it looks like recruitment has pretty much come to an end (unless we have a couple more signings up our sleeve), with kear saying that chisholm is one of the last pieces of the puzzle, so what does your strongest starting line up look like?

McNally
Ryan
Webster
Gibson
Hitchcox
Keyes
Chisholm/Lilley
Crossley
Wildie
Green
Garside
Minchella
Wood

Bench
Flanagan
Peltier
Bustin
Farrell

Couldn't decide between Dane and Lilley.

I think, going by what's been said when Hala left, that Lilley will be possibly be used more at 9. He certainly seemed to be starting to flourish there at the back end of the season

There is a centre tba I think

There was a tweet from the club a couple of days ago saying something along the lines of us having 15 homegrown players in our squad for next season, anyone see it?

I've taken a quick look at the 2019 squad thread and I count more than 15, I was wondering if anyone could try and work out who the 15 might be?

I can see 18 in the squad list in the sticky thread. Depends on their criteria. Only 11 have played a first team game.

My 1st choice line up would be:

McNally
Hitchcox
Gibson
Webster
Ryan
Keyes
Chisholm
Crossley
Wildie
Bustin
Farrell
Minchella
Wood

Lilley
Peltier
Green
Garside

Anyone think Webster could be made Captain for the coming season, the Team lacked cohesion at times for varying reasons. Crossley reminded me of Andy Lynch, a better Club Captain than Team one!

Looks like a decent championship side that tbf, although I have not seen much of your pack - What are your expectations for the 2019 season?

I'd say mid table is possible. Kear is aiming for top 5 but I'd be surprised and delighted if we managed that. Staying up is the priority but I think we'll manage that.

Ideally I'd have the halfback or hooker as captain but none of the current players in those position are skipper material as yet.

Not sure how much of a talker Webster is.

I'll be amazed if Crossley isn't the captain next season.

FWIW my 17 would be

McNally/Pickersgill
Hitchcox
Webster
Oakes/Gibson
Ryan
Keyes
Chisholm
Crossley
Wildie
Green
Farrell/Storton
Garside/Minchella
Wood/Hallas/Minchella

Bustin
Peltier
Flanagan/Lilley
Hallas/Storton/Wood

As you can see I'm struggling to pick our starting pack! Always good to have options I suppose

who would you see the top 5 ending up being?
toronto - widnes - toulouse - halifax

but who else?

you would expect us to be beating the likes of rochdale and swinton

barrow, dewsbury, sheffield, york and batley we should be at least competitive with

which just leads us with fev and leigh. and who knows how strong they are going to be, especially leigh, who dont know who is going to playing for them next season

so that last top 5 spot does seem up for grabs

For the first time in a long while we look strong up front. I was a bit concerned about the lack of mongrel a while back but I think some players have grown up and become less of a soft touch. Take Mikey Wood, he's really come on and puts himself about a bit now.

The central funding allocation in this division makes me really nervous.
I think there are plans to level the funding out a bit but I still get anxious thinking about what we've budgeted for compared to where we actually end up.
You only need to look at Leigh (and ourselves a couple of years ago) to see what can happen when you get it wrong.

im hoping pickersgill gets more games over mcnally
and i want to see more of storton too, he really impressed when he came in towards the end of the season

I think Fev will be in the same group as us Barrow, Dewsbury, Batley, Sheffield and York. Probably the upper end because even though they've lost a few players they're accustomed to this level and have recruited a few decent players too in the Boas brothers.

Poor Leigh look like they're doomed unless they can rustle up a squad from somewhere quick.

i do feel very sorry for the leigh fans. it feels too close to what we have had to go through in the past

doesnt it feel nice to be having a pre season where we can discuss the first team, instead of not knowing if we will actually have a team

I think the levelling out of the central allocations should mean less of a cliff edge for clubs, provided the owner hasn’t gone all in on a bid for promotion. I think we’re in a better position as we’ll get a bigger allocation in 2019 and again in 2020 provided we don’t get relegated.



I think Storton is probably just behind Minchella, Farrell and Garside for a spot. He’s done really well considering he’s had some bad injuries. John Bastian thinks he’ll do really well with the benefit of tough pre season training. He’ll be in the 19 man squad often enough I reckon.

At fullback I think there’ll be some really healthy competition. If McNally can get fully fit he still gets the nod for me.

Pickersgill
Hitchcox
Webster
Gibson
Ryan
Keyes
Chisholm
Crossley
Wildie
magrin
Farrell
Storton
Minchella

Bustin
Peltier
Flanagan
Wood

close call between green and magrin

I would think Crossley will be captain, with my lad vice captain, as it was for last couple of month of this season. Not heard anything that’s just my opinion

in your first 17, would you have your lad at SR or LF?

Top 5 for me this year:

Toronto
Widnes
Toulouse
Halifax
Bradford

I think this year with a fairly stable good team we have a really decent chance teams such as fev and Dewsbury and Sheffield have had massive turnovers of players we have been stable though fev I admit have got the boas brothers they have a young squad and though there forwards look big, playing in the Academy and having Ross Peltier running at you he’ll for leather on a cold rainy February are 2 different things

Sub.

I think he’s better at loose with the freedom it gives him to roam about, but having said that a lot of his tries backing up this season were from 2nd row. I do think he’s a better loose than a 2nd row though

No comparison in my opinion. Green seriously impressed me in the short time he was with us this year. Magrin is solid if unspectacular. Green has a dangerous offloading game as well as some decent mongrel returning the ball. Obviously all about opinion, be a boring place if we all shared the same. I think Bustin will be the one competing with magrin for the 4th prop spot. Be interesting how he steps up to the championship (not that im doubting he can) as all his first team experience has been in league 1 so far

McNally definitely to start the season and hopefully he has better luck with injuries this time. Pickersgill could well be first choice FB by the end of the season.

McNally
Hitchcox
Webster
Gibson
Ryan
Keyes
Chisholm
Crossley
Wildie
Green
Minchella
Storton
Wood

Peltier
Bustin
Farrell
Flanagan

Not as easy as it looks is it!