I see we have a first team squad of only 28 players compared to Champions Wigan with 33 players
Thoughts please?

Dunno

I'm okay with 28 that may increase with some promotion's.

No point expanding the numbers unless quality players are available. Wigan are surely closer to the cap and may struggle to keep everyone they have in a year's time.

No doubt the club are saving some funds back in case suitable forwards become available mid-season. We might also need to replace Croft in a year's time, and there are quite a few decent players coming off contract that we might want to offer better deals to. Hopefully there will be some younger players coming through who are looking for upgrades as well.

^ This.

My two'penneth, Wigan have an advantage that they have produced and promoted from within and have a great academy that produces first team ready quality year on year. Weve a long way to go to get anywhere near that but hopefully were on the right track now.

Its also far easier to recruit to a winning team which is one of the reasons Weve struggled as Weve had to pay overs to get players in whereas in the past perhaps we could play a bit more hardball with players etc.

All in all, Weve shifted some reight deadwood in the last year / year and a half, there's still (IMHO) still some chaff to cut / move on but when your perennially shopping in the bargain bin after everyone else has done their shopping then don't be surprised when you end up with the odd duff buy.

Yeah but 29 thru to 33 are academy promotions, we (in theory), could promote 5 from ours and then we have the same squad size, will just have to wait until squad numbers are released.

I think we need to try and recruit the very best youngsters and spend more money on developing players with a genuine chance of making the first team.
Upsets me when Yorkshire born players go to the north west teams.

Doubt we will be at 28.

Lachlan Miller, Maika Sivo, Harry Newman, Jake Connor, Ash Handley, Brodie Croft, Matt Frawley, Mikolaj Oledzki, Andy Ackers, Keenan Palasia, James Bentley, James McDonnell, Cameron Smith, Jarrod O’Connor, Sam Lisone, Tom Holroyd, Cooper Jenkins, Morgan Gannon, Ryan Hall, Jack Sinfield, Tom Nicholson-Watton, Alfie Edgell, Riley Lumb, Ben Littlewood, Ned McCormack, Toby Warren, Max Simpson, Presley Cassell, Marcus QareQare, Jack Smith, Joe Diskin

Do the last four on the list count as first team squad.

1 Lachlan Miller

2 Maika Sivo

3 Harry Newman

4 Ash Handley (CC)

5 Ryan Hall

6 Brodie Croft

7 Matt Frawley

8 Mikolaj Oledzki

9 Andy Ackers

10 Keenan Palasia

11 James Bentley

12 James McDonnell

13 Cameron Smith (CC)

14 Jarrod O’Connor

15 Sam Lisone

16 Morgan Gannon

17 Cooper Jenkins

18 Jake Connor

19 Tom Holroyd

20 Jack Sinfield

21 Alfie Edgell

22 Tom Nicholson-Watton

23 Riley Lumb

24 Ben Littlewood

25 Ned McCormack

26 Max Simpson

(27 Warren, 28 F.McCormack, 29 P.Cassell, 30 J.Smith)

Pretty much as was expected in terms of squad numbers I reckon the club have held off announcing any of the other young players who haven’t made their debuts yet as we are still in talks with Harvey Livett apparently 2 other clubs have come in for him so doesn’t look a straight forward signing.

Handley at centre is still a concerning prospect to me. But Arthur presumably knows what he's doing.

Gannon in the 17 is a nice indication hopefully of what he's been showing in training, especially as Arthur hasn't seen him play.