our quotas full, surely they wouldn't go through the trouble of de-registering players and giving out hefty wads of cash to let some NRL players try and win us something when they dont want to play for the club.

Stupid as it sounds I'd rather watch use play with passion and lose every week than win with a bunch of 'all-stars' who have no passion for the club

The club has no ambition to win anymore. The board's focus over the last few years has been Project Stadium and ensuring the club has a future. It's an admirable strategy really and testament to the coaches we've had that we've remained competitive up to now. But it's over as far as winning trophies goes, probably for a good few years as well. We don't have enough quality senior players in the side and next season we'll only really have Roby, Wilkin and Puletua that are top class players. Our pack will be beaten by all the top sides and we've still not sorted the fullback and wing positions which adds to us having only one centre since Talau left.

It'll be interesting to see whether the focus ever switches back to winning trophies again. I must admit I cringed or rather winced when Colquitt insisted we're spending to the limit of the salary cap last week. If that's true we're doing really poorly.

Spot on mate, that's exactly what I've been saying. I think the club still has ambition to win things but trying to do it cheap.

While the stadium has secured our future it's just a shame it's come at such a cost to the team.

The one centre situation is shocking by the club. In all the recruitment has been awful over the last 5 years. We've still brought some good players in like TP, sia, perry, shenton and lms but it's the lack of strike players, x factor players that's put us out the top 3.

Jeez. Saddened! and Pete should get a room. They can then drink each other into a vortex of depression and gloom, and leave the rest of us to hold on to some hope!

I agree. Some hilarious comments.

Only if your team's name is Warrington

When were in our brand new spanking stadium while being fighting to make the playoffs at least we can say we've done it with youth.

Well we seem to be doing fine with the youth at the minute. Running fourth in the comp, with a possibility of catching third, maybe second. We're in the quarters of the Challenge cup. Doesn't seem to bad to me. I think it was Alan Hansen who said you never win anything with youth, I think Sir Alex and the lads proved that is not the case. Lets just wait and see how it goes before we cast off these youngsters as not good enough to wear the red Vee

I was about to disagree with you and then spotted the Flannery re-signs thread.

Now I can understand your thinking

Physical maturity plays a much bigger part in RL, though. Too many kids (unless they're physical freaks) in one squad mean they'll just get pushed off the park.

Am I correct in thinking that who ever you sign from now on has to be British, because you overseas quota for next year is already full?

I think so - Perry/Lance/Laffranchi/Soliola/TP = 5 non-fed.

Flannery/Meli signed pre-08 so don't count on the non-fed quota.

Anyone know what the 2008 non-fed cut off date was? TP signed in April 2008 I think. If TP is exempt, then we have a space, otherwise we're done.

I hope we're done anyway - 7 is 2 too many in my opinion and the sooner the exemptions all expire the better.

Other than Griffin I'm not aware of any "decent" British props available for next year. So if he does indeed choose Leeds over yourselves, I'm intrigued as to who you'll sign, if anyone.

Because looking at Saints squad next year, your certainly short a prop IMO.

They don't need a game breaker, we just need someone who's heavy and hard working to carrythings on for 40 minutes a game. That why I mentioned Dowes, who's OOC.

Perry/LMS/Laffranchi/Clough are our front 4 and we certainly need someone else alongside Magennis/TP who can step in.

Starting pack and bench still v strong IMO, but sorely lacking after that (sound familiar?!)

Perry
Roby
Laffranchi
Soliola
Flannery
Wilkin

LMS
TP
Clough
Moore

2 or 3 injuries in the pack would cause problems.

Dowes is not a bad call. Does suffer from quite a lot of injury's though. Is that a quality you look for in new recruit's?

A little underwhelming if anything though after losing Graham to the NRL and with it being your maiden season in the new stadium.



Yeah you right you've no real depth after that. Like you say good starters.. Correct me If I'm wrong but isn't Laffranchi a backrower as opposed to a prop?

When I read that you resigned Flannery I was a little mystified. But having seen your short on numbers as it is, I can fully understand why he's being kept on.

Has played both at Gold Coast, been signed to play prop though.

I think it's fair to say he's best known as a back rower and most of his rugby has been played there.

Will be interesting to see how he goes for us at prop, haven't seen much of him at prop in the NRL (flaming Virgin Media doesn't carry Premier Sports).

I think he can play both, but Royce likes to start a prop at 13, so I think you'll find Laffranchi starting here and playing up the middle, perhaps for extended minutes. Our lack of depth combined with the fact that royce starts 3 props means we're getting very little impact off the bench from our junior backrows.
You could get by with 3 props starting and 1 on the bench if your had 2 muscular backrows to bring on, but at the moment our bench is scott moore (who does up the auntie when he's introduce), a back and then two of Ashurst/Dixon/Magennis. This lack of strength is crucifying us in the big games imo.

Good post. I think looking at your pack next year, the above's the only way to go for you guy's.

OT: I know it's a tactic that's slowly creeping into our game, but I must say I'm not a fan of playing props at 13. I know Gallen plays it for club and country in Auz, and successfully. But good loose forwards are hard to find as it is. I really hope this isn't the death knell for lock forwards. It really would be a shame to see the likes of Farrel, Sculthorpe and Lockers disappear from our game.

After all there's already concerns that our games becoming to monotonous as it is. Another grunter at 13 isn't going to help rugby league's course.

Incidentally there's cracking article by Millward in this week's League Weekly about Lockers and the role a good 13 can provide to a team.

Royce has not ruled out any new signings but he needs to tie up the youngsters to new deals first before looking?

Interesting terminology used. Has not ruled out new signings. Plural. I like plurality.

I'd tie up the youngsters for them. Give Lomax an increase and a 9 year deal. Give Foster a slight increase, paid in Brylcreme over 5 years and give Makinson a 9 year deal on a slight increase.

If they give old biscuit bones Wheeler McVitie a new deal I'll vomit.

So essentially we've got as much cap room as any club but have let all the decent players go to other clubs because we've not even been looking yet. Is there a facepalm smilie?

Indeed, although the 13 spot is just a number. Wilkin has been given more licence this year than under potter even though he's not named at loose.
We also only start with 3 props, he doesn't tend to keep 3 on for 80 minutes, but for the start and normally a short period in the 2nd half.

Hows this one?