I've only heard Leeds (Fages to Hudds)
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I'm sure Reacher posted that Wire are in for Bentley aswell?
No one man is bigger than the team. I was thinking about Bentley because I don't think the pack has been as effective this season. Bentley is a tough kid, one I would put on the team sheet at the same time as Morgan Knowles. The brilliant Roby looks as though time is catching up on him somewhat... that is why I view Bentley as important to keep.
I'm not sure that's fair Saint Toppy; his nationality has nothing to do with it and I've not said he's a superstar either. Rather I've highlighted his credentials as a player who is off contract. I do think he would be a great signing for Saints IF they can do it, because of what he could bring to the attack- his ability to create something out of nothing with his speed and evasiveness would bring a new dimension to what is currently a struggling attack, with little dynamism in the pivot positions.
I have asked you several times who you would go for, but you haven't been forthcoming with any suggestions. If you are of the thinking that Saints should put Welsby there, I'd say that at this moment in time, Dufty would be the better option 100%! He has his limitations of course, but even James Tedesco, rated the best full back in the game, can be vulnerable under a bomb, as was Slater before him. Full backs these days are picked for what they can do ball in hand and are strike weapons.
Bentleys agent will have a lot to do with him leaving (showmethemoney) he's a massive Leeds Rhino's fan and pulled a lot of strings to get his top players there? Gale, Oledski, Mellor, & now Bentley
He's well in with Danny Maguire at Hull KR so a lot of his young players he moves there until Leeds come calling.
Might just be me but it has the feeling we could be in for a possibly rough time over the next year or two. All our rivals are signing or chasing people and we don’t seem to be able to keep what we have.
Toby King is staying with the scum so we don’t seem to be have the resources to even attract our opponents players either.
Maybe I’m just being pessimistic but the only likelihood surrounding transfers for Saints at present is for those leaving, anyone coming is only a rumour at a push.
We could really do with some positive recruitment news.
I think it’s too early to panic yet. King accepted a massive offer from Warrington (rumoured to be around £170k/annum) who have overpaid him in my opinion. No way we were going to offer anywhere near that for him.
We have secured Lomax and Walmsley who are our key players. I’m sure there will be signings to go in place of those that do leave and if there isn’t then we have some good young players coming through who we can give game time to.
Think this is OTT. Everything is he said she said at the moment.
Last season we went big with Matautia, Paasi, Thompson this despite covid. Granted the latter hasn’t yet shown what he’s capable of.
We also got in Norman who attracted a lot of interest elsewhere.
Just because we didn’t get King doesn’t mean it’s a failure? There’s a cap and why would we pay over the odds. He’s obviously comfortable at Warrington hence him staying despite NRL interest.
With regards to not being able to keep players, no one has been confirmed as leaving. Everyone seems to think Bentley has gone but this hasn’t been confirmed. IMO it would be awful news if he left, we beat off a lot of clubs to get him in the first place, he was outstanding last year and deserves to stay, if he leaves because we have Thompson on our books that would be awful based on age, quota, and how he’s performed so far. Other posters seem to think Bentley wouldn’t be a big loss which baffles me.
I think Fages will stay with how Woolf has repeatedly said we’d love him to stay. Coote appears up in the air but surely a deadline for his decision must be set if players like Dufty are becoming available. Naiqama, performs consistently well however would he prevent Welsby’s progression, also not sure if he’s a high earner which may push him out.
I think Wire had to keep King, it'd have sent a massively poor message if they'd lost him when they've thrown money at inglis. Saints and other have pushed the price up, so job done
The RFL website says the exemption is as follows: -
I interpret that to mean that is an exemption across the whole cap rather than on each specific player. That £100k is likely used on Mike Cooper too so I am not sure your statement is correct.Quote:
Club Trained Dispensation – Each Super League club is given up to £100,000 of dispensation for producing Super League standard players
I do think Welsby deserves his chance if Coote leaves. Aside form the fact he would cost a fraction of what they would have to pay for someone like Dufty it sends out a really good message to the rest of the other youngsters at the club that if you train hard and show you have the potential then you'll get your chance in the first team.
By the end of this season Welsby will have been in & around the 1st team squad for over 2 years. Aside from the mistakes you'll get with any young player and the fact he's been moved around into numerous different positions, the lads done pretty well, he scored the match winning GF try with his attitude to never give up. As a local lad who's grown up watching Saints you know he'll give his all week in week out. Bringing in any overseas player is a gamble, you just never know if they'll settle and perform no matter how well they may have been playing in the NRL.
I'd much rather us play Welsby at 1 and us the money to invest in a top quality centre to replace Naquiama and then use one of the available quota spots to bolster the front row and the remainder of the money to retain Bentley.
I think people are a bit way of having young / inexperienced players at 1 7 and 9 as could be the case if coote farges and roby all leave in the summer.
As long as Roby stays I'd be happy with Dodd at 7 and Welsby at 1 and as ST says a top class centre coming in for Naquiama , however if this Dufty is good and we can get him play him 1 and play Welsby centre. As for that young Bradford Prop Scurr we linked with in this thread not seen him play but looks a big unit and Bradford produce a lot of good forwards he could be a handy signing him
Maybe Saints are looking at the market and not seeing many quality centres available (and we have already missed out on King) whereas Dufty is available and is too good an opportunity to miss should Coote leave? Welsby can always be our 1st choice Centre for a season alongside Percival, Simm back up for a season and then we re-assess the market again?
If full strength Welsby probably wouldn't be in our starting 13 but he's played every game this season, so it shows the opportunities are there for him.
Who's knows what Saints are planning, it's all speculation at this stage but sometimes you've got to take good opportunities that become available, even if it is short term
I think like most fans here, I'd love a 1-17 of players who'd all come through our system. But only if they were as good players as we could get.
I get your point about Welsby, but with FB being such a pivotal position in the modern game, I don't think he has the skills and pace for that position at this stage of his career, so if he replaces Coote, then we lose a lot of effectiveness - from the 2019 and 2020 Coote anyway, and we've seen how having a FB not playing at a high level this season is harming our attack.
If there was a chance of getting Dufty for even one season, then we should. In terms of attacking threat, he's leagues ahead of Welsby (and 2021 Coote)
A few points ,
How much money do you think Coote is on if we can sign a top class centre and an Aussie prop and still have enough left over to convince Bentley to stay ?
Where do we find this top class centre ?
Which prop is available in the NRL that would come over for the package we could offer given we are also signing a top class centre ?
What if Bentley's demands don't fit in with our squad structure regarding experienced players, bearing in mind he is still very much learning the game in many ways ?
Bentley's head has been turned by Leeds, his injury may stymie his ambitions though.