You say this with such conviction... To bad it's such a stupid.... (Strong word but relevant) ... plan!

So stupid it ranks on the all time stupid list!

Bottom two ... London and either Cas, Wakey, Widnes, Bulls ... Not too convinced by Salfords recruitment and they also could be pulled into the mix.

how do you fairly distribute 29 games, if none are played at a neutral ground? the Magic Weekend fits better under this system than it does currently.

I think Salford could sneak in to the 8. I think the 6 is a reach, but I see no reason they couldn’t sneak in to the 8. They have a better first 13 than a few of the teams around them, they will drop a few points whilst they get used to each other, but if Brian Noble can take that Crusaders squad and get them in the 8, there is no reason he can’t do it with this Salford one.

I think we will see Cas, Wakefield, Bradford (dependent on squad) London fighting for survival, 2 of those to be relegated. I think Widnes will be safe.

I think Salford are above those 5, which would only mean finishing above one of Les Catalans, Hull, Hull KR. And they are in the 8. Im not sure how weak their squad is in terms of depth compared to those three.

I agree, I think currently they have a weaker squad than Catalans, Hull and Hull KR, which is why I think getting 8th would be a very good season for Salford but I'd be very surprised if they made it as high as 6th. The top 5 are nailed on (Leeds, Wigan, Saints, Warrington & Hudds) and Salford would have to have an amazing season with virtually no injuries, while Catalans, Hull & Hull KR would have to do poorly in order for Salford to get as high as 6th in my opinion.

Without wishing to put words into northmanchesterdevil's mouth (and then doing exactly that), you're making a number of assumptions here:

1. Salford had all senior players available at all times last season, and didn't have to resort to playing academy players who just weren't ready.
2. All those senior players let them down.
3. All the senior players who let them down have been retained, and now occupy the lower places in the squad.

I suspect you don't know whether any of these is true (why would you?), which is why s/he suggests you need look at the squad itself rather than just jumping to a conclusion.

13. Widnes
14. Wigan

This is what I don't get about Salfords recruitment though, why release your top try scorer for the last 5 (?) years and sign a 34 year old from saints on way more money to replace him?

Anyway I'm diverging, whilst I don't know whether the above is true (as you said why would I, I mean this is why all fans have differing opinions, because we all see different things even in the same game!) but if i look down 18 - 25 to Salford, (I confess I used google to do so) I struggle to see who is going to push the first team squad for a place, and subsequently, whose going to be able to step up in the case of a few injuries. Then when you compare it, for example, with hull fcs squad (who are also looking for 6th ... Probably) and looking at the 18 - 25 is a lot stronger, with people who will probably be looking to get into the team and stay there (Pitts and Shaul the obvious example) even without injurys letting them on the pitch

We didn't release Broughton though did we? I spoke to his Dad last year and he told me that Jodie was offered either a 1 or 2 year deal (sorry can't remember now which it was) with us on similar money to what he was already on but Jodie wanted a much longer deal, the club and him couldn't agree terms and the Giants offered the deal he was looking for, so he left. Meli is probably not his like for like replacement, Greg Johnson is to be honest, he's just as fast as Broughton and Noble is already predicting big things for him.

I don't doubt an offer was made, and tbh given the numbers that have flown round about what various players are getting paid at Salford next year it's no surpise he refused similar money. But an increased offer would still been far less than meli and help bolster the squad - accepting I just went from the squad list of Sa'u and meli (Sa'u I can understand as a signing, and I think him and broughton on the wings would of been as good as anything for next year) - how the new younger players develop I don't know.

As I said though this is diverging from the point of the thread

Broughton was off Contract at the end of 2013, Noble wanted him to stay but he wanted a ' new challenge ' after 4 years at the Club . Meli was brought in on a 12 month deal so is not strictly his replacement , and with Meli, Morley & other squad players deals ending in 2014 , it allows the owner to continue to ' build ' for 2015.
Funnily broughton came in as a free agent in 2010 after being deemed surplus by Leeds & Hull FC.
Aswell as the aforemention Johnson , we have Jon Ford & Niall Evalds capable of staking a claim for a wing spot + 2-3 good prospects from our U19's .
next season was all about re-establishing the club with experience & better all round quality but still allowing progression.

