If Deain is bound for Salford, congratulations but we will see him at our level next year on loan. Hope he stays with us 🤞

That’s right Paulie. But he won’t be on the line of duty in the north east.

Cross is our best top try scorer and winger I hope we can keep him

Cross is our bear top try scorer and winger I hope we can keep him

Me too. Looks very much as if it would be a short FT career if the reorganisation goes through.

Important that we set out our future signings early and that they are attractive signings. Plenty of beef up front to save our backs having to drive out as they have to atm.

This is a splendid opportunity for Adolph Cape and Wires Willy to release their demons… Im a betting man an I will put good money on the pair of them being nowhere near the Albion on the 9th.

I don't think anyone will turn up to hurl abuse, but think the feel about the club has certainly took a turn for the worse in the past few weeks. A few improved performances mid season look like they merely papered over the cracks.

The club has been battered from pillar to post for about 5 straight seasons and no sign of it bottoming out. I'll be honest, this was the 1st season I've not had a season ticket for about 15-16 years, I based this decision on the covid situation. I had every intention of going back once the situation improved, but I guess like a lot of people, going becomes a habit and haven't been back yet. When it comes to getting a season ticket for next year its very much going to be a mental battle between wanting to stay loyal to the club and not wanting to throw good money after bad. Really people should be buying tickets because they enjoy going, but come on now, I don't think anyone can say they've had much enjoyment in going in the past few years.

Certainly a lot of work to be done by the club to win the fans back. For me the big disappointment this season was the very familiar feel that the squad was too small and lacked quality. We've also had the very familiar situation of high profile players missing for large chunks of the season. See Hanbury, Cahill, Marsh, etc, etc, etc. We just never seem to learn. With the drop off in support, will be interesting just exactly what the club's plans are going forward. For the 1st time in a long time, I think we're at a bit of a crossroads as to whether we climb back up to be a top championship / lower SL club or do we simply drift off as so many other clubs have been allowed to. One thing we've always clung onto in difficult financial periods is the thought that our support will always see us rise back up, not sure we can 100% guarantee that now?

Confirmed it’s Sam Wilde we’ve signed.

Decent signing, but do we really need another second rower?

Is it for this season? I would say we do, Dwyer hasnt featured for ages and we only had 1 forward on the bench.

We absolutely do need a second rower even if not quite as desperately as a prop and Sam Wilde is a good signing. Happy with that

Shame about Cross, says in the MEN Salford are leading the chase for him from a number of clubs. I often see him training in DW in St Helens. If you look at the size of his arms and legs compared to many others in the squad and the pace of him, he looks like an athlete. Shows what can be done by a part time player that puts the work in and it looks like he's going from Blackbrook to Super League within 3 or 4 seasons.

Happy for Deon, thoroughly deserving of making the step up. Salford get some stick on here but they’ve appeared in 2x finals in the last few seasons.

No doubting he’s a talented player and it’s great he’s coming back.

I was hoping it was a player for this year, and I was hoping it was a prop! That said, a quality signing like Sam does demonstrate some intention for next season.

Wilde is a decent second row and a good start in building a stronger squad in 2022. One of a number of new signings for 2022 I hope.

You have to respect the wish of Cross to get a full-time contract in SL. It just goes to show that players from the amateur ranks or released by clubs can re-build their career in the game in the lower leagues. Just a thought and I am not sure that even a good winger like Cross is a critical signing - Hatton has shown promise this year and we do have other wingers on the books - but shouldn't we be at the stage of offering full-time contracts for the right signings with an eye on challenging for SL in 2022? I suppose it all depends on our financial situation.

It’s not surprising we are poor in second half of a lot of matches this season. Apart from having forwards injured and having to put 2 young backs on the bench. Finnegan said tonight that Grady had finished work at 10am on Sunday went home and had 2 hours sleep , then got on the coach for York.

What were the main points from tonight?

Any questions asked about positive plans for the club in terms of pushing forward or are we caught between a rick and a hard place with where we can go without knowing the structure of divisions?

Or was the evening a case of what we already know - not much?

Doesn't seem to have been a particularly informative evening. I can only glean the following points from comments on here.

• Wilde signed for 2022 - I think people on here already knew that anyway
• Playing squad totally part-time in 2022, but Owens and Craven given "jobs" to effectively make them full-time contracts. Are there any other current players on full-time contracts this season, who presumably will be leaving? Jewitt part-time player/coach!!!
• Recruitment and retention for 2022 proceeding with several deals tied up - why not announce them then? Looking at players with Championship experience.
• Recognise that mistakes were made on the recruitment side this year and that there is an imbalance between forwards and backs in the squad. That must have come as a surprise to everyone.
• It's hard being a part-time rugby league player - Grady finishing work at 10:30 am on the day of the match. At least we have not gone back to previous eras when players finished work and met up for a drink before the match and would be seen having a smoke as they came on the pitch!!! Have we?
• No comment about the in and out form this season - guess see above for excuses - and what our ambitions are for next year; or whether there are any plans to bolster the squad this year with further loans. I guess we are just looking to play the season out and fingers crossed that Grady and Co do not have many night shifts before games.

To be honest, I am not sure what else they could say and there may have been other comments and asides that have not yet been mentioned here. I think that this season is already a write-off and the plan is to bring together a more balanced squad for 2022. I can only presume that the ambition is to finish in the top 6 next year.

It is good that events like this are held where fans can meet and ask questions of the Directors, Chief Executive and Coach. Perhaps the club should recognise that there is a perception that the club is less than open with fans on occasions.  Events like this can only be positive in answering that criticism,

There will be a chance in the last home game against Bradford to make announcements about signings and ambitions for 2022 and generally promote that game to try and get in a decent crowd. I suspect that there are many long-term fans (like me) who have not gone to games this year due to covid restrictions and continuing concerns, but who will return next year,  particularly if there is a positive feel about the place.

Onwards and upwards. Come on the Chemics.