berrigans bitch wrote:I do not see how you are stronger tbf, your pack is too light presently also I fear you have no depth in your squad and a couple of injuries could cause you big problems.
Ratu indirectly replaces Aizue, who'd already effectively been replaced at prop by Lovegrove. Walker takes Lovegrove's second row spot in the squad. Cook should be an improvement on the 2009 edition of Stanley Gene.
If Fozzard is replaced by Clinton that only leaves Fitzhenry as not replaced at least like for like. As older players depart, younger ones become more senior and you bring in youngsters behind them like Hodgson. Murrell to hooker gives us more options there and allows us to player a bigger back row: Newton-Cook/Walker-Galea.
Looking at squads around the league, your point about injuries applies to most. Including Clinton (and Walker), by my count, FWiW, we have 18 front line players, 4 back-ups and 8 promising youngsters. When I looked at Hull's squad it was something like 20, 3 and 4. Given the requirement to include 7 homegrown players (8 next year) in the top 25 earners and without the luxury of as many experienced homegrown players in the squad as long-established SL clubs, we've got as much depth as realistically possible.
