When I've watched him for Huddersfield he's done OK, still young and developing would be a good squad player with the time and potential to continue improving.

There are very few backrowers wouldn't have to make way for Bateman. Jack Hughes was very promising at 18 and spoke highly of.

He's going ok tonight vs Stains apart from a crap pass after a class break

That play sums Hughes up in a nutshell, he will make the break but at the end of the break there is either an error or a wrong decision, he is probably the most frustrating player I have ever watched. I

Played (started?) every game for a top 4 (6?) team this season. He's good enough for a top team, but worth investing in when we have Laithwaite, Philbin, Wilde, Currie etc plus the older boys in Harrison, Grix, Westwood. I'm not sure.

Maybe Hughes could be a back row replacement as Westwood plays as a third prop, replacing Harrison?

Think he will be a regular next season. Can see Ben Harrison as bench prop as he is too slow now for 13 and we might have to rest Westwood more to keep in fresh at his stage of career. Although James Laithwaite is a useful squad member, I can't recall a break he has made all year and Hughes would be a good foil for Currie. Still room for Philbin and Wilde to further their careers with well managed workloads.

Athletic back rower in his early 20's, a good player now who should only get better.

I was very underwhelmed when he signed for us at the beginning of the year. However he has been solid for us and I will be sad to see him go.

Don't know how cheap he will be though, I believe he has signed for you rather than us because you offered him more cash.

Looks a good signing from what I've seen

If we have signed him then I will begin to believe the rumour that Grix is retiring and Harrison is out bound to Wakey. We will need the cover as Philbin and Wilde cant be expected to front up every week just yet, but sharing the load with Hughes will give a lot of development time.

Why? Jack Hughes is a back rower. Grix is a loose and Harrison a prop.

First I've heard of either rumour. Grix is one of our best players when he's fit, Harrison is (no disrespect) a lot better than Wakefield. Agree with the above that I don't think if we signed Hughes it would mean anything towards these rumours.

Philbins build will see him migrate to prop just as Harrison did, short term he will be a back rower. No one knows who the loose will be, we may continue with the third prop or revert to a ball playing loose? We do seem to be stacking up on back row/loose potential

When these two lads are fit they are two of our five best players.

I don't see those moving out. Only players out of contract generally move on.

Harrison is one of those players you wouldn't miss until he'd gone. His defence is awesome and he's got great hands.

Harrison is a big miss when he doesn't play as he adds size to our pack.

However look at the amount of minutes he now plays during the match and you might just start to question his continued selection. Particularly if the number of substitutions start to decrease.

Yes, there has been no rumours about a new prop coming in, so that could well be Smith's intentions for next year.

I would still like to see us bringing in an ugly troll though to beef up the front row. We are a bit too sanitised at the moment.

I'd have Moz back for one last hurrah.

I think Moz was one of the most important signings the club has made in the recent past. His captaincy, on field presence, big hits and sheer presence was the cornerstone of the pack. I think he also made potential recruits sit up and take notice of the team building going on at the club. But he will be 39 next year, and the last time I saw him play for Salford he was that slow he was overtaken by a crisp packet tumbling down the field in the gentle summer breeze. Time to depart stage left and leave us with memories of his 'last of the summer wine' stint at the HJ rather than spoil all those memories methinks.

W/O he'd still be more effective than Big Roy for sure. I would only spell him to 10/15 mins per half but exactly like you said, his aurora would lift everyone back to professionalism of the highest order in all areas, including the management.

When Boyd did in his last hurrah, regardless how effectively near finished he was, the buzz around the place went up ten fold the second he, with his bandages, stood up from the dug out. Happy days.

Whilst you're not talking complete borealis, I agree with Winslade to a certain extent. We certainly had the best of Morley and although if you look at the Salford board there are plenty that want him to go another year for the reasons that you state, however we need to look to the future IMO.

The one last hurrah scenario might of put us back a year or two in transition (hindsight I know) as TS tried to win the GF with 'that' side?

Incidentally his stats are remarkably similar to Benny Westwoods and he is the top tackler at Huddersfield www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player_stats

Incidentally his stats are remarkably similar to Benny Westwoods and he is the top tackler at Huddersfield www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player_stats

And near the top of the Pile for marker tackles. Ruck defence is awesome