To put together a rough starting 13 of what we have so far:

Rapana
Martin
Hardaker
Chamberlain
Briscoe
Abdul
Sezer
Ese'ese
Cust
Aydin
Holmes
Cartwright
Asiata

That is, besides Martin and Ese'ese, a completely new squad to what started round one of this season. It certainly does feel like the "transition period" we seem to have been stuck in for years is coming to an end.

Would I have liked to have seen some more exciting names in that squad? Absolutely. Do I think we still look weak in certain areas? No doubt about it.

But what i will give Myler credit for is that this, for the first time in a while, feels like a completely clean slate. I don't expect that 13 to contend for top 6, but having trying to look at it from an optimist point of view, it is at least a starting point for us to move forward. It is also by far and away better than what we started this season with, not that it was a difficult task.

Asiata, Rapana and by all accounts Hardaker (if you chose to ignore his off-field antics) are good leaders to have within the squad, which is something we have been desperately lacking since Ellis retired.

Gone from a leadership team of Fash, Lane and Houghton to Asiata, Sezer and Rapana.

None have Hull links, all are products of the NRL and are proven winners, covering the back line , halves and forwards. Alongside some experienced SL players who have had plenty of success across the positions. Myler has put a lot of thought into it IMO.

Echoing what others have said - we’re a strike centre short, but on paper we’re a way better side. I actually think Walker could be a could centre, but we won’t do that. I’d like to think we still have some cap space left for another one or two additions.

Dan reporting both done deals as well as Cust.

Ese Ese
Sao
Brown
Ockunbor
Carlos
Hoy
Pele

I challenge anyone to be worse than Okunbur

terrible player. I'd rather have drinkwater

No doubt about it, we will be a different proposition next season.
Really hope Walker stays. I thought he went well at 6 when he played there.
Still expect 2 maybe 3 more to come in.

The tone of Dans article on Rapana/Sezer, to me at least, was that our recruitment was pretty much done.

Maybe we're after a non quota half as abdul hasn't lost any weight yet

Sorry Seb,whilst you can make players fitter you cant get the fitness into 32/35 year olds than you can into players in their mid twenties
This Saga trip is going to explode in the face of the club as the farly long term contracts of these players wont allow the changes to be made for season 2026 and seems to be geared in the hope that we have five or six of the younger players as regular first team players in 2026/7
its pie in the sky and will never happen

No quota spots, nobody available domestically there’s not really anything else that can be done. Rapana aside I still think it’s terrible. We are so far behind everyone else at the minute and there won’t be a part time side next year it needed to be much better.

The context has to be that there’s not a lot available, but I’m not having that there wouldn’t be halfback/dummy half options available better then Cust and Sezer with quota spots. Worryingly I think it might be the coaches choice to go with these as he knows them and trusts them but I don’t think super league and especially the position we are in especially allows for sentiment.