Have we gone down the wrong road trying to win the league with a minimum of overseas players.

Cas are waltzing this league with quite a handful. All these are in today's team.



Webster

Roberts

Monaghan

Moors

Chase

Sene lafao

Millington

Springer



It's a great story to see local lads in the wire team and it's nice that some went to the same school together. ..but Cas are miles in front of us with a whole host of overseas players.

I'm not sure any other side has more overseas players. ...



Roy Asotasi had a lot to answer for I think...

Asotasi was from overseas but he was never a player.

I don't know...Big Roy certainly played us if nobody else.

but with an english coach..

Teams continue to buy the Cas players who went to school together, once Cas have made their names.

Unless clubs bring home grown players up to domestic trophy winning standard the English international game will never improve. No good having a load of overseas players competing to get to Wembley & Old Trafford then expecting the reserves to give the Anzacs a game.

Maybe we should be looking to sign more Wigan lads because they seem to do alright for Shaun Wane?

On the other hand, Widnes have 9 overseas born players :

Hanbury

Thompson

Runciman

Ah Van

Manuokafoua

Leuleui

Houston

Heremaia

Cahill



Credit to Castleford's recruitment planning - even when they lose players, they usually come up with top replacements. Not only overseas players either, Their winger and second row plucked from lower leagues.

Fair comment, but, I'd like us to get our first 'modern era' championship under our belt first, so best men for the job at club level works for me. I had no problem cheering the likes of Hodgson, Hicks, King and the Monaghan's on when they were wearing the P&B or Boyd, Tamati, Jackson before them and their success did help to grow interest in the sport in the town.



Having a host of overseas stars can obviously diminish the opportunities for local lads, but, the local lads shouldn't expect a jersey just because they are local, they need to be good enough and that's the conundrum for the coaching staff

In recent years it has got harder to sign players from the NRL because of their bigger contract and the falling exchange rate.



But it hasn't created a load of great upcoming British players. All it has meant is that borderline quality players that usually would have ended up down in the Championship are now getting lots of games in Super League.

Cas academy side doing well. Top of the table.

well that's more good news for your side lets see if they stay top of the table and get to the grand final...



we did in 2014 and the players below are now regular first teamers......



Harvey Livett

Toby King,

Declan Patton

George King

Joe Philbin

Jack Johnson,( not so regular but will be)

Sam Wilde



the ones from wigan that progressed to wigans 1st team are.

Hampshire

Liam Marshall

Gildart,

Lewis Tierney,





sadly though you dont have a reserve side and we do.....

Castleford have done everything right in terms of coaching and recruitment over the past few years.



They keep losing key players and replacing them with no problems.



When Daryl Powell took over from Ian Millward in 2013 they were bottom of the league. Rangi Chase was their best player - remember the controversy about him being in the England team for World Cup 2013, and he left at the end of the season.



2014 they reinvented themselves, made the Challenge Cup final, competed at the top of the table all year. Their best players were Daryl Clark who was Man of Steel and Marc Sneyd who had a great year on loan. End of the season - lost them both.



Their most prolific try scorer during this time was Justin Carney. He then had some trouble and was moved on so they lost him as well in 2015. They replaced him with Denny Solomona from London Broncos who was a relative unknown quantity like us signing Richard Henare from Carlisle.



Solomona went on to be a record breaking try scorer and then he quit them in acrimonious circumstances last year.



Usually you would look at this and tell a story of a "selling club" that can't hold on to its best players, they aren't a big club with big backers and glamour or cash but they keep on signing players who become better at Cas and they keep getting the right mix.

Having a bit of a wobble, now. After a great start, are they now going to do a Widnes of last year?

Cas are a cut above Widnes from last year.



Salford this year are a better analogy with Widnes last year. Some good early results but will they sustain it?



I can't see past the current top 4 for being the final top 4, but who knows what the final order will be. Wigan may well finish top. Assuming Salford don't keep pace with their early season form, the most likely challengers to displace any of the current top 4 would be Catalans who are 4/5 points off and seemingly struggle for consistency enough to haul them in.

Quote 49er="49er"On the other hand, Widnes have 9 overseas born players : Hanbury Thompson Runciman Ah Van Manuokafoua Leuleui Houston Heremaia Cahill Credit to Castleford's recruitment planning - even when they lose players, they usually come up with top replacements. Not only overseas players either, Their winger and second row plucked from lower leagues.'" 8 actually; Leuluai was born in Wakefield when his dad was playing over here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macgraff_Leuluai

Quote 49er="49er"On the other hand, Widnes have 9 overseas born players : Hanbury Thompson Runciman Ah Van Manuokafoua Leuleui Houston Heremaia Cahill Credit to Castleford's recruitment planning - even when they lose players, they usually come up with top replacements. Not only overseas players either, Their winger and second row plucked from lower leagues.'" 8 actually; Leuluai was born in Wakefield when his dad was playing over here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macgraff_Leuluai