: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:06 pm
I think that we are being a little too pessimistic here. Our stand out loss is Hock , one of our few "World Class" players, but our record without him has been better than when he was playing earlier in the season. It has allowed our younger players to take up the cudgel, and I think they have done it really well.
Now if the likes of Prescott, Joel Tomkins, Hanson, Mcillorum and Mossop can continue to improve next year I don't think the loss of Hock will hit us too hard, apart from a little less depth in the squad. I have been impressed with how these players have responded this season and have no reason to suspect they will not continue to improve. They are not far short of very good Super League players now and could all go up another notch. Not sure what to think about O'Carroll, a pity about his injury, but he is a useful performer now with plenty of potential in him.
"Experienced" packmen like Feka, Fielden and and Riddell are not to old to improve, or arrest the decline in Fielden's case, and I think it is only a case of the right conditioning for all three of them which could sort them out. Coley IMO is at his peak but should be able to stay there for next season.
The likes of Davies and Farrall will hopefully also be introduced and although I don't expect great things from them they will benefit just as Prescott, Joel, etc have done previously and may even develop quicker.
I know there are plenty of ifs and buts in there but if you look at it in a positive rather than negative way, we could end up with a storming pack next year, without the steamrolling prop everyone says we need.
I think most people agree that the backs are as good as we've had for a few years now. Sam, Tommy and Phelps will continue to improve. Richards, Carmont, Roberts and Gleeson are as good as they are going to get but hopefully the Roberts/Gleeson combination will gel better than it has to date and that Carmont has at least another season in him. To back this up we have the likes of Goulding, Ainscough and Thornley.
I am not as worried about the lack of a new prop as I am about depth for the backs. Injury to either Tommy or Sam will leave us horribly exposed at half back with no obvious replacement unless there is someone in the reserves who is ready to step up. I think we are also a little light in backup for the threequarters and full back. Is this where Bailey will prove to be more useful than in the pack as a stop gap until we can get better?
So what I'm trying to say is that with further development in the young forwards and a kick up the backside for some of the older ones we will have a pack to match the best in the league and with our existing backline we may just surprise a few people.