You know, I've woken up this morning feeling optimistic for next year but with a caveat.
This side has shown it can more than compete for about 40 minutes. It is clear their natural talent is getting them that far but where they fall apart is fatigue and that is on two things: strength and conditioning and bench management.
They are nowhere near good enough to challenge for a premiership, especially losing Fifita and TPJ but they are not as far away as it looks on the surface.
Get in the right coaches (not just replacing Seibold but the entire coaching staff, every single one of them) and the right players, this side suddenly has its gaps filled. Then, save the cash for when that big needed fish becomes available, whether it be Grant, B.Smith or RTS, etc.
If we could somehow manufacture a TPJ to Souths for Arrow trade, that would be a MASSIVE step in the right direction.
Suddenly, next season this side runs out (sans the big fish who at present isn't available):
1. Drinkwater
2. Farnworth
3. Bird
4. Opacic
5. Coates
6. Staggs
7. Dearden
8. Carrigan
9. Turpin
10. Lodge
11. Glenn
12. Haas
13. Arrow
14. Paix
15. Wallace/Welch
16. Riki
17. Oates
That side is more than competitive without being a contender but that will come when Grant / whoever is landed.