Next season

I would have preferred a top team away for the opening game. There is no form and you might catch them cold.

Now looking like most teams recruiting has been done where do we think we’d finish next season I’m going to say 8th

Would think Shorrocks our good 9

I could be and would love to be proven wrong if he plays 9, but for me I hope he isn't being considered our good 9 as he's not a 9. Yes, he's played a few games there but it seems pretty clear to me that his best position is 13. And, like Mark Flanagan, he can play other positions like SR, H, C, and SO. He's okay in all positions but not somebody you'd want in the every week 13 at his current level. Not his fault though, he's a victim of his versatility. I do think that given a run in a single position that he can focus on that he will become an above average 13 with ball skills and I'd like to think part of the attraction to him coming here is the chance to play a single position (excluding injuries). I imagine Partington will be playing as a rotational prop this season, similar to the backend of last year. So, Singleton, King, Ormondroyd, Partington, and Wright rotating at prop each week (three on the bench with Atkin). Or, maybe Shorrocks is here as a backup but did imagine he'd have seen the last year out at Wigan if he was going to be a backup. As I say, I do think he will make a good 13 and help us shift the ball faster and more accurately in the middle of the park.

I think we really need to prioritise a nine but it worries me that we don't have any quota spots (I don't think?) - I think signing McDonald and resigning Sio was a mistake as we could really use that quota spot. I like both players btw so I'm not having a pop at either. I just think it'd be easier to find a British three-quarter backup rather than a hooker.

I think, on paper, we are better than London and Cas. I think Hull FC have a lot to prove. Leeds have signed well and so it depends on their coach. I'd have us at 8-10 right now. That said, I wouldn't put it passed us making the 6 if a few things align:

1) We cut out the stupid penalties especially when we are in possession.
2) Improve our execution in the final third - losing Croft is massive. He was still up their in the league for assists. I think having a ball playing 13 could help balance this out and presents us with an opportunity to vary our patterns and use the middle third more - we hit our SR far too often last year.
3) Our kicking game improves - I do worry that it could be one year too far for Sneyd as there was a decline in this area last season but he more than has the ability to rectify it. Maybe he had a niggle we didn't know about.
4) Sign an out and out 9 - I don't think Borough/Atkin is enough and I don't think the club do either.
5) Sign another prop - Wright played well there last year and Partington gets through his workload in any position and both offer a more mobile prop to compliment Singleton, King, and Ormonroyd, but I'd feel better with another and Sidlow being behind them. Depth is huge at prop. Unless Gerrard's knee recovers? I also think Ormonroyd may have carried an injury last season and having him back to 2022 form would be huge.