It wasn't an age perspective thing but more of a contract thing.



How many seasons has Feka got left on his contract? Realistically if we sign a 30 something prop we could lose one front row a year for three years? Not really a good situation to be in.



In regards to the HB situation if we can learn one thing from Saints and Leeds (the two top teams in previous seasons) it’s the long partnerships they’ve had at HB- Long and Pryce- Burrow and Mcquire. If we want to win anything at all we have to look for a long term partner for Sam and let them gel. A new HB every two or three years like O’Neil, Orr, Trent isn’t the answer.



I agree tho we need a new HB, Centre and Prop I’d personally Gleeson, Dobson and LMS.

They would be ideal.



Richards

Roberts

Glesson

Carmont

Ainscough

Sam

Dobson

Fielden

Riddell

LMS

Hansen

Tomkins

Lockers



Feka

Hock

Tommy

Prescott/Eamon



Mcilorum possibly a loan move could kick start his carrer like it did with Joel Tomkins.

Excellent post mate it really was. The above team should be our team for the future and is not only an improvement on the one we have now but it’s also one which imo could win the league. It’s got the right numbers of overseas imports 5 being Richards, Roberts, Riddell, Dobson and Feka all are quality imports also which as you say is a major plus point. Gone should be the days of players like Phelps and Smith who just aren’t good enough to stop the developments of our academy good academy players.



I’ve said it numerous times now I sound like a broken record but Dobbo is the guy to take us forward and partner Tomkins for a long long time. He gets you the 40/20’s the drop goals when you need them but he also bags tries and creates them 2.



Bailey sounds like a good option at prop as he’s the right side of 30 but I’d like to see us recruit mostly GB eligible players and get a home grown base to our side. I just feel if we miss out on LMS someone like Saints or Leeds will snap him up and we’ll have missed out on a massive player for the future. I said the same about Elis when he was at Wakey and look how he has turned out now! Some times you just have to get these players whilst you can.



The only part I kind of disagree with is Gleeson for me he’s still a quality player who has suffered under Cullen and Lowes but has got undoubted potential and always creates a bag load of tries for his wing man and whether that be Ainscough or Roberts we have the wingers to finish them now.



All that can be said now is that this next recruitment drive is one of the most important ones in the clubs history. We can either go back up where we belong if IL truly gets the right people in who may cost money i.e Dobbo or we can continue on the same track we have been down for the last decade of being also rans by signing DV, O’Neil, Ainscough, Mathers, Phelps and Smith.

It is players like Louie McCarthy Scarsbrook that the club must be making moves for. Young british players that are a real talent. They are not only good players but they want to play in super league and want to stay in super league so they offer stability to the side because after 2 years you wont need to replace them in theory. Whereas an overseas player will most of the time only want to come to the UK for two or three years towards the end of their career or have no choice to come to the UK because they are below the standards in the NRL.



We need to be anticipating these young talents. In truth we should have moved for Joe Westerman and Sam Burgess. Imagine those two players in the same side. It is what Wigan used to do. They signed up the young players with the most potential - they even got the nickname "the cherry pickers" for doing so. Michael Shenton is another one in the future we should be trying to lure to Wigan. We need to be keeping a watch for these young British players because they are what makes up the core of a successful side.







Agreed. Most of the "dead weight" in the side are coming off contract. Tim Smith, Cameron Phelps, Richie Mathers, Andy Coley, Phil Bailey. Fortunately most of these players don't need replacing as we have players capable of playing in these positions already in the side (Pat Richards at fullback) or within our academy (Lee Mossop second row, Sam Tomkins at Stand off)



But what it does do is free up some room on the salary cap. We are in need of a prop forward as a replacement for Andy Coley we have the funds available this time so there is no excuses from Ian Lenegan and also there are players of the right standard available as well as I have made evident.



George Carmont and Thomas Leuluai are two players who could also be replaced as I have mentioned in the great mammoth of a post! Michael Dobson would be my prime target - Leuluai + £££ maybe? The centre debate is a big issue. It depends on so many things. How well Karl Pryce fits into the side, how Darrell Goulding progresses this year - in theory we might not need a new centre if these two progress and establish themselves as first team players. Both have the potential. The final matter is how much quality is really available. The only British centre off contract to note is Martin Gleeson. Our opinions are divided on Gleeson I believe Saints and Warrington have had the best years out of him but on the other hand the Aussies must see something in him to be wanting to sign him so you may be right. Otherwise we would have to look overseas, which is fine as long as they bring something to the side that no British player or academy player could & if they are on a wage that reflects their ability. If none of these factors can be achieved then we sign George Carmont for an extra year and then review matters after 2010 when Michael Shenton is off contract.

