So, seven league games now played, which is a quarter of the way through the season. How are we all feeling? For me, it has been disappointing and I feel we have regressed a bit from last season rather than kicked on. Recruitment has been weak, Vegas was every bit as damaging as I feared it would be, and the subsequent home loss to Wakey was probably the most typically Wire moment of the year so far. Our two wins against Saints and the comeback victory over Leeds created a bit of feelgood factor, but the truth is we were still far from convincing. We can maybe point to the Vegas trip and injuries as mitigating factors, and of course we are still in the cup, and you feel we have enough talent to beat anyone on our day. But too often it's not our day. There's still a long way to go, but it feels to me like Leigh this week is a huge game. Win and we are back in the mix. Lose and I will start fearing that we might not even make the top six.

I agree, absolutely nothing doing this season unless we get lucky in the cup against Leigh and meet Hull KR on an off day at Wembley. There is no point in another away game playoff plucky loss. No, play the young squad members so they get experience and we can decide which of those will be truly good enough for 2026 and where the recruitment gaps will be. George William's contract is up end of 2026 anyway and he'll be 32 so we need to have a proven life-after-George and Sneyd plan in any case. 

I suggest now is also a time to have a clean broom on those players who are out of contract for this season. 


Toby King - a centre with pace please and ability to beat a man please. 
Rodrick Tai - ditto
Paul Vaughan -  1 year extension or thanks for the memories, our best prop but age catches up with everyone. 
Sam Powell - was just what we needed last season but I think age is catching up on him. 
Zane Musgrove -  thanks for the memories. Too little, too late fella. 
Jordan Crowther -  thanks for the memories, just not top level SL standard, down on performances from 2024, and blocking progression from the youth. 
Stefan Ratchford - thanks for the memories. I'm sure you'll be on the Wire old boys scheme somewhere. 
Connor Wrench - he's 24 this year. needs to play this season and deliver on potential and show he is over the injuries, or we should allow him to pursue opportunities elsewhere. 

We're about where we were in the better part of the Steve Price era. Nearly men who are behind the top teams but have a chance of going all the way in the Challenge Cup if we raise our game and have a bit of luck. Still doing cringeworthy insults on social media which make us look like an amateur organisation.

We just need to know what type of team we have, train we'll all week, and make an ill judged strength comparison comment on live TV and we will be all set.  

Heard Castleford wanting Vaughan 

I really don't know why people slag off Price. Two cup finals and a grand final ain't a bad return. And one of those involved stuffing saints without our (apparently) most dangerous player on the day. Unless we reach both finals this year, and win one, Price actually did better than SB.