ROCHDALE Hornets coach Darren Abram has looked at the areas his team was lacking in this year, as he aims to better last season's fifth place finish.

2006 was the third year in succession that Rochdale made the top six, but the Hornets have yet to make an impact in the end of season series, crashing out 38-10 to Whitehaven in the first elimination match in what was Abram's first season in charge at Spotland.

Although Abram guided Leigh to win the National League Grand Final in 2004, many of his players had little or no experience of the business end of the season. And that is something Abram has worked hard to fix.

"There is a difference with play-off rugby," Abram admitted lo 'Rugby Leaguer & League Express'. "A lot of our lads last year hadn't played in those games before, and you could tell that on game day. They we're
a bit startled by it.

"It's a different environment with a different intensity. The media starts to build it up more leading up to the game, and if you're not used to that you can fall away.

"That's a reason I wanted to bring in a couple more experienced players who have been there before, like Simon Svabic, Simon Baldwin and Byron Smith."

With Gary Hulse, Wayne Corcoran, Bolu Fagborun, lain Marsh, Nick Johnson, Mark Blanchard, Matt Whittaker and Eric Andrews joining Svabic, Baldwin and Smith, there will be ten new faces taking to the Spotland pitch when the 2007 season starts.

Abram believes this new-look side have added strengths, compared with his squad in the season just ended, but he also admits it was more out of necessity that his squad will look so different come February's kick-off.

'I’ve had to bring some in to replace outgoing players," Abram said.

"We progressed well last year, and I want to progress even further this year. "One problem last year was that we lacked some organisational skills and a kicking game. "Simon Svabic should help us in that regard. I have worked with him before, and I'm looking for a big season for him.
"With Matt Sturm now retired, I was looking for an experienced front rower, and brought in Simon Baldwin as a replacement for him.
"I have had to replace a couple of other players because I've not been able to afford to keep Lee Doran and Richard Varkulis. They have gone to Widnes and Halifax, and I couldn't match their money to keep them, so I've had to bring two players in to replace them.

"I wouldn't say that we've made major changes, but the lads know each other now."

There was one other area of the squad, however, that Abram did go out to strengthen. "I was short on wingers last year," he continued.

"Mark McCully, who is usually a centre or fullback played, on the wing for most of the season, so I've bought Three wingers in. Bohi Fagborun has got great potential, and every time I've seen him he's been very explosive and very powerful.

"Eric Andrews has been a natural try scorer all his career, and Nick Johnson is a try scorer and a winger with an abundance of pace. He likes to take people up on the outside.

"There are only two positions available in the team in one week, and with the three of them battling out in training and game day there should be a lot of competition there."

Last week the club returned to training, and this in itself is another area that Hornets have improved on in order to fulfil their hopes of a big season.

"We're going to be based at Hopwood Hall College this year," said Abram. "We've got a five-a-side pitch, and a boxing gym with free weights there, which is good for us. We can use the boxing gym for conditioning and the pitch for agility, speed work and ball work. There is also the free weights that we can work with on a Tuesday and Thursday, which we couldn't do at all last year."