Why not? He’s good enough to cover for Wigan warriors in key positions and has great utility value in 3 positions but not Wakefield Trinity?. He’s also improved at half, was instrumental in reserves final and made some good contributions for Wigan when he stepped in this year.

It’s completely irrelevant whether he’s been here or how many clubs he’s been at. Why you would factor those into an opinion I don’t know.

Why would his signing not move us forward? It would certainly enhance the depth and competition for places.

Not seen him play for Wigan this year and what he does in a reserves team isn't good enough if were hoping to be challenging in SL next year ! We need better imo .... tbh is there a pitch wide enough to cope with his sideways runs which usually take out the winger etc .....personally I doubt it . Also think its very relevant how many clubs he's been at and not tied down a regular spot.

It’s not relevant if you’re signing him as a utility player to promote competition for places and provide experienced cover in positions we are short in.

We can’t sign a team of 30 superstars who will all be starting players. You need depth and cover and with experience in some areas.

Hoping to challenge in SL next year!!

Think someone needs to seriously manage their expectations!

We won’t be challenging in SL in 2025, mid table would be an amazing return to the top flight and a realistic target, think are a few years away from hoping to challenge in SL.

I’d take Rocky over Lino every day of the week and twice on match days to be honest with you.

There wouldn’t be that much in it for me between them.

I agree, we are t going to jump into top of SL in 2025 but mid table and slipping into playoffs edges would be a good goal and allow something to build on for 2026.

Agree, I think when people say challenging in SL, it doesn't mean for the GF, IMO it means for the playoffs, generally being competitive in most games and not struggling at the bottom to gain a win. Ideally, it's a season which we can build from and keep the crowds growing. This enables us to turn the heads of other good players because they can see that things have changed at Trinity, as Hull KR and Leigh have done. It's obviously what enticed McMeekan to sign.

Good grief I didn't mean challenging for GF etc .....just in general . Not getting thrashed every week .....challenging for mid table....good cup run etc . To do this I think we need better than Lino and Hampshire imo..

Think this is the problem we got ,too much work and money spent on forwards as left us with a back 7 who as a unit is way too slow and old for S L It wil take more than T J to make us a mid table S L team And the young players we have brought in for the halfs and hooker roll are are year's of S L

I mean I have to disagree.

Jowitt can finish most opportunities, back up well and create overlap. He’s got fairly good speed without being electric.

TJ - if signs hardly any will catch him.

Pratt - looks like he’s got pretty good agility on his feet but he doesn’t look slow.

Walmsley - more in the BJB running style than TJ but has the speed to finish most chances I’d expect.

Speed won’t or shouldn’t be something we lack.

Gale - won’t be in SL so that’s irrelevant.

Lino - more quicker over a short burst than long distance but wouldn’t say he’s slow.

To add to the post above, we already know that the squad is going to look a fair bit different next year, especially as the interview with our Recruitment Manager, Ste Mills, said we've put bids in for 8 players I think he said. one of those was McMeekan I presume. So maybe at least 7 more to come in maybe.

We're probably going to run a squad of around 30 players next season and atm we've got about 21, taking off guys like Gale, McGillvery, Ashurst, Pitts, Griffin, Franco and probably Bowden and Thornley and keeping our young players. So it stands to reason that we're going to have to wait and see who Mills and Powell can bring in to make a quality squad.

This year it was more important to have a strong pack than fancy backs.

Next year they can add some more quality to the backline.

I also agree that we need to manage expectations.
We want to challenge the top but Powell himself has said that's a 4 year plan. Not a 1 year plan.

What if they win the postcode lottery.

We’ll be linked with everyone in the coming weeks and months as teams and players jockey to get their players /contracts sorted ,then we have Hull who look to be trying to sign anything with a pulse and throwing big bucks at them in the process . Interesting watching on how the Leigh team are being picked apart following their meteoric rise onto the super league scene ,and imo will have a job on their hands to keep hold of the Lams when the money men come knocking, loyalty seems to go out of the window ,unless of course your surname is Rowley .Exciting times ahead for the club ,and a great position that we find ourselves in ,that we can identify and compete on a level with clubs for said player’s signature .

Its a gradual process. Hull KR didnt get to where they are now overnight.

You only have to look how tight it is with the top 8. To be anywhere near that group will.be an chievement

Good news is apparently we pretty much have the players we want secured already. I think the emergence of Hull now throwing silly money around just adds another club to the mix that will do that and that will no doubt have an impact on the rest of SL teams recruitment, not only in terms of replacing players but paying more for them. I`m glad we seem to have planned really well, I`d hate to be a club like Cas in this market, I think they may struggle as we have in the past to attract any real quality.

Just on rumours, I am told Mckmeekan has not taken a marquee spot but I am told that we have used one, and it`s not for Johnstone either.

Assumed Johnstone taking a club trained marquee spot would be a no brainer.

Johnstone will 100% be a club-trained marquee. There's not another possible signing who would deliver the same dispensation on the salary cap for the club.

And if the figures bandied about by current players are true, then McMeeken is another marquee spot too.

That of course leaves 1 more spot available, however I personally think we'd need to see someone special come onto the market unexpectedly for us to fill all marquee spots in 2025. We're coming from an advantaged position of having a lot of flexibility in the cap for next year, however I suspect we'll be paying overs to secure certain players due to the uncertainty around IMG. Steve Mills will probably have his sights on 2026 targets which could be a very different market should all go to plan for us next year.

When we talk marquee signings, it only really applies if you are up at the salary cap limit.
We've a long way to go before we are there.

Hewitt has resigned for Huddersfield on a three year deal

Both MM and TJ are on marquee money.

Marquee signing isn't just big money.

This is what I was trying to get at PT, apparently the club haven't used the marquee dispensation for MM, I wasn't saying he wasn't on big money, but they do plan on using for a player. It maybe that later down the line they put his salary against one of the marquee spots, or maybe they are holding out to see where we are at against the cap and who is available, I'm not too sure how it works from that side.

Not Hardaker anyway. He's off to Hull

How much is the cap nowadays. I don't know because it never affected us.