Esan Marsters and Luke Yates are heading to Salford and Warrington respectively while Oliver Russell is Wakefield-bound.

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Listen to many fans and boss Watson should go with them as they face missing out of the play-offs once again.

And he could barely contain his angst at recent dealings, saying: “It’s always the case, you end up having to start again.

“I’d love nothing more for them to be here as they’re two of our best players and we can build on that but it seems like what’s happening every year is we’re losing this kind of player.

“We’re not being able to build or sustain anything we want to do. A lot of players have come here, improved then gone elsewhere.

“It’s one for a bit bigger than me. It’s got to be a full club thing and run in the right way to be able to retain players like these going forward.

“Esan knows we brought him across to try and build a team and keep that consistency. Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to do that.

“I didn’t want Esan to go and Esan didn’t want to go. The club hasn’t been able to come to an agreement. He’s done what he thinks is the right thing for himself and his family, which is always the number one priority for a player.

“But I know he’s come here, come across and got better. He deserves what he’s going to get on the back of that.

“And Yatesy’s been with me for a long time, so it’s another one where you’re upset.”

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Watson also hit back at critics from the terraces, adding: “I’m not going to take advice from people who never achieved anything or want to have a pot shot.

“Someone said something to me the other day and I was like, ‘I must be wrong in thinking we were playing in Grand Finals and Challenge Cup finals before I got here.’ We weren’t.

“We definitely hadn’t played in two semi-finals in four years. If the club and group feel I’m the right person for it, I’m the right person for it.”