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Thread: James Bentley in Demand

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    Default James Bentley in Demand

    According to League Express. Out of contract at the end of the year.

    He’s certainly not a hooker despite a good couple of games there last year. I hope we re-sign him and get him back into a more familiar position in second row or centre.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dos Cervezas View Post
    According to League Express. Out of contract at the end of the year.

    He’s certainly not a hooker despite a good couple of games there last year. I hope we re-sign him and get him back into a more familiar position in second row or centre.
    Hope we retain him, was one of our best performers before his injury, still young and a good squad player.

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    Defo a player we must keep. Next year will be on the bench every game

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    Release him. Too small and not aggressive enough to be a back rower, doesn't have the skill or pace to play 9 effectively.

    Who's he in demand from? Bet it's Wakefield, Salford, Huddersfield etc.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saddened! View Post
    Release him. Too small and not aggressive enough to be a back rower, doesn't have the skill or pace to play 9 effectively.

    Who's he in demand from? Bet it's Wakefield, Salford, Huddersfield etc.
    Shut up you tit.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dos Cervezas View Post
    According to League Express. Out of contract at the end of the year.

    He’s certainly not a hooker despite a good couple of games there last year. I hope we re-sign him and get him back into a more familiar position in second row or centre.
    He is a fair player and id like to see him settle at second row; with the inter change reduced his tackling, stamina and footwork are more than useful. The sooner the Bentley at 9 is binned the better.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Angry Dave View Post
    Shut up you tit.


    I do love your posting style. Care to elaborate on what you find so offensive? Do you rate Bentley, if so in which position? My original point stands, too small for a back row forward and not good enough to play 9 in Super League. Arguably his best games for us have been at centre.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saddened! View Post
    Release him. Too small and not aggressive enough to be a back rower, doesn't have the skill or pace to play 9 effectively.

    Who's he in demand from? Bet it's Wakefield, Salford, Huddersfield etc.

    I agree with much of this. He's a useful utility player but hasn't shown enough at SR, isn't dynamic enough and his distribution is miles too slow at 9. I'd prefer to keep him but we shouldn't break the bank to do it, and he may be able to get a bigger deal elsewhere. But he's not a first XIII player for a major club that needs to be in the hunt for silverware every year.

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    I'd keep him.

    We will have large turnover of players in the next two years as alot to players are out of contract and we have an ageing pack so the priority had to be replacing those players.

    Bentley is a very versatile player who can cover centre, 2nd row, loose and hooker to a decent standard (although no doubt hooker is his weakest spot of those). He won't be on Megabucks and he's a player that's improving, so it make sense to offer him a new deal.

    If another club offers him a money deal we cant compete with fair enough but he's certainly not a player is contemplate getting rid of.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Saddened! View Post


    I do love your posting style. Care to elaborate on what you find so offensive? Do you rate Bentley, if so in which position? My original point stands, too small for a back row forward and not good enough to play 9 in Super League. Arguably his best games for us have been at centre.
    You know full well very little offends me, I'm just prone to the odd outburst especially after a few afternoon beers. I agree with you regarding hooker, never in a million years. But as a second row, he's tough, hard working, has decent footwork, and can drop into other positions if need be. He'll probably never be a superstar but he's a good little player.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Webbo Again View Post
    I agree with much of this. He's a useful utility player but hasn't shown enough at SR, isn't dynamic enough and his distribution is miles too slow at 9. I'd prefer to keep him but we shouldn't break the bank to do it, and he may be able to get a bigger deal elsewhere. But he's not a first XIII player for a major club that needs to be in the hunt for silverware every year.
    I agree with what you say, but I would keep him as a bench player.

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    I’d keep him as well, more for his utility value than anything else. He can play 3, 4, 11, 12 and 13 to a solid level and he brings energy off the bench. If you look around the competition over the last couple of years and you look at the number of injuries going around, it would be wrong to get rid of a player who can cover so many different roles in my opinion.
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    For me I'd keep him. Utility value and still developing.

    Seeing him at 9, is like when Wilkin was at 7, it's not a bad back-up option but not what you'd want as your first choice.

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    Always worth having a player who can cover backs and forwards

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    I like him and he’s definitely worth another few years to continue his development.

    He’s been getter better all the time. He was the best player on the pitch against Toronto before his injury, playing out of position.

    He’s not a hooker though but I’d like him to put on a few KGs and have a good crack at nailing a second row spot.


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    I think he is already a very useful player to have around and will develop into a very good second rower.
    His tackling technique is spot on, although he is still predominantly a leg tackler that can sometimes be classed as passive if he does not clear the ruck quickly, he is starting to hit around the waist now. This was noticeable in the CC where he lost very few head on one on ones, this enforced lay off may see him and a few other younger players come back fitter than the lads in their 30`s and ahead of them in the team. I also think Zeb may go around again as he may struggle for fitness at the restart but be raring at the season`s end.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saddened! View Post


    I do love your posting style. Care to elaborate on what you find so offensive? Do you rate Bentley, if so in which position? My original point stands, too small for a back row forward and not good enough to play 9 in Super League. Arguably his best games for us have been at centre.
    Polarising views. Agree and disagree with both.

