Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:50 pm  

RickyF1 wrote:

Do we think the Dr at Salford has anything to do with it?

Edit for accuracy
"we think the Dr at Salford has everything to do with it"

Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:57 pm  

PaulWalker has touched on the optimistic thoughts I have.
We do still have 20+ players we were going with anyway. Yes we have lost mostly our best - which may have helped us go for top four. Top four isn't our target now.
I believe when the hurt and anger has eased and people start to look at our situation calmly things will look better. My experience shows me things usually improve when emotion is replaced with calm thinking.
We already have three clubs offering players. So, lets assume we can bring in 5-6 from SL clubs.
Moss is a big loss but Rohan brought this unknown lad in. He must be already thinking about replacements - as long as he is the coach when the owners arrive.
The new owners have massive RL experience from down under. They must know they need to bolster the squad quickly. Why would they buy the club and let it slide into a lower division. It doesn't make sense. Surely they will want to stabilise the club and plan for a better 2018. Our target for 2017 has changed.

All of a sudden we have 25 players again and most of them will be decent for what we need this season.
Having HKR first is handy for us. Assume we will lose to them then it being first means a lower team is kept till we have a more settled team. We have 4 weeks rather than 3 if we see that first game as zero points anyway.

So, who do we need to beat to stay up. Rochdale + 1 other. My four to target are Rochdale, Swinton, Oldham and Sheffield. Sheffield have had a terrible off season with player losses. They have gone part time and will play 30 away games on the trot. Their fans will be slightly concerned so don't count them out of a bottom four battle.

The Leeds UTD fan has it right about backs to the wall attitude and enjoy the season expecting the worst but fighting each game for the best. We are not aiming for top 4. We are aiming for top 10 out of 12. We will finish above Rochdale without seeming too rude to them. So, one other team to be better than.
If the SL clubs come good with their promises and loan some decent fringe SL players and Rohan / owners surprise us with 2-3 good unknown players then who knows what will happen.

I have decided to look on the positive side rather than the negative side but I still think I have thought about it realistically and not just dreamt about it with rose tinted classes on.

Bring it on!

Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 5:49 pm  

Bongser is rooting for you, Woolly (and the other regular posters on here) but thinks that writing off unknown quantities is perilous. No one yet knows how big a squad you will have next season. Yes, 25 players may be viable (Leigh are facing their first season in SL. with only 28). But Rochdale really rattled Toulouse's cage at the tail end of last season, a season in which the latter had previously beaten Leigh, a feat that, once the early wobble caused by the Rowley-Powley rat's treason was steadied, no Championship side managed.

Best to see firstly what Monday brings, secondly what sort of squad you scramble together and thirdly what the other Champ sides bring to the table. Then targets might be more realistically speculated upon.

Bongser is hoping for something more solidly encouraging to emerge in about 40 hours time, as he is sure you all are. Until then he will just sup his ale.

Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:06 pm  

I think people are getting ahead of themselves again

The identity of the winning consortium has not been officially confirmed yet

Their financial clout is unknown
It could be made up of A1 and Capones or it could have Dietrich Mateschitz as the money man

I'm going to wait before getting over exited or depressed
To many disappointments and false dawns

Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:14 pm  

Bent&Bongser wrote:

Bongser is rooting for you, Woolly (and the other regular posters on here) but thinks that writing off unknown quantities is perilous. No one yet knows how big a squad you will have next season. Yes, 25 players may be viable (Leigh are facing their first season in SL. with only 28). But Rochdale really rattled Toulouse's cage at the tail end of last season, a season in which the latter had previously beaten Leigh, a feat that, once the early wobble caused by the Rowley-Powley rat's treason was steadied, no Championship side managed.

Best to see firstly what Monday brings, secondly what sort of squad you scramble together and thirdly what the other Champ sides bring to the table. Then targets might be more realistically speculated upon.

Bongser is hoping for something more solidly encouraging to emerge in about 40 hours time, as he is sure you all are. Until then he will just sup his ale.

Thanks

Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:18 pm  

I believe the squad, excluding last years academy lads, is now at 12

Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:25 pm  

roger daly wrote:

I believe the squad, excluding last years academy lads, is now at 12

What's your lad doing next season?

The urge of playing for his boyhood club must be attractive?

Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:36 pm  

billypop wrote:

Thanks

You're welcome, eeeerrrm, Bongser thinks.

Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:43 pm  

daveyz999 wrote:

What's your lad doing next season?

The urge of playing for his boyhood club must be attractive?

He's just hoping to have a good first half of the season at Sheffied and see if he can get a move back up for 2018. With Corey Aston leaving he could be playing a bit at stand off and get his hands on the ball more, last season everything went through Aston, sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't

Sheffied also don't have the biggest of squads but are dual reg with Leigh so could be a bit stronger than last season

I was talking to my lad today, the Bulls will probably need to win 16/17 games out of 30 to stay up, unless a sudden influx of players come in, as we all know it's an extremely up hill task

Re: Phoenix from the flames? : Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:43 pm  

roger daly wrote:

I believe the squad, excluding last years academy lads, is now at 12

Would you care to clarify that - as the pinned squad list suggests there are about 22-23 players still hanging around. With the 6 Academy lads, that suggests about 5-6 players have signed elsewhere but haven't yet been announced?