Signed from Souths academy, formerly of Wakefield and hailing from Dewsbury. 19 year old outside back.
Signings galore...
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Signed from Souths academy, formerly of Wakefield and hailing from Dewsbury. 19 year old outside back.
Signings galore...
https://www.saintsrlfc.com/2022/11/0...quad-for-2023/
Interesting. Good to see we have a few different projects on the run.
Got the No 34 first team squad shirt.
https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/teams/j...esley-bruines/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNYWAMAAIGw
I think the rumours thread could of gotten to 1000 pages without ever pulling that name out of a hat...
Looks good, very interesting to see some new names come in
This is more like it.
A Big Quick outside back. The achilles heel of the academy in recent times.
Great to see uncoventional channels are being considered and acted on.
Welcome to Saints and good luck.
The nobody is worthy , Hopoate just needs a rest brigade will be wetting themselves no doubt.
From the limited highlights available he seems to play full back and winger with a bit of centre. Also listed as 6’4 and seems to have good step and pace for someone that tall. Definitely one for the future but adds to the stockpile of talented backs we have coming through.
Poor Jack and Sione might find themselves playing in their proper positions if we're not careful here. I'm loving these moves, adding some real depth now. Potential isn't guaranteed to be reached, so having three of four backs on the ramp like this will hopefully mean that a couple will end up establishing themselves long term (Bennison, Sambou, Bruines, Robertson etc).
In fairness, most (including myself), were saying there was nobody of sufficient quality worth bringing in on a proper contract ahead of Bennison. The club clearly agree, they've brought in Ritson only on loan initially and Bruines as a squad player. If they thought either were good enough to immediately take up the mantle they'd have offered much different terms.
Either way, some very good business over the past couple of days.
He could possibly be replacing Davies as back up if Wellens gives him the opportunity.
Most were just being simps and sycophantically backing whatever the club was doing at that particular point in time. The club spotted what a lot on here did, we lacked depth in the backs and have no pace, something the no signings brigade wouldn't come to terms with. They've potentially fixed both of those with these two signings. It's a survival of the fittest between Bennison, Sambou, Ritson and Bruines now over the next 12 months to see if one of them can cause us to not need to look into signing a winger next season. Hopefully this signing (If he's any good) will put a stop to the days of having to move Welsby, Bennison, Mata'utia etc around to cover outside of their best positions. It's interesting that he's got a first team squad number. Is that because of his age perhaps? Or is he thought of as first team potential, so ahead of those in the senior academy by reputation?
We've effectively replaced like for like in the backs.
Grace out, Ritson in.
Simm out, Bruines in.
Think Wellens has seen the lack of overall depth in the backs and felt he needed a couple of bodies, especially given Hopoates unreliability with injury.
Very interesting. Add to that
Hill and Bennison are a year older and wiser.
Hurrell has cemented a centre spot from being a wildcard but only contracted for 12 months.
Resiliance clouds hang over Hopaote and Percival.
Davies ended the season looking more like a SR.
The world cup will mean that both Welsby and Makinson
will have skinny off seasons and might be eased back in early season.
Therefore All to play for and plenty of opportunities for all concerned
both for 2023 and earning longer term contracts.
You've been calling for a development signing Gerry and you'd also spoken about the limitations of the production line in the academy, when it comes to the threequarters. This signing is another indication the club agree.
I support what you're saying as well, about being creative and scouring all of the markets available for talent. With 17 teams in the NRL now and likely 18 within the next 5 years, clubs in SL may very well need to do more and more of this!
The Hodgson brothers (relatives of Josh Hodgson) whom are both in the Knights system, may be others to follow over the next 12 months. Not all will make it to first grade over there.
Most were just being realistic,saying that any signings we made had to be off quota. It was obvious we needed a couple of players. But there was no point people just plucking unrealistic names out of thin air,we have no chance of signing current top tier international players,there was also the we should sign this player from the world cup who looked good for 5 minutes.
Many of us looked at the players out there, Russell, Clare etc and thought they were no better than what we have in Bennison etc and would cost far more than a squad player should and we had no ability to sign a quota player as we have no space available. The majority of us wanted a project signing or 2, especially in the backs where our academy doesnt seem to produce them as often as we do forwards. You wanted us to go out and sign a 32 year old who has played 4 games of professional RL and you hadnt even watched him play!
Which 32 year old with four games of professional RL did I want us to sign exactly? I'm pretty sure I didn't say that. I said throughout that going with Bennison and not signing anyone else was a mistake. The club clearly knew that as they've done that. If you review the rumours thread it's just page after page of people posting wingers having good performances or being linked with moves and the no-signings club fervently shooting them down. Someone posting that a winger had a good game in the World Cup isn't them suggesting the club gives them a 4 year contract on Regan's wages. Ritson was dismissed as not being good enough, yet the same people are now saying it's a good move. I'm sure if someone had suggested Bruines, they would have been shot down too.
Ritson wouldn't have been a good signing as a replacement for Grace on first team wages, it would have been barmy.
As a squad player, on loan, with zero commitment to the club beyond this year if it doesn't work out is great business. We keep our powder dry for 2024 and if Ritson does adapt and have a stormer then he will get the permanent spot.
If the club thought he was definitely up to it the deal wouldn't have been structured how it has.
I was slightly out, but you did advocate potentially giving him a 12 month deal: .
You based that on hearing a 32 year old had a good game in his 4th match of professional RL without even watching it, theres a reason he was on nobody’s radar, because he isnt good enough, you dont just change codes at that age for no reason. you have also slagged Bennison off consistently “Bennison isn't a top level winger either. He isn't Super League quality on the wing, no matter how the club want to position it. He's physically weak and very hesitant, which makes bringing the ball out difficult for him. He's no threat at all with the ball individually and his defense is also very weak.” So I’d say your judgements absolutely garbage.
Just because Bennison was given the number 5 shirt didnt stop us looking for players, which we have now found, it gave him the first chance to earn the spot, which he still has in my opinion. Without a change in our quota status NFT players are off limits and the vast majority of available players are substandard, Matty Russell and James Clare for example, even Ritson we have to pay a fee for when there isnt that much money in the sport.
You call people the no-signings club, in reality its a lot of people being realistic about the situation, seeing whats out there, accepting those available aren’t good enough and wanting the club to keep their powder dry for the right people, which Ritson and Bruines may be