Ignoring my views as to the actual possibility of anyone being promoted, I would say that keeping essentially the same squad is a positive thing. Those that are the mainstay of the side have had a season playing together and if they are actually any good, will be significantly better for it. I have often said that building a good team takes several seasons, and it does, even if we don't have the luxury of several seasons.
I frankly don't know how we will go if we manage to keep Gaskell and Siejka fit for the majority of the season. Clearly we are stuck with Siejka, even though nobody but Jimmy rates him, and even if he doesn't improve, if you have settled halfbacks, which everyone else knows what they will (or won't!) do, that would surely be a plus.
Without a doubt we need two elite massive props but so does every other team in the world and the questions are who is available, can we possibly afford them and last but not least, would they come.
We don't really know who is ultimately responsible for our hiring and firing but it's not gone that well in parts. Some of t is puzzling, to say the least, and so far it looks like, again, even if you are in the camp that we now have two fit halves, we have no genuine cover, our fallbacks being Addy, Purtell, Mullaney and maybe Mendeika, in that order. Which worries me.