If Hull had retained Clifford things would be looking very positive but the lack of a controlling halfback stands out massively from that squad.

Otherwise Smith needs to do all he can to integrate youth into the team and start to build a side that has Hull at its core.

Just sent it to the Mrs for a last minute Christmas present

Even without a controlling half back we will smash Wigan and win SL. At least that's what David Icke has predicted.

But surely hoy getting the 1 shirt

And brown 7 mean that's where they'll play

If all stay fit walker doesn't get infront of them imo

Hard to tell too much from squad numbers, but Sao at 12 is certainly interesting.

Walker will be full back most of the season if fit, Hoy will play 6, Brown will start 7, then move to 9/13 when Trueman is back.

Not that it will happen much unfortunately

He played orite for samoa there at the world cup

Surprised we didn't play him their last season

Indeed, but if Sao is playing SR it leaves us short at prop and I'm not convinced at his age he's got the agility to play 12 in any case.

In played in the world cup final just over a year ago in that very position

He might be better slightly out the way at 2nd row not giving stupid penalties

Weakest squad in many years. If we retain an A grade it will be nothing short of miraculous.

He's prop but played 2nd row due to injuries and he did ok nevertheless.

For a prop to convert to 2nd row at his age is unusual. It's normally the reverse like Morley, Ellis and Peacock and I'm sure they are many others.

Like I say him playing 2nd row leaves us weak at prop and the pack would be unbalanced.

This problem would have been eased if we would have signed another 2nd rower but that is looking unlikely now.

I genuinely thought Lane had signed for Cornwall
His defence is non existent and many times stands with both legs together with his arms flailing as a player runs past him. He seems to run his hands down the body of the attacker.


Cornwall could have used him off the bench

Very big season for him. He started his career with a lot of promise but the last couple of years has gone backwards and as you say his defence has been very poor.

Lane is one of the only players that seems to have gone backwards since Hodgson left, he needs to offer far more this season than running one good line every 10 games

Stronger squads on paper have failed to deliver in previous seasons, the overseas imports are an unknown quantity this season (to me anyway), hoping Okunbur surprises us all and turns out to be an effective line breaking back rower

Smith held back a lot last season on bringing the young players in. I don't think he'll be holding on too much longer if the first team ain't producing the goods and those youngsters are knocking at his door.

A lot of noise about Balmforth pre-season.

I still worry about our back row. But I like the look of the spine in the pivot positions. There looks to be some competition and some versatility in there. But they still need a pack that can open the space for them to play.

I love the optimisim

Nu brown can play loose forward too, could another option be to play him at 13 then have a spine of Walker, Hoy, Trueman, Houghton and Balmforth off the bench?

Beyond 1-17 (which includes Lane, Tindall, and unproven Okunbor) there's only Brown, Walker, Vulikijapani who can't be classed as youngsters. Objectively it's a weak squad, looks like a Wakefield standard one to me.

It's a fresh squad. Lots of much needed size. Injection of younger players. New captain. We gotta be more positive this year. It could go t.ts up but hey we gotta give this fresh team a chance and get behind them.

I really don’t understand the doom n gloom on here.
We finished outside of the top 6 for how many seasons?.
We’ve suffered countless batterings.
Yet I keep reading posts about we shouldn’t have let this player go etc
Those players were part of the problem
( apart from swift ).
2nd row ? The last 5 seasons apart from the occasional game , our 2nd row struggled as did the team.
The team are younger and bigger this season.
A number of the “kids” are now 20yrs old. That’s old enough to be playing 1st team.
Apart from Wigan and Saints., there’s nothing to fear.
Leigh, Salford and the dobbins have shown it’s possible. Those teams aren’t exactly packed with internationals.
Most fans i speak to are looking forward to watching how the team go this season.
It surely can’t be any worse, can it.
Cheer up and don’t let it spoil your Xmas.

Must be one of the few that feels we may well get a surprise from the squad assembled for 2024.
Whilst there's little doubt we are a long way of in terms of the quality/star players we had in 2016/17 seasons, we have still squads that looked good on paper and took us to the limits of the cap yet they failed miserably and continually.

I'm looking forward to a fresh start in 2024. I do wonder if one of Sao or Ashworth play in the SR alongside Okunbor whether the club have high hopes for the likes of Brown and Diakhate to step up in the forwards.
Think Walker will start as FB with Hoy in the halves alongside Nu until Trueman returns, then its anyones guess who plays where if they've all been on top form. Can see Nu Brown going at LF if Hoy going well in the halves, Walker the same at FB, Houghton/Balmforth/Smith the same at 9.
We have some young players also the mix that do seem to be genuine contenders to be top SL players.

Considering the complete mess that the whole squad was in this time last season I think the club have done remarkably well in the recruitment with the constraints. In all honesty the only two I am really gutted we couldn't retain for 2024 were Clifford and Swift.

A lot comes down to attitude, our 2012 season is a good example the squad was put together last minute with some random signings (Tony Martin, Aspinwall, McGoldrick etc) but as I recall we had our best home form for years, finished 6th and won a playoff game. Whereas some of our more expensively assembled squads didnt deliver.

Ive said it before and ill say it again im happy if we are in with a shout of the top6 with a round or two to go. If we just miss out then it is. What I cant stomach is anothet season of downing tools at the end of July.

Was 2012 when Seymour and McKinnon were released during the season too? We did well getting to 6th that season! Think it was also when we had Jamie Foster and Matty Russell?

Yes very chaotic on the ins and outs! Andy Lynch was a good signing though, had Ellis not signed the year after he may have been at the club for years.