player development ...where does the improvement come?

[Duff Soviet Union]

I think we've got fair capacity for improvement.

Grundy, De Goey, Moore, Phillips, Cox, Scharenberg, Wills, Brown, Kirby, Daicos, Crisp and Maynard can and should get better, and there's not many players likely to get worse next year. Sidebottom, Treloar and Pendlebury all had down seasons by their own standards and at least two of those should bounce back (Pendlebury might be done as a truly elite player, but he should have a few good years in him too). Thomas might rediscover his 2013/14 form too.

The most likely decliners are Goldsack (we have a lot of flankers too, so that's not a huge issue) and Reid (who's been injured most of the past 6 years anyway). Wells too, but he missed most of this year anyway.

We're really not far off. Just a good run with injury, a bit better luck in close games (we won 9.5, but our % was that of an 11 win team), some improvement from youngsters and we're there.

I'd say our most glaring shortcoming is a genuine KPF (most other clubs don't have one of these either) and a genuine KPD. If Cox can handle a gig as a full time forward, I'd love to see Darcy as a key defender. His footy IQ as a forward isn't great, but he'd never get outmarked as a backman, his ball use is generally fine and he's got decent speed. He'd be dominant back there.