Top post mate.



Although I think we will keep both Tommy and Carmont for the 2010 season at least



I agree 100% about Tommy being a 9 not a 7. He is good to have at 7 if you give him a proven top class 6 but I have my doubts about him playing there with a 19 year old. Dobson would be ideal but the chances of getting him at the end of this season are close to zero so again for the 2010 season are pivots are probably going to line up as Sam, Tommy, Riddell, McIlorum or possibly Lockyer/Orford, Sam, Riddell,Tommy/McIlorum with Tommy being released or McIlorum being sent out on loan



Letting Carmont go would be a silly thing to do IMO. There is a shortage of good centre's in the game at the moment and an even bigger shortage of good centre's that are available. Someone has mentioned on another thread that he only started first grade 5/6 years ago so his body won't be as knackered as other people his age so I would like to see him for the 2010 season and go for someone like Shenton (off contract at the same time as we would release Carmont)

Ainscough, Shenton, Sam, LMS, Burgess, Westerman in the same side





They will probably be in the England side together in a few years but the thought of them at club level is frightening

I've been thinking more and more about LMS and for me he should be our top prop target. Some will say he's not old enough but if you look at the likes of Burgess and Graham it shows what a good youngster can achieve in a good team. Is LMS as good as these two? Probably not but still he’s better than a lot of players even now think how good he can be!! Get him signed now IL



I missed your points out about Noble and i was wondering your thoughts on maybe Kearney? Good young coach whose not only got the WC experience behind him but he's still only a number 2 in the NRL? Lets offer him a top job and take a risk on a good young coach?

Michael Dobson till 2011 - possibly further.





Did we not go in for Dobson when he came available?



I think we did and he went to Hull K.R. if he had wanted to play for the Club he would have come then but he went for the money.



We don't have D.W and Uncle Mo paying out loads of money now for players we have I.L. who wants to keep us under the cap and get players here for the least possible money.

Until he has a change of hart and decides to pay players the way Saints and Leeds and other clubs do we will never get the best overseas players again they come for the money not the love of the club.

I've heard Wigan are targetting Lockyer, Inglis, Thurston and Folau as they are our ideal players. It will be denied, then denied again, but watch this space....

Why do people thing Hull KR will let Dobson go?

If Harrison Hansen is the answer, someone is asking the wrong question.

Which kind of sums up every single thing that's wrong at Salford, and clearly illustrates why they'll soon be disappearing as a professional club.

I agree with the sentiment of your post. These 3 years are Salfords last hurrah. Regardless of mediacityUK and proximity to Manchester, they will be gone come the next round of licences and won't be back.

Oh! More Aussies for Wigan. What happened to bringing your youth through

We still do, with Ainscough and Tomkins being examples for this season.

For God's sake, grow up.

realistically for salford to stay in SL their pipedream ground fast needs to become a reality and they need to double / triple their crowds to at least 8,000 before the next round of licences come in! As things are they are an embaressment to SL and unless this sort of revelation happens in the next 2 1/2 years salford will be gone IMO. Its sad when even a fledging club like celtic have poor, yet massively better support than salford

Grow up! it's only a couple of weeks ago you was all sounding off about non committed overseas players lets put the young lads in and fair play to Noble he did and good lads they are, the future looks good but won't if you bring the likes of Lockyer over to play in Tomkins and Ainscoughs positions.

You cant be serious?

Yes ... GROW UP.



Do you seriously believe that Wigan are trying to sign Lockyer, Inglis, Folau, etc. Take your 'I hate Wigan' specs off, because they're starting to make you look stupid.

Yes i'm serious. I'm a Hull FC fan so i'm looking in as an outsider and i look at all the Wigan lads that have moved on over the years for first team places. Even us at Hull have benefited by getting these players. You could probably get a team of current ex-Wiganers playing now that could hold its own in the top half of super league. i'm not trolling as Wigan are the team i admire after Hull

it was clearly a joke about us signing all those players though, i mean come on...

If they have any brains about them they will extend his contract now.



But we can make him an offer for 2011 whether they like it or not.

I think you mean 2011. He has this season and next season under contract.