And start to peruse statistics.
One that did escape attention was that James Haley reached the landmark of 100 career appearances at Whitehaven in July.
He hadn't begun the season in the starting line-up but the match at Don Valley Stadium one sultry Friday night in May changed all that.
Mike Ratu came off injured and never really recaptured his early season form.
And winger Andy Smith made his last appearance for the club.
He had a nightmare start, made three errors in the first 10 minutes leading to tries for the Eagles, and was hauled off.
He just sat in the dugout in silence for the rest of the game and was never seen again!
The player with the best try to minutes played ratio was Sean Penkywicz.
It makes you wonder what might have been possible if he'd stayed fit all season.
But this most inspirational of players injured his hand on Easter Monday at Dewsbury and then played through the pain barrier for a few weeks.
He appeared alongside Sam Hoare in the club's pre-season photo shoot but the latter then promptly hopped off back to Australia.
That left Mick Govin as the alternative hooker with young Stuart Proctor still on the sidelines under a hefty suspension incurred whilst playing amateur football for Brighouse Rangers which was not rescinded until midsummer.
So Matt Calland recruited Janan Billings from Rochdale Mayfield.
The coach had tried to get him into the club 12 months previously (he actually played in one pre-season friendly in 2007) but fell foul of the overseas quota.
The diminutive number nine used to come off the pitch at the end of every game looking like he'd been mugged.
He even survived the theft of his boots from his car!
Billings was gradually working his way into the hearts of the fans when expediency saw him struck off to accommodate the signing of Ben Black.
He must have known that the writing was on the wall though when he heard the supporters giving "Blacky" a hero's welcome as the team warmed up before that fateful match at Sheffield, yet he produced a fantastic individual display in a dismal team performance.
Calland blasted his team at both halftime and after the final whistle, and held the hooker up as an example of effort and determination but it wasn't enough to keep him on the playing register.
Back to Penkywicz and that injury.
His finest effort - and there were plenty - came in the tremendous victory at Widnes.
He came on midway through the first half to turn things round after the Vikings had taken charge early on but nearly didn't get on the pitch.
Without giving too much away, Penkywicz likes to relieve himself into something like a plastic cup before taking the pitch.
Despite the fact that the bench has a roof on at the Halton Stadium an eagle eyed steward spotted him and threatened to eject him from the ground for exposing himself...