indeed giving the likes of Litten some game time too.
IF we do get both JA and Hadley back for 2018 (I don't think we will IMHO) then in all honesty aren't we really looking at a one player, maybe even just bringing through another back/forward from the juniors?

Shaul
Griffin/Rawsthorne
Connor
CT/Logan
Talanoa
Kelly
Sneyd
Taylor
Houghton
Watts
Mini
Manu
Hadley/Thompson/Washbrook

Subs from;
Bowden
Fash
Green
Washbrook/Thompson/Hadley
Matongo
Turgut
Downs
Litten

Retaining Michaels solves some headaches in that he can play either side at centre or wing, we don't know what money he is on but who could we get that is of decent quality to replace if griffin is a non starter on the right and Rawsthorne is out on loan? happy to get Logan going as soon as to see how he's overcome his injury/being dropped from last season but really all depends on what Radford sees in terms of who plays where that works best for the team.

We are quickly approaching the sharp end of the season so decisions on personnel for next season and how we are going to go next season will need to have some serious thinking done.

It proves how much of a good job radders as done with the squad , when you think what he had when he took over . We're getting to the point we're Leeds use to be when they hardly signed much each year which I think is a good sign . Gets you no where signing 5/6 players every season . Saying that though I do think it's good to sign one or two just to freshen things up in the squad which I think is needed for next season .

Indeed, but we MUST avoid not recruiting the next generation, Leigh, Widnes, Leeds and Salford are all showing that a team of "experienced" players only goes so far.

There have been a lot of downs and ups along the way in this 3.5 year period, plenty of mistakes, some down to lack of experience, some down to lack of knowhow/understanding, some bad luck too.
Upsides for me from 2016 and this season (After an appauling 2014 and 2015) is that our attack has improved immeasurably, yes there are games when we've still looked a bit clueless in the opposing 20 but that is starkly different to 2014/15.
Radford this season has identified what he did wrong last season and previously and ensured youngsters are getting plenty of game time and acknowledging that a fresh enthusiastic young un can perform to as good a standard if not better than a jabbed up/physically drained senior/1st choice player if they are given some game time to mature.
Defence has remained stout for the most part though some horrendous lapses this season with massive scorelines though this was a reflection more of where the mentality was of the players. In that aspect we have seen change in the last few games were players have dug deep were previously we have wilted and Radford has to take credit for that.

Maintaining the balance of experience plus youngsters coming through and indeed playing players in their best position/addressing issues is so vital both in terms of outright performance and sustainability financially.
Though nothing is won yet I'm content as to where we are and where we are going, 2014/15 we just looked like a rabble, yes radford was forming his team but comparatively speaking he underperformed hugely compared to genetle in his first two years.
The other aspect of radford is he is finally taking responsibility for when we are not performing, previously he wouldn't, even so far as blaming/turning on the fans which for me was the lowest of the low.

Good point made earlier. We've come a long way as a club when we just have to tweak things now and again.
We also now seem to be a club where players want to stay.

Agreed. Although replacing Ellis and Fonua in the same off season will be challenging to say the least. Good to have Kelly over the line already as the halfback offseason search saga has filled pretty much every one of the last 15 or so.

We can't not replace players of the quality of ellis and fonua with a similar calibre of player or we'll end up like wire with a squad full of average players

Think we have proved we can survive without Ellis, players like Manu have really stepped up, we will miss him and won't get a good a player to replace him, but based on this season we can get a better value for money player, if Ta'ai is available I'd go for him.

Fonua will be harder to replace.

Cant help thinking justin carney is a ready made replacement and will be wearing the black and white next season

Except he's contracted to rovers and the Hull players don't want him after he was banging thompson's sister (in law?)

*Dazzling*
Based on his average tenure at a club you could be right, although 13 games a season's not an amazing return.

Been a big critic of Griffin but he could make the right wing spot his own for next season with a lot more effort and work on his defence.
I would use Griffin this season off the bench as an impact second row and get him used to work and tackling.

Yeh I know all thst, just could see it happening

So can I. He won't be at Rovers next season if they aren't in SL. I'll be amazed if there isn't a clause in his contract that releases him if a SL club comes calling.