Good to be in a position where we have a full complement of players ready and all coming back at the same time (in 5 weeks), exceptions being Whiting and I guess possibly any new signings (presumably just 1-2).

Does anyone know whether the younger players in the squad will be training full time or still with the U19s?

Sounds like we're planning a warm weather camp this time round (Tenerife or Portugal) in December. Hope we get 3 friendlies, not a derby (although suspect it will be). Something like Cas at home, Doncaster and Hudds away would do.

Never really sure how important Pre Season is in the context of how much influence it has come the business end of the season. But Ellis definitely seems to have benefited from a full pre season this year, sounds like the same with Sa is hoping for the same. Although saying he's fighting for the right centre shirt - would like to see him line up with Binman on the left outside Ellis personally.

I reckon Donny away is a definite , The situation with Arundel may determine another away fixture with it been part of a deal . Cas at home would be another good choice.

Any clues?

None really , Hull will want him off the payroll and use the friendly as part of the deal I guess.

Strange the Naughton deal hasn't gone through yet, but he'd be another that would be there at the start, so we'd only be missing Tahu. Nice to have everyone back and good that they're getting away (even if it's just for team bonding).

Still not sure how our non-fed situation will impact on things.

I'm never convinced wasting money taking the players off on 'holiday' is beneficial at all, they should be more focused on training in the cold weather here (ready for the cold early games) and use an indoor facility if the weather is overly inclement.
As for the importance of good friendlies, well look what happened this season, an absolute shambles and that's how the rest of it went.
The whole point of friendlies is to get your squad up to match fitness/speed and giving players chances to get a starting spot based on form so you have the formation of your best starting 17 at that point in time.
Thus from that getting wins early doors should breed confidence and as we know that is a huge factor in how people perform, it also makes the fans feel more enthused and winning makes people come through the gate, ergo more money for the club.

if you're better prepared fitness wise due to better quality friendlies then you're also less likely to get injuries as players fatigue at end of games. Losing players at the beginning does have a huge impact throughout the season and you can end up playing catch-up all the way up until the play-offs (IF you make them) as there is a tendancy to rush players back especially if performances/results aren't great and with the toll a season takes you're basically fighting fires if you get a couple of injuries, more so if they turn out to be profile players.

I think the friendlies are far more important than we (as a club) take them for, we just cannot afford to do that again.

As an aside I still don't think we are doing everything possible in the marginal gains ethos. Things like having a kicking coach BEFORE the start of the season unlike the nonsense this year, to ensure that whomever is taking the kicks (not just one player) is drilled in such, that the kickers practise regularly, I'd hate to think how many kicks we missed this season because our preparation was micturate poor.

I think we are agreeing.

Friendlies need to be more focussed, I think 3, one v Championship, one home and away vs SL, not a derby, fewer academy players and more of a test for the senior players and incoming combinations. In the past the trouble has been sustaining injuries in friendlies we've never recovered from (think we lost 3 long term one year in a friendly v Huddersfield?) and there's apprehension over losing players in pointless games.

Warm weather training is debatable, but the first year we didn't do it in the last 3 was our worst finish, and the top clubs all see some value in it, don't they?

The kicking point is important, and not just goal kicking. Houghton's kicking has actually been fairly effective compared to our halves in recent weeks, but across Sneyd, Pryce, Westerman, Houghton and Rankin we have plenty of players with some ability but we need to focus on getting them organised and optimising their potential. Like you say, this needs to start now (well, in 5 weeks), not in February.

Two friendlies maximum would be my plan but both meaningful (i.e. no 'reserve' team friendly) and definitely no game against KR.

Unfortunately I think yet another home derby friendly is almost certain.

The last lot of friendlies were indeed disastrous preparation for the year. They should be something to learn from and used as a testing ground for new combinations and to see if some of the juniors can step up to a higher level than U19's. Instead they seemed to go in with pre-set ideas with some players already on the naughty step and put in a position where they were set up to fail. I aren't that bothered about the score as long as something is learned but I can't see much was learned from those games beyond the obvious that a good championship side will beat a bunch of U19's with a couple of out of favour players thrown in. I would also like to see the dobbins pre season game scrapped, it brings unnecessary baggage along and there is always the danger getting caught up in the daft obsession of chasing a win at the expense discipline and learning.