If we fail to keep Walker and Greenwood, plus we don't know about Tilse and Algood, and with Green already gone the pack looks very light.
I think T. S. needs to find us 2 great big Aussie grunters and J.P. to unearth 2 young developing stars of the future.
No pressure then!!

But it's Hudgell & Co that have got you into this mess through pi$£ poor recruitment and cap management.

The five you mentioned all had good seasons. They're only really accountable for their own performances, why should they sacrifice earnings or playing at a higher level because other people failed to do their bit?

I admire those like Lunt & Blair who are staying on and prepared to battle next year to get Rovers back up, but I don't think those who decide to leave should be vilified for doing so.

Hessle Rover. I wouldn't call Thomas Minns dross, especially as it's rumoured we will keep him. However, if he goes to another club, James Greenwood will be a big loss IMO.

Reckon Cockayne, Clarkson, Donaldson, Marsh, Mulhern and Shaw will be retained. Ideally, we need Tilse and Mantellato to stay. Lunt, Lawler and Blair are reconfirmed along with last year's academy debutants.

Leavers:

Green's gone. Boudebza terminated. Sio, Thornley, Walker and Kelly all wanted elsewhere and if they can get a good gig and more money, then good luck to them. Campo should and will retire. Larroyer, Horne, Salter, Dixon and Allgood should also be leaving as none are really good enough on last year's showing.

Reckon 9 or 10 new faces are now required for next season.

That was a bit of a sweeping statement on the whole team. But I wasn't thinking of Minns when I wrote that. Now he is one id keep.
Looks like Lawler has penned a deal to. That's also one I'm happy to keep.

Aye, it is pretty simple.

Players that want to stay or join have to convince the club that they will provide value, relative to realistic alternatives.

Players that the clubs wants, it has to convince that it is an attractive employer, relative to realistic alternatives.

Demanding players stay on as penance might be a useful way for some people to vent, but as a retention tool it is a chocolate teapot (or sticklebrick dildo, or whatever).

What works is what matters. Moral indignation won't.

I think you will find the Championship more entertaining and a tougher division than perhaps you might imagine.
The consensus has been that inthe Qualifers SL teams have the advantage of playing more intense rugby over the season. But it seems that Championship teams can enter the 8s more refreshed and less busted...if they manage the season properly.
Despite my team Leigh winning promotion, I'm hoping the Ch continues to improve and really push the lower SL teams to improve as well

Promotion is a realistic, if not easy, aim. All depends on the squad now, and it's just doubled in size with Blair signing - Lunt can now play the ball to someone.

Another aim is a good cup run. Why? Not for the cup itself, lest it distract promotion hopes, but is the only way to test the teams ability against SL opposition mid way through the year.

Bang on. The cup shouldn't be dismissed next year. I'd hope and pray for a decent run, against lower tier superleague clubs. A good practice run before the main part of the year.

It's a bit disingenuous of hudge to bemoan players wanting to move on whilst at the same time using relegation as an opportunity to bin those he doesn't want and, no doubt, reduce contracts for those you want to keep who can't get a gig elsewhere. He does, of course, have previous for public petulance against players who are moving on to better clubs so it's to be expected but still poor IMO

I get where you are coming from Jake, but we all have people who have been employed with CV's that aren't backed up by their work ethic or ability, and by the same token we have those grafters who go under the radar and churn out good stuff constantly. Rovers are in a position where they can get rid of the bulk of the former, whilst struggling to retain the latter. Yes Hudge will use any means available to keep the better players and why not.

So basically, Hudge = good. Congratulations, you are blessed with Red & White genes and will go forth and prosper in later years. Or, Hudge = bad. Commiserations, you are a West Hull soap dodger who will consider dead rat a "treat".

Or something like that.

Don't even think about what they do to their grannie's...