A 34 year old from Saints on more money? I spy another assumption. Do you know for a fact that he's on more money?

Anyway, if you look down 18-25, straight away, at 18, you hit Harrison Hansen. I think he'll be pushing for a first team place, don't you? At 19 you'll see Matty Ashurst, who pushed for and achieved a first team place last season, being one of the first choice second-rowers and playing in pretty much every game (he's one of the ones who didn't let us down). At 20, Adam Walne, played a whole bunch of games at prop in the second half of the season. Stuart Howarth spent the season on loan at Saints and played I don't know 15? times at hooker for them... and on and on.

Let's be honest, you don't know a great deal about the players in Salford's squad beyond the first 17 (18 really), just as I don't know a great deal about the players beyond 17ish in the Hull squad. Where we differ is that I'm not assuming that all those players at Hull who I haven't heard about are just not good enough.

He's told a lot of saints fans just how much he's on. Even an exaggerated number assumption still has meant you'll never find any post by me saying I wish we would of kept him (I still think he has a good few years in him, and has definitely found his groove after a shakes start, but no way would I have matched the supposed offer from Salford)

Anyway, that's a digression on my behalf, Hansen I assume will go straight into your starting line up, and had the deal been done sooner would have a squad number to reflect so. I would imagine McPherson would be the drop out (I don't know) and as a straight comparison with Pitts at hull who would you rather have in your squad?

Ashurst is a major disappointment for me as a saints fan, I saw him come in and show all the promise in the world (as with Dixon) only to never seem to push on past the new kid. Unless drastic changes happened without me noticing last season he wouldn't get near a top 8 team (if you combined ashurst and Dixon, taking ashursts size and Dixons line running then your on to a winner!)

Walne, I don't know a lot about fair enough.

Howarth was the most shockingly bad hooker I have ever seen in a saints shirt (and I've seen Scott Moore) if your argument of quality replacements rest on him then you ain't gonna ever convince me.

I don't know a lot about the batley duo, and from what I have heard, potential is the most common adjective, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are going to be ready next year etc etc

Saying other youngsters to come through etc that I don't know about, that's also true of every other club - Salford haven't done a lot to convince me the youngsters who I don't know are going to rip it up. Wigan have, Leeds have etc

Surprisingly, I do like to be a little informed.

Hmm, so you imagine that McPherson would drop out whilst saying you don't know, then ask us to make a straight comparison between him and Jay Pitts at Hull as to which we would prefer in our (weak) 2014 squad (I assume you were smugly thinking that we would all see how right you were)? Then, despite finishing your flourish by saying that you like to be a little informed, you missed the fact that McPherson has over 90 NRL games under his belt for the Rabbitohs? An easy answer for us Salford fans I reckon and aptly demonstrates your lack of knowledge.

And played 22 games last year and did nothing to stop you finishing bottom?

If we're going off former calibre josh perry, state of origin and australian international, grand final winner and manly stalwart, was the greatest player for saints for the last few years ... Right?

Anyway it's an irrelevant argument, because according to koukash you guys are aiming for 4th - so maybe we could compare it to the saints squad instead?

7/8th is a good and achievable target for Salford next season (as I said in my first post on the matter) that doesn't mean it's going to be as easy as some Salford fans think, and people are allowed to have question marks over the depth of your squad

I'm not sure why a few Salford fans are so defensive over this.

Oh come on, it's chalk and cheese that you're talking here - last year he would have been an automatic choice because he's quality in a team that had very little quality, strength or depth, you could have put Sam Burgess in our side last year and we'd still have been battered by the large majority of sides, now we're talking about whether he'd make the first 17 and whether he would be good cover for injuries! It's a completely different scenario and you know it.

FWIW, I agree that 7th or 8th is a good and achievable target for next year and I also agree that it's not going to be easy but anyone who thinks that the personnel we retained from last year are automatic dead-beats just because they were in a side that finished bottom is making a mighty big assumption.

