I take it from your post, you're happy about your lack of youngsters coming through who can play the pivotal positions. So, you would rather have an import who isn't good enough to get into your first 13, taking a large salary, than producing your own talent capable of pressuring your first team.

Also if you lose LH through injury and one of your starting players in those positions, then by your own admission you have no cover! I'd much rather have our exciting set of young players who between them can cover all the pivotal positions.

You say LH won over the fans last season, well going by how everyone on your board are wetting their pants over Burns, i don't think he's that highly regarded by your own fans. Yes i know you won LLS and GF, but your recruitment of Burns shows that the club know they had a lack of cover, just like Wigans recruitment of 3 props show to me we needed improvement in that area.

Overall, i don't think there was much between Wigan, Saints and Wire last season, any of the 3 could have won it, your Chairmans song and dance over not choosing them, showed that you were worried they could beat you. I don't see the winners of the GF coming from outside those 3 again.

Quote ="The Yellow Giraffe"Game. Set. Match.'" m.rlfans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=564630 Just for you and Paul, opinions from the Wire fans.

Quote ="The Yellow Giraffe"Game. Set. Match.'" m.rlfans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=564630 Just for you and Paul, opinions from the Wire fans.

Clark and probably Sims will really improve Wire and I'd put them on a par with Saints and Wigan. They're certainly the weakest of the three of us in the halves but they do have the luxury of a few options so can change things up if needs be. They could probably do with a guy like Ratchford to really step up now and kick on to become a player that leads the side and comes up with match winning moments on a regular basis in tight situations.

I think Wigan have that in Sean O'Loughlin and at times Matty Smith and Saints have go to men like Roby and Walsh who produce that. I look at Wire and I think that responsibility is now going to fall on lads like Ratchford and Clark now that Monaghan and previously Briers have left.

He had a poor game in game 1, but he is a player I have previously said is "one to watch" I wasn't at the second game but two friends who were there described his performance as outstanding.

As you know I generally praise young players, regardless of if they perform well when I see them.

Again I agree. Clark is a fantastic player and Sims is solid and will improve their pack.

I just think when you look at their squad there are still questions marks in some key areas. They have Ratchford, Myler, O'Brien, Bridge and now Wheeler who all fancy themselves as half-backs but there's no obvious partnership there that stands out. I personally think full-back is Ratchford's best position but that then leaves Russell out.

I don't think Smith knows his best combinations and the tinkering around with key positions isn't a good thing in my opinion. I still think they'll be there or thereabouts though but if somebody had a gun to my head now I'd back a Grand Final repeat come October.

I think all of the top clubs have pros and cons which makes the coming season hopefully the most competitive for many years.
Saints - probably best half back pairing in SL with the team confidence probably sky high after last season. The cons being unproven coach and arguably depth of squad.
Wire - good close season signings with top class coach. Cons being still in transition and question marks around their best half back pairings.
Catalan - great squad improvements and strong home form. Cons for me being have they got the confidence to compete well in all games and have they got the right coach?
Leeds - though squad is ageing still wouldn't surprise anyone if they reached another GF. Cons being waste of a quality back line that rarely threatens due to style of play.
Huddersfield - again good acquisitions. Play off history is poor so why would next season be different even with improvements?
Wigan - pace throughout the side plus strength in depth for most positions. Cons being the new half back pairing which I hope delivers but is still very much unproven.
Salford could be a dark horse this year for the top 4 - they have the quality players still unsure if Harris was the right choice for them.
I just wish that Hull had also made more improvements to their squad as I'm a firm believer that as a sport we really do need a strong team on Humberside.
Anyway can't wait for the forthcoming season.