Think your right here its the players family's they have to consider, also we do not know what Lunt was offered to stay or Blair they could of been offered the same wages as last years or an improvement which might just p.ss a few other player off, my guess is if you want to seriously keep hold of your best players you need to pay them the same or more than they where on before, because the lure of playing SL is a big one

Paul Cooke said on radio the other day he was looking to take a few Fc players on loan don't know who he did not say but I guess Abdul, Logan, could be in the mix they would be my guess what would you think of loaning some FC players do you think your management team would consider it and would Fc even offer them ?

I'd rather you all just fecked off forever with your idiot uninformed opinions.

Uninformed ? where no less uninformed than you, wasn't it you who thought you would be challenging at the top of SL this year ? your posts are the same as your team right now pretty f...ing below average

Talk about stating the bloody obvious.

All the years on RLFans can you haven't learnt to not put out posts like that?

In terms of realistic aims. Obviously you guys can and should achieve promotion, it would be a big failure not to and could led to a extended period in the championship as keeping funding going at existing levels would be very difficult.

You would hope the club could aim for a good cup run as well. You've still got a good squad. Fixtures willing, have a good run. Reaching the final is not out of the question, which would be great to see, a Championship team at Wembley.

Given the challenges Rovers face in building a squad, I don't think any sensible option should be dismissed.

However, in terms of season-long loans, I don't think there'd be many deals that'd suit both clubs.

Hull might be looking for development opportunities for younger players who could 'do a job' in the Championship, but who'd probably not yet 'make a difference'. If they're only on the fringes of Rovers first team, they won't get much chance to develop, and Rovers can't afford to be padding the squad just for the sake of it. We're not now running an under-23s, of course. 'Potential' we'll have pretty well covered if we persuade most of Moran, Cator, Jubb, Lawler, Wardill, Marsh, Oakes [iet al.[/i to stay on. Basically, I can't see you letting us having the players we'd want - for a whole season at least.

If we're struggling with injuries in a particular position, where you've got lots of depth and a player looking for an opportunity at a better standard than the under-23s, the odd month-long deal might work for both parties.

Blair and Lunt. As a fan of a Championship club, I'm delighted with the quality, but still think we need to add some depth.

Promotion - unless a SL club has a massive existential crisis (fingers crossed, eh?!), it'll be very difficult. Even then, other teams in this league will fancy their chances. Still, it does have to be the aim. Cup final is taking the Jake 'set the metrics to ensure failure' approach to an entertainingly absurd extreme.

If Hull concede a single try in 2017, I think it would be a MASSIVE failure and your 2018 kit should consist of sackcloth and ashes, and Lee Radford should change his name to Faily McFailfail.

I seem to have more optimism than you Mild Rover. I don't think it'll need a crisis from a bottom four superleague team for us to get promoted again.
The players that look like staying, plus the two from Bradford and a few of sheens' signings, which you probably would agree, shouldn't be duds. And then adding quality at the year end with decent money. I think the competition will be more open than you think.
Try and be a bit more optimistic eh.

Oh, I'm optimistic we've got a shot, just not underestimating the scale of the task.

Maybe when I see the final squad, I'll feel a bit more ebullient.

I'm definitely looking forward to next season.

As a Wakey fan, I know what it's like to sit in the bottom not achieving great success but not tripping up top much either. I honestly think you need to scrap the idea of a cup run next season. It might seem like a nice distraction for you fans to try and get somewhere, but it's also a distraction on your players too. You want them to be committed to making the top 4, preferably the top 2 and winning as many games as possible in the middle 8s

Leigh had a good cup run in '15 and binned the middle 8s, the dumped out of the Cup in their first round in '16 and got promoted. They played easy rugby for the first half of the season and then recruited heavily in the back end of the regular season (similar to what Wakey did in '15 and got slated for).

Best of luck next year, I also follow Dewsbury and make as many of their games as I can fit in around my Wakey Season Ticket. Hopefully I'll be stood chatting to some of you again this coming season