I agree entirely that it's totally different given the new personall around, and some players will find a new lease of life.

I've not once said anyone in the Salford squad are dead beats (minus ashurst and howarth, as I've had the misfortune of seeing them in a saints shirt) - all I have said is the quality is lower than in others pushing for the playoffs. That's not to say McPherson, or ashurst or whoever, wouldn't get into any other team in superleague, on the contrary, they'd probably do very well in Bradford or London or wherever, but the gulf in quality between the top and bottom is absolutely massive.

Let's be honest, if Wigan had 2 teams competing in superleague they wouldn't finish bottom (and that pains me as a saints fan) - but that depth is indicative of what it takes - which is why a lot of teams this year have announced squad numbers well into the 30s - and why I just don't feel Salford can match that if injurys come along

Can someone please predict their bottom 2 and stop this nonsense.

If Bradford sort themselves out

13 Wakey
14 London

if they implode

13 Bradford
14 London

The RFL will sort out Bradford's problems and ensure they don't finish in the bottom two.
Bottom - London
13th Widnes.

the times they are a changing....

when I joined these boards the above post would have read...


....well...apart from the Widnes bit

You'd have to think that with 5 weeks to go till the start of the season and London still not having enough players to field a 17 they are going to struggle. Any signings now are going to be hard to gel into a team in a few weeks with only a couple of practice games.

So I would put London in 14th

13th is anybodys guess really
Wakey - have a fairly strong starting 17 (assuming that our new signings get their visas sorted at some point, but we like London will struggle to get them much game time together before the season starts). We are still a couple of players short (a three quarter and a half back imo) but there are deals being worked on.
Cas - have more depth but have lost the one player who copuld win them a game on their own. A lot will depend on keeping Seymour's mind on the job and him hopefully not experiencing the problems he has had in the recent past.
Bradford - as per usual they look to have a reasonable squad but it is one they cannot afford so will depend on whether they bite the bullet and make some savings or blunder on irresponsibly again in the hope that they won't be allowed to fold mid-season.
Widnes - I'll be honest, I haven't seen much about them from a recruitment point of view so hard to say. They have lost Hock which could be a blessing in disguise as he was shocking last season. I would guess they will fare about as well as last year, so will be hovering in around the drop zone.
Salford - they have the potential to do well but I have doubts about whether Chase and Smith will work effectively together. They are also reliant on a lot of older players who may struggle if they pick up injuries.

If the 2x12 3x8 format ever sees the light of day the MM weekend wood be a perfect way to start the second phase of the season, then it’s a fair three home game and three away games rather than some clubs having four and some having three.

I would agree with that and have said so for a while. Play 22 games then split. Then have the 1st round of the 3x8's as some kind of magic weekend do. 2 SL1 games and 2 SL2 games on each day, leaving clubs with 3 home and 3 away games each to complete the "mini season".

To be honest the 2x12, 3x8 format is a bit convoluted for my liking. The whole idea of (after the split) SL1 and SL3 retaining competition points already gained and SL2 restarting with 0 points for a mini league of 7 games is just a bit bizarre but I guess is the only way it can actually work.

From the presentation that Blake Solly and Ralph Rimmer gave to groups of fans last year the proposal in the middle tier is that the 4 clubs coming up into the middle 8 will get 4 home games and the 4 clubs going down into the middle 8 will only get 3.

Without wishing to be accused of de-railing this thread again for which I apologise in advance but I can't resist asking you Fordy, because I'm just naturally curious, about whether you [ireally[/i believe that Salford have recruited that badly that they will be serious contenders for the 13th spot or did you just want to comment generally on whether our half backs will gel and our apparent reliance on 'older players'?

And, just for clarity, I'm only responding to this because if this topic had appeared at the same time last year I would have told everyone that we were nailed on for the 14th spot and would consider 13th a bonus but this year I just can't understand how anyone can be talking about Salford in terms of a topic titled as it is.