Good post. You said what i was trying to say.
I'll try again.
Unless we took the spoon again, we were always going to be "improved" over last years performance. All the positives that people have mentioned are the reasons I am being negative. This idea that we have created something form the ashes. We were meant to be top 4, at least top 8 in 2011. We took out the spoon by being beaten by the Eels at home. Old news now, but almost anything is an improvement on that.
This year we spent big, really big, and are currently "mathematical" to make the 8. Apart from gaining Dave Taylor next year, and having let players find their positions this year (which is what we were all talking about in 2010!!), we assume next year we are going to magically put everything in place and suddenly we are top 4.
I'm happy we have a club, and I am happy we aren't spooners in 2012, but we are far from where we should be. I don't look at our roster and say nearly making the 8 is a good result.