Just read Adam Pearson's post in today's Hull Daily Mail and he says new signings WILL be brought into the club at the end of the season. That's all well and good, but in my opinion bringing in the apparent players from Castleford will not improve our chances of winning any silverware! I do think we should stick with Gentle but I really hope we sign some big name players. I honestly feel we really lack in size and strength. I know that Gentle said he wants a quick mobile pack but I hope the signings he does bring in ad some sheer size to our team. I may be being picky but I think our backs are far too small. It seems here like I'm one of those people who slate the team continuously but this isn't the case I just really worry that the signings we do bring in wont improve us significantly.

Unless they have some major signings up their sleeves then we're already weaker next season than we have been this and we're nowhere near the level we need to be:

tickle > Thompson
lynch (allegedly going) > walker
O'meley = paea (although paea plays longer minutes)
Briscoe > crookes

Let's hope that there is some cash left in the kitty from those 3 new players plus Briscoe and galea's cash or we'll be struggling to make the 8 next year

Paea will be be better than O'Meley has been this year for you. Consistently our best forward on the pitch before he got injured and ogre is getting on. Great signing, deffo not a Galea. haha

I think we need at least 4 top quality signings (and by quality I mean proper internationals, not players who've played for England Knights once hyped up to be something they are not)

not been impressed with Gentle's recruitment so far, so the pressure is on for him to deliver on that front.

4 players where from though, and in what positions?

I would say we need a Winger to replace Briscoe, a Centre to replace the aging Yeaman, a 2nd row to replace Tickle and another big impact prop to replace the badly missed Moa.

and a transfer fee would make many players available in the cash-strapped Super League.

the only teams that will sell anyone are the teams below us, look at Westerman, £150k for what...?

Gentle keeps getting blamed for these supposedly poor signings yet no one has mentioned our `Director of rugby`. Surely he had some input into the signings in the last close season? Yes, we have some issues and we will deal with them but looking for scapegoats ain't the answer. If top quality players were/are available we would have been in for them, they weren't so we made do with what was available. Westerman Watts Pitts Green Bowden Johnson Shaul Crooks Crookes Arundel Miller Lineham etc are our way forward, They will all benefit from this season, they will all come good at around the same time and we will look back and say that the wembley defeat was somewhat a blessing in disguise. I at least hope so. So at the end of the day I am glad I was at Wembley watching us, albeit poorly, than at home watching some other team.

My understanding is that Gentle advises McRae what position/type of player he wants, then McRae finds who is avaialble and at what salary. Then Gentle has the final say on who gets signed. So both are to blame for some of the average players we've brought in IMO.

Why not play yeamo as an impact second rower off the bench and sign a top quality and yes we do need another big prop

We don't have the cash available for 4 quality signings. Signing promising youngsters is all well and good but we've lost/will be losing a stack of experience in the last couple of years. Some of the younger players will come good and some won't but we need quality and experience to go alongside them and our pack looks to be severely lacking in experience next season at present

Paea will be much better than O'Meley has been recently.
Must say your recruitment is very lacking atm, although its still early days.

I get the feeling that we have signed some, but are waiting for the passes to go on sale next week to announce them.

There as got to be another big signing or two, just to balance those leaving

Presuming your team currently looks something like this:
1. McDonnell
2. Lineham
3. Crooks
4. Yeaman
5. Crookes
6. Holdsworth
7. Miller
8. Paea
9. Houghton
10. Green(?)
11. Ellis
12.
13. Pitts(?)

14. Heremaia
15. Whiting
16. Johnson(?)
17. Watts

Your pack looks very weak. Front row in particular. Thompson, I wouldn't think, would go straight in as a first choice back rower and even with Jonny Walke you're at least another 1/2 season campaigners away from a full compliment of props.
EDIT: Forgot about Liam Watts

Imo i like the look off arundel and crookes as our centres next year with yeamo as back up, 2 good young english centres

You forgot Westerman & Lynch too.

I really hope Lynch wont be here next season.

As it stands -

McDonnell
Lineham
Crooks
Yeaman
Crookes
Holdsworth
Miller
Paea
Houghton
Lynch
Ellis
Westerman
Pitts

Heremaia
Watts
Green
Whiting

I'd snap your hand off for the Walker/Lynch swap deal.

Can see Tyson-Wilson over taking Bowden & Johnson next year too.

We need a back rower and at least 1 more prop.

I don't see Bowden making it in the long run and I'd let Johnson go, he's just to small I'm afraid.

The sooner we can get Shannon off the payroll the better. That money could be used so much better, like keeping hold of Briscoe.

I like the look of the team in general and we look to be building a young, hungry and predominantly british team that will hopefully all mature at roughly the same time.

bit harsh on shannon, think we need to see more of bowden, agree about johnson though