I'm not sure Royle will be at the club much longer TBH. He's at an age now where he really should be playing 1st team rugby week after week and should be looking for a half decent contract. He's got a Cas / Wakefield type player written all over him or maybe one of the top Championship clubs like Fev.
Foster seems to be highly rated but has had a lot of bad luck with injuries (fingers crossed he can put a decent run of games together this year), and Buckley seems to be improving a lot (scores 2 great try's for the reserves last weekend against Leeds). Then behind these 2 are players like Vaughn who appears to be very much in the Mata'utia type role of being able to play both center & 2nd row comfortably.
I know that he (Royle) is a very intelligent man with impressive qualifications so he could easily say ta ta to rugby and earn a serious wedge. Good luck to him and I wouldn't blame him.
Last edited by Thommo; 31st May 2023 at 20:37.
With young players the true threat is behind them rather than in front on them. We definitely have some talented back rowers Buckley and Vaughan seem to be the headlines. Royle either needs to get in the starting 17 or show more potential than these two lads.
Foster has similar issues but hopefully he can get a run at some point.
I could agree with you but then we would both be wrong.
Jack Ashworth leaving Huddersfield at the end of the season. Linked with Hull FC.
There seems to be a scramble by some clubs to just go out and but the biggest forwards they can regardless of whether they're any good or not (and to me Ashworth is definately in the or not category). Wire did it last year buying big but ultimately useless donkeys like Dudson & Kasiano.
Do these coaches not actually look at the really successful clubs like Saints, Wigan & Leeds who's forward packs are generally smaller & more mobile with just maybe 1 or 2 really big guys. The last champion team with a mega pack was Bradford and the game has moved on massively since that era.
Oli Gildart signed for Hull KR from next season on a 3 year deal.
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
He'll go really well for them if he can stay injury free.
If I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor
RFL Championship / Super League (17) - 193132, 195253, 195859, 196566, 196970, 197071, 197475, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Challenge Cup (13) - 195556, 196061, 196566, 197172, 197576, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2021
World Club Challenge (3) - 2001, 2007, 2023
League Leader's Shield (9) - 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022
Gildart isn’t the Gildart of about 5-6 years ago and he was pretty poor in his last year or two at Wigan to the point where their fans couldn’t believe he was wanted by NRL clubs.
St Helens Rugby League Football Club
James Bell new deal till end of 2025. Well deserved for a player who for me is one of the 1st names on the teamsheet now.
Let's hope there announcing 1 a day and Sironen's tomorrow
Excellent. Been very patient and really stepped in to loose whilst Morgans been loosing his head
If I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor
RFL Championship / Super League (17) - 193132, 195253, 195859, 196566, 196970, 197071, 197475, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Challenge Cup (13) - 195556, 196061, 196566, 197172, 197576, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2021
World Club Challenge (3) - 2001, 2007, 2023
League Leader's Shield (9) - 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport...alans-27042752
Sounds like we're close to signing Matt Whitley for next season. Matuatia replacement?
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
Solid enough back up to Sironen and Batchelor (assuming Matautia is heading home). Like others have said it frees up money and quota spot for a elsewhere. (Prop or centre presumably)
NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS
The key point people will be concerned about in that article is the following paragraph: -
St Helens, who are already thought to have secured a deal for Warrington Wolves hooker Daryl Clark next season, are unlikely to make significant changes to their squad for the next season with most of their off-contract players, barring James Roby, expected to re-sign.
Very underwhelming if true. Him and Clark aren't going to have us at the top of the tree. After years of superb recruitment it seems we have taken a dip. And if we re-sign Hopoate and LMS goes round another year then we can kiss goodbye to next year.
Happy with this signing. Will also be cheaper and play more than Matautia.
I can understand why people are disappointed that we have signed him instead of signing Tom Gilbert and David Fifita though.