Ellis is an inspirational figure and player and will give us something we have lacked since he retired and that is a genuine leader. When he was on the pitch he drove the players around him on they played that extra percentage, no one has taken on that mantle not have we replaced this in the squad. To be quite honest we seem to have gone back to a team loaded mainly with average players which hasn't been improved by the signings of MDJ, Thompson or Nzoungou (no disrespect) but they are not going to improve us from the position we are in.

What is really indicative and pretty much confirms what is already pretty obvious is how poor the recruitment really has been that even after a year out he is still a better option to have in the 19 (possibly the 17) than anyone else we have in the current squad.

Chris71, As you say a truly inspirational leader, magnificent in fact, on this occasion I can’t blame the club for trying to turn back time.

What an effing joke this club has become

Not playing either Levy or Langtree when times like this is why they was signed says either theyre not good enough or the club dont want to play them for salary cap reasons - either way it was pointless bringing them in

Radford needs to go asap as hes finished as a head coach. He had one trick that worked for two years with a lot of help from Tonys recruitment and Ellis already been here - Without those two we are utterly useless

Good call. Eddie at prop, maybe?

Yep, 9 super league title winner, 4 challenge cup medals, world club challenge winner an 11 times dream team player......But just decent

The club should be totally embarrassed by the need to bring a 37yr old out of a 2 year retirement because the retention and recruitment in the off season was a complete shambles!
We knew Green and Bowden would miss the first few months and neither are really top drawer anyway. Did we really expect Taylor to carry the rest of the pack in every single game and never miss a match! The first time he is not available we suddenly realise what most fans have said for six months ..our forwards ain't good enough and resort to asking Ellis to try bale us out!
Good luck to Ellis on Sunday and I'll be cheering him on but serious questions need to be asked of who is responsible for this fiasco. Is James Clark up to the job if he's in Motu's shoes now? The club seem to have taken the fans for fools this season as it's looking like a write off already. We were told the grand plan moving forward was no wholesale changes in one go but already next season we are looking at a massive upheaval with Manu, Mini, Paea, Kelly, Talanoa, Washbrook plus more likely to go. WTF is going on?

First we're told Manu, Mini, Paea, Talanoa, Washbrook weren't worth keeping, now we're told "we are looking at a massive upheaval".

ps Kelly contracted for 2020.

Upheaval in terms of numbers of turnover in personel, nor in terms of quality.
Losing a couple of players and bringing in a couple every close season is one thing, but wholesale changes of half a dozen or more is quite another!

bienek to batley to give room on the cap for ellis and the new winger. Does that mean he's there for the season now the same as when hadley was farmed out to wakefield? Doesn;t ellis' full salary now count on the cap?

The club is a shambles

That's what I thought. Ellis's salary must count on the cap, otherwise every club could appoint a recently retired player as a coach and play him if needed?

Schofield was right

about what?

I think you will also find we now send two on long term loan to Doncaster to free up a little more cap.
Just what was the point of signing four average players so we can operate a reserve squad when we are so tight on the cap and we will play a match every two weeks at best against poor opposition.Wakefield is the only other Super League team to have a reserve squad but apart from two or three players they fielded young kids so its hardly a tough game.
The deal with Batley to loan Bienek was done weeks ago so now he is fit to play for them thats why we are only now able to sign Ratu.
I agree with you the club at the moment is a shambles.