With the contract signed and the off-season troubles behind him, Dean Solomon is now working hard on playing his part in a team that he thinks is a definite Premiership contender in 2004. Solomon says that the team had probably fallen into the comfort zone over the last couple of seasons and that the return of Dean Wallis had shaken them out of their lethargy.

""We play for premierships at this club. We have finished fifth and sixth in the past two seasons and we aren’t happy with that’"" Solomon said.

""Dean Wallis has returned to the club and he has been sensational. He has got us out of the comfort zone and we probably didn’t realise we had fallen into it. The training standards have totally lifted because of Wally. We didn’t realise how bad we were so I think we are moving in the right direction and can be knocking on the door of the Grand Final.""

For Solomon himself, the past two seasons have been anything but injury free. A knee reconstruction cost him all of 2002 and last season he was suffering from osteitis pubis.

""I had a tendon release for my osteitis pubis at the end of the season. It really hampered me in the second half of the season. After half time you would run and out and having cooled down you would just lose all power. It is not a sharp pain but it just means you can’t move as quickly,"" Solomon said.

""I’m back to about 90% with the groins. We had a bit of a slow start when I returned but that was expected and I’m now feeling really good and building up well. I want to play in the middle.

""We have recruited some good running midfielders which should complement people like the Johnsons, Damien Peverill, Hirdy and myself who play a bit of crash and bash, in and under sort of football. We have just missed that Blake Caracella type and I think Justin Murphy and Mark Alvey will help us overcome that.""