OK we are now at the time of year when rumours start to fly and indeed a few external recruits start to get announced.

The long rumoured signing of Danny Tickle for 2014 has been announced and I notice that a few other players for different clubs are being talked about for 2014, so who else are we expecting to come our way from elsewhere for 2014.

My guess is that DB prefers evolution rather than revolution and there wont be massive numbers (unless some of the contract talks with our own players yet to re-sign go badly and/or we are out-bid by other clubs, for their services).

We know we need an experienced prop (or 2) following the departures of Ben Cross and Ben Davies and one name that has been mentioned a few times is Carvell, who would be a great addition (I remember a bit of excitement at the pre-2012 season game against Swinton, where he came to watch from the sidelines, with a few of us hoping he had been signed for 2012, sadly not!), so he would be a good signing, but no other props seem to have been linked. Maybe Denis is looking for another "left field" signing like Joseph, who most of us were sceptical about but has really grasped his opportunity.

We certainly dont need to recruit a fullback to replace Briscoe, which I assume is why the poor guy isn't getting any game time for us at the moment, but we could do with another centre or wing. The only name I can recall seeing is that of Scott Armstrong who has recently been released by Northampton RU. I have got to say I was surprised by this rumour, since I assume that even a fringe player in RU can command a decent salary, much more that we could offer an untried player in League, but no other names seem to be mentioned (whether Meli will be linked once again is anybodies guess, but I assume he is running down another 12 month contract, so it is likely!)

Injuries and suspensions this year have shown that as well as prop we have struggled to cover the back row adequately and whilst Lawton has shown his potential (and what I particularly like is that try poachers instinct to be in the right place at the right time to get on the end of tries, a la Jimmy Measures). With Tickle coming in almost as a straight swap for Hock, we are probably a back row player short, again no names seem to be knocking around (as with Meli will the Wilkin rumours resurface again?).

The final position where we have been weaker than last season (at least for the McShane period) has been hooker. Clarke has been brilliant but he is no longer the sniping, scooting player he might have been in the past, nor does he have particularly quick distribution. It has been hard to make a judgement about White because he has covered there so rarely this season given the need to cover elsewhere, but his distribution isn't particularly rapid and although he is a deceptive runner he doesn't give the impression of being particularly nippy at scooting away from the PTB. We seem to have earmarked Gore as our potential bench hooker for the future and whilst I can see the merits of shipping him off to Scorpions to hone his skills, he is of an age where I would like to see what he can do for the first team every now and again. No external names have been mentioned although the Club did make attempts to secure McShane, that option must be a very dead duck now he is a first team regular for Leeds. Whether we will make use of our Workington link up and look at their promising hooker Philips I dont know.

So anyone else got any ideas as to who might be coming our way?

The financial position of the club is still very poor, we still cant seem to get above a maximum of 5500 home supporters even though the quality and effort cant be questioned imo. It will be interesting to see what happens with the remaining board positions, they need to be filled in order for us to progress imo. And from that i don't see much going on in the recruitment drive, Tickle was covered by Matt Beech and a straight replacement for Hock, we need a replacement for cross and possibly an outside back depending on what happens with isa and phelps.

Dipping into Australia/New Zealand i cant see, i would expect us to be signing players from this comp but who im not sure. The stability might also do us some good as it did with this season.

I know we have signed a good player for 2 seasons but my lips sealed.Hope hear next week.

Position?

It is out now Cameron Phelps.

Are average this season is 6247 with London, Leeds, Hull KR and castleford left. Not sure what the average was last season but i think it was around the 6000 mark.

Carvell's signed for the Bulls apparently.

harrison hansen is the latest rumour doing the rounds, hopefully it's true.......

He would be a great addition VW, but I would have thought an unlikely one, with Wigan saying they are keen to hang on to him and the NRL seen as his likely destination. If Carvell has gone to the Bulls that would be a disappointment.

Don't get me wrong I would be delighted if Hansen came to us and who knows maybe there are "Shaun Wane issues" there as well, but you would have thought that if Wigan (with their depleted pack after losing Mossop and Hock) wanted to keep him he would stay, unless we are outbidding them significantly.

I would like to see us get Crosby (who could develop into a great front rower as Gerrard has shown) and Logan Tomkins who showed with his speed of pass and darting runs what we have been missing. Sadly I think both are very much in Wane's plans now!

A bit of a cheat that one OTC given we are talking about external recruitment

Looks like Bullseye was correct with Bradford's signing of Carvell now announced. So we will have to look elsewhere for an experienced prop. Good ones are not easy to come by!