Not much more than a couple of Mars Bars...

Looking at this seasons squad, there are definitely players who are more than good enough to make a living at a higher level than Championship One, and hopefully with the new conditioner coming in, they'll improve in areas where it seems obvious to some that they've been lacking.

If we can have a good season this year [finish in a mid table position], and keep the nucleus of the team together [Simon Brown, Craig Fawcett, Sean Leaf... etc] then next year, we will have a good chance of pressing on. We just need to accept that we'll lose a few players throughout the season.

COYD.

Well yes we do......but we are craving for some continuity.
I don't want to have a succession of seasons greeting completely new faces......that's why the crowds left.
This side is a side we must develop and try to keep....or else what is the point of watching this kind of rugby?
We just become a recruitment agency for other clubs.

Totaly agree,dont mean putting themselves in the shop window to leave the club,i ment to try and get themselves a contract next year if the money is forthcoming,but i think we all know that the days of paying players money the club doesnt have are long gone.Carl is running this as a business,not as a rich mans fancy,and business need revenue to survive,if we dont have money then you are not going to sign the best players.I would rather watch a team of triers that get beat ,than a team of over paid players who are only there for the cash.

Agreed.

I think at our level the money is secondary to the rugby,i played for the Dons when they were paying money the club couldnt afford, and i played for them when they had nothing,when the club went bust in the stones bitter championship,we played agains Hull fc at The Boulavard and were beaten ,for a loss we earned nearly twice as much for losing as Hull did for winning,but most of the players who stood by the club would have played for next to nothing.The lads we have now are of the same breed,they want to play rugby league, as they have curtainly not come here for the money.

Chunkster, thanks for the input. I've got to say this has been an interesting read. I think we all know that if bigger clubs with more financial clout come and offer decent money then we are going to have to let players go. However i don't believe this should be looked at too negatively. If we are seen as a club where players can come and learn their trade and then after a couple of seasons, if succesful, move on to a higher level then surely we will see more young talent willing to play for us. I think S O is right when he says he wants to see some stability, it is really important that we halt the yearly merry go round of players if we are to progress. This thread has identified a shortage of players from Donny and one question i'd really like answering is why we haven't signed Craig Holt and Scott Jones, these 2 did well last year and i would have thought would have been in the plans for this year. On the issue of Tony Miller i believe he still has to prove himself. I think we all appreciate that the job is not easy and that the team has been put together with very little money but he does seem to distance himself. Why doesn't he acknowledge the supporters who are sticking by the club? If he showed us that the results really matter to him i think maybe we would be a little more accepting of the bad performances.

Agree on the distancing bit.
A coach needs to be visible not stuck in the opposite stand.....it gives totally the wrong impression.
The coach needs to get himself on the field before and after games with the players and a least wave at the supporters in acknowledgement of their support.

i agree with you about the coach showing passion i think it goes along way and also show lads that it matters.
chunkster i agree that the level of the local teams isnt up to standard but dont forget them lads play for fun just for love of game. i think there is afew individuals from local teams who could quiet easliy cut it at the current level it would take a couple of weeks hard graft to get fitness and speed upto scratch thats the main difference not skill!!
after all most of the current 1st team are good amatuers playing above there level but if they are trying we can live with that we all know were not the richest club in terms of money but we can be proud and passionate that costs nothing.

Totally agree.....they are out there....they just need bringing up to speed fitness-wise.
It it wasn't the case....then it would be same everywhere......and so where would RL players come from?

I agree that there are and have been good players from Donny,but the club always seems to overlook local talent(which would surely increase the gate) to players of lesser ability from Cas, Wakey, Hull and Leeds.Thats always been the case with the Dons, the only time we had a squad of local lads was when the club changed to the Dragons and local players like myself,Tony Chappel ,Howard Roberts,Ernie Lake,Ian Fletcher,Ian Stewart and others all turned out to play for our home town club,not for the money but for the pride of representing your home town.I will never forget playing that first game at Belle Vue against Hull KR,sitting in the changing rooms under the main stand ,while 1000 Dons fans stamped and cheered before the start of the game,all the lads that played that day will tell you that the hairs on the back of your neck stood up and some were close to tears.The club has made the mistake of overlooking local lads or using them and then letting them go,that is why we cannot get local lads to the club.However i will do all i can to scout local lads for the club as when i was coaching the scholarship we had a number of good quility players who with the right coaching could have formed the basis of a team for the future,but that has been disbanded due to cash ,but when only one coach out of five was being paid ,then you have to question the logic.We need to get behind the lads tomorrow ,as i am sure a few of the lads playing have a point to prove.