Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 11:14 am  

KaeruJim wrote:

So I’m saying fairly confidently that we have finally turned the corner now after many years drifting.

Our first grade squad is good enough to be top half, possibly top 4 now. We have a load of young talent coming through (Gannon, Sinfield, Edgell, Smith, Lumb, Webster, Frater, McCormacks x2, Qareqare, Simpson, Cassel as well as Ruan, Warren, Hudson, Tom N-W etc.).

I reckon if we can tweak and shape consistently from here we’ll be alright. Hope this season proves me right and we’re tough to beat now.

Let's hope so. Though being proved right on a top half finish isn't really a brave statement I'd imagine RS position would be very questionable if we didn't finish at least top half with the investment and hope we're more ambitious than that.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:15 pm  

Seth wrote:

Let's hope so. Though being proved right on a top half finish isn't really a brave statement I'd imagine RS position would be very questionable if we didn't finish at least top half with the investment and hope we're more ambitious than that.

I’m being realistic! A top half finish with a progressive roster and upcoming talent would mean we have turned the corner though wouldn’t it?

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:28 pm  

KaeruJim wrote:

So I’m saying fairly confidently that we have finally turned the corner now after many years drifting.

Our first grade squad is good enough to be top half, possibly top 4 now. We have a load of young talent coming through (Gannon, Sinfield, Edgell, Smith, Lumb, Webster, Frater, McCormacks x2, Qareqare, Simpson, Cassel as well as Ruan, Warren, Hudson, Tom N-W etc.).

I reckon if we can tweak and shape consistently from here we’ll be alright. Hope this season proves me right and we’re tough to beat now.

Agree we look better overall and have a lot of potential good players in the pipe, I think Littlewood may end up one of the best to add
To your long list.

2 main concerns for me are prop strength and whether Miller is the readymade star many including GH are claiming. Miller looks more of a project than I’d hoped but I’ve only seen one outing. Hope he can rip it up when
Grounds get harder and his defence and fitness are good.

How Sangare goes is key for me as 4th prop he needs to be better for longer.
Goudemand as 5th will be solid, after that we have another project in Hudson, hope
He can really add something but he’s yet to play in SL and coming off a bad injury.

We’ve had an incredible turnover of props since losing Kirke and Bailey in 2014 and Kylie and Peacock in 2015.
Cuthbertson
Garbutt
Andy Yates
Rob Mulhern
Singleton
Jordan Baldwinson
Galloway
Mullally
Ormondroyd
Dom Crosby
Peteru
Wellington Albert
Tyler Dupree
Ava
Owen Trout
James Harrison
Matt Prior
Muizz Mustapha
Bodene Thompson
Zane Tetevano
King Vuniysyawa
Yusuf Aidin
Sam Walters
Plus what we still have and Donaldson.

We would benefit a lot if Mik, Tom and big Sam stay for a long time and get backed up by others.
We should have been able to keep a few of those who will offer a lot of other sides next season, in particular at Wigan.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:35 pm  

KaeruJim wrote:

I’m being realistic! A top half finish with a progressive roster and upcoming talent would mean we have turned the corner though wouldn’t it?

Top half would be better than 8th but in a 12 team league where London, Cas and Salford all have financial restraints and we have a strong academy which the likes of Leigh don't, I think top 6 is a bare minimum.

We’ve had 1 top 4 finish in 8 years, we need another next season.
Personally I don’t think finishing 6th is evidence of a corner being turned

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:37 pm  

me neither. I'd see it as abject failure!

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 2:02 pm  

Top 4 absolute minimum.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 2:44 pm  

Bodene was a classic 'middle' of the Agar era. Worked his socks off at times, but not big enough, impactful enough, and past his best when we got him.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 3:43 pm  

Progress depends on the nature of the performances and the win/lose points ratio. Last season we had a losing record and finished 8 points behind 4th/5th and 16 behind the top 3. Our points difference was +1 which was only positive because of a big last day win. We need to be challenging near the top of the table especially for 4th place that's a minimum requirement! Anything less than a 60% win ratio and being somewhere close to the 4th position is not good enough and RS will be under pressure. Winning half our games and finishing 6th won't cut it! To be fair I think we will be much better this year although probably still 8/10 points off the league leaders.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 5:26 pm  

6th only works for me if it comes with a trophy, failing that a gf appearance. Otherwise although I mightn't be calling for Smith's head I'd be disappointed.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:31 pm  

As others have said 6th would put a big question mark over RS being the one to take the team forward. I'd say 5th at the very least with a strong showing in the playoffs being a bare minimum. In the face of it Wigan and STS are arguably expected to finish higher than us then who is there for 3rd to 6th, Catalan (think they'll be weaker), us, Warrington, KR, will leigh maintain their progress. So 6th isn't saying a right lot.