    For the right money an easy decision sign him up.

    For the wrong money then goodbye.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tallaght Tiger View Post
    I think he is already a very useful player to have around and will develop into a very good second rower.
    His tackling technique is spot on, although he is still predominantly a leg tackler that can sometimes be classed as passive if he does not clear the ruck quickly, he is starting to hit around the waist now. This was noticeable in the CC where he lost very few head on one on ones, this enforced lay off may see him and a few other younger players come back fitter than the lads in their 30`s and ahead of them in the team. I also think Zeb may go around again as he may struggle for fitness at the restart but be raring at the season`s end.
    True about Zeb. This break might see clubs get another season out of their older players if they are managed through the remaining games

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    Quote Originally Posted by Blobbynator View Post
    I'd keep him.

    We will have large turnover of players in the next two years as alot to players are out of contract and we have an ageing pack so the priority had to be replacing those players.

    Bentley is a very versatile player who can cover centre, 2nd row, loose and hooker to a decent standard (although no doubt hooker is his weakest spot of those). He won't be on Megabucks and he's a player that's improving, so it make sense to offer him a new deal.

    If another club offers him a money deal we cant compete with fair enough but he's certainly not a player is contemplate getting rid of.

    Key on this forum - just get to the sensible post on any topic - and here it is !

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    I'd certainly keep him for his versatility

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    Quote Originally Posted by Blobbynator View Post
    I'd keep him.

    We will have large turnover of players in the next two years as alot to players are out of contract and we have an ageing pack so the priority had to be replacing those players.

    Bentley is a very versatile player who can cover centre, 2nd row, loose and hooker to a decent standard (although no doubt hooker is his weakest spot of those). He won't be on Megabucks and he's a player that's improving, so it make sense to offer him a new deal.

    If another club offers him a money deal we cant compete with fair enough but he's certainly not a player is contemplate getting rid of.

    This is the point. We may see him as a [figures plucked from the air] £30k-£40k utility player, but another club offers him £60k and a crack at pinning down a permanent backrow position with 'guaranteed' playing time. The question for us is do we pay more than we want/think he's worth and give him an extended spell at [say] second row just to keep him?

    I personally think he has the makings of a very decent loose forward - but we already have the best British loose forward on our books. I guess a lot will depend on what Knowles plans for the next few years. He's an ideal NRL-type player and may be tempted - I just hope he's open and honest with the club to allow us to plan effectively. If Knowles does want to try the NRL, IMO it should affect the club's thinking WRT Bentley.

    Whatever, I think Bentley has a lot of limitations as a modern, channel-running second rower (but then again, so does Knowles). Taia has become the blueprint if the archetypal second row in my opinion - and we've had a lot of similar style SR'ers during the SL era, not least Joynt and Gilmour.

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    I think you need two 13’s in the squad anyway. For a few years we had Wilkin and Knowles, last year it was either Knowles and Paulo or Knowles and someone else. I’d say coming on for Knowles at 13 would be his best position in the 17 at the minute.
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    A good player who is well worth keeping on an improved contract. He seems pretty settled at Saints so as long as we don't take the p1ss he should re-sign.
    I could agree with you but then we would both be wrong.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Saddened! View Post
    Do you rate Bentley, if so in which position? My original point stands, too small for a back row forward and not good enough to play 9 in Super League. Arguably his best games for us have been at centre.
    I think Bentley, using modern coaching jargon (guff) is an "edge player", if this is as a mobile second row or physical centre I don't think it matters. It is like Lee Gilmour in the 2000's, at Bradford he is a centre, at Saints he is a second row, his style is similar in both roles. It just matters where the teams "edge" is. I am confident that he is physical enough to not get shown up in the pack and he is dynamic enough to play at centre. Playing him at hooker is surely just a case of giving him game time as we transition between Roby and Smith. Knowles filled in there to while he was pinning down his spot.
    I could agree with you but then we would both be wrong.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Noel Cleal View Post
    I think Bentley, using modern coaching jargon (guff) is an "edge player", if this is as a mobile second row or physical centre I don't think it matters. It is like Lee Gilmour in the 2000's, at Bradford he is a centre, at Saints he is a second row, his style is similar in both roles. It just matters where the teams "edge" is. I am confident that he is physical enough to not get shown up in the pack and he is dynamic enough to play at centre. Playing him at hooker is surely just a case of giving him game time as we transition between Roby and Smith. Knowles filled in there to while he was pinning down his spot.
    I think he is very good running, if there is a gap. The difference between him and Gilmour (apart from a gulf in class) is that Gilmour was 6'2" Bentley is about 5'9". That 5 inches gives you a lot more prowess to hand off. However as a squad player I doubt we will get anyone better.

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