Ins:
Outs:
Coote - hull kr
Fages - huddersfield
Thompson - retire
Bentley - leeds
OOC:
Naiqama
Roby
Lms
Amor
Batchelor
Eaves
Rizelli
Ins:
Outs:
Coote - hull kr
Fages - huddersfield
Thompson - retire
Bentley - leeds
OOC:
Naiqama
Roby
Lms
Amor
Batchelor
Eaves
Rizelli
Looking worrying for next season. Already confirmed alot of outgoing but no incomings, only dufty rumoured but dont see that happening
Do hope we have some signed behind the scenes but waiting to announce them
Is it confirmed anywere naiqama is officially going back to aus. Last i heard was its all up in the air
Fages not official but everyone is announcing it has already happened. I dont see us keeping him
I would rather be positive and instead of saying worrying I would say an exciting challenge ahead.
Dodd, Welsby and Wingfield look to me that they will be established for a long period of time already within our salary cap. With the possible 4 players going out we may have enough cap money for 3 players instead of 4 replacements.
We might just use a slightly smaller squad giving us less depth but we do have 2 or 3 players who can step up in Simm, Foster and Sambou.
Whilst i am a fan of josh simm i dont want him as starting center going into a new season. Hes still a few years of that happening. Foster i think has potential as hes played a few times on loan at center and second row.
Who is sambou what position is he amd has he played yet?
I hope we sign Kenny Edwards, and Jake Connor lol. They are grubby •••••••s but they are entertaining
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
I always judge our ins and outs once all our business is done. It looks a bit lobsided right now in terms of the outs compared to the ins but I'm sure we'll be in the market for 3 or 4 players. I'd rather we signed quality than quantity and then allow some of the promising young players to step up. Balance to the squad will be key and it will be a 3 or 4 year transition starting with last year's signings to replace some ageing players.
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
Genuine question.
Given the lack of quality available to sign and the financial situation, would you offer extensions to a few of those OOC and go forward with what we have?
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No.
Time has come and all that.
For the likes of LMS/Amor got to give Norman a go and/or another Norman.
Not every replacement works out and that's fine. If they don't then you at least you know and you recruit again.
Got to be brave. Top sides aren't afraid to move people on.
Its quite possible we might only replace Thompson, there is no one at the moment out of contract in Superleague who are that much better than LMS and Amor other than throwing perhaps throwing money at a prop in the NRL. With Coote going it does looks odds on that Welsby will be full back, problem will then be we need a right centre if Naiqama leaves us or maybe he does another year. We can't predict if Norman will be better than LMS or Amor, we will have to accept Woolf's decision to not play him at the moment.
I'm sure at least a couple on the list will be offered extensions, Roby for sure. The club will want him to do another year.
I'm not sure that the financial situation is as bleak as being painted... I think the club will spend to the cap limit and the club can use the marquee player rule for 2 players. With Coote confirmed as leaving, does the club have any marquee players on the books at this stage for next year? If the club have declared Lomax one as part of his new deal, only £75K of his salary counts doesn't it? It would be the same if Roby is given the other slot. The club will get the extra £100K dispensation for producing Super League standard players as well.
Even with the upgraded contracts, I'm sure there's room on the cap for some new first team players. The club have said they will be signing a second row forward to replace Thompson, it's the rest that requires clarity. It would be good to hear from the club what the plan is, now that the Coote news is official and the speculation is that Fages & Naiqama are expected to follow suit.
And I think there are still some quality players out there, who are available and would improve the first choice 17.
*Not to be confused with Mike Stephenson, MBE
Splitting forwards and backs.
Backs. Personally I would buy a fullback but the club are insistent that Welsby goes to FB.
Buying big at right centre seems a waste because the right gets a fraction of the ball that goes down the left.
Simm is a natural right centre. IF you don't give him a go then what's the point of him being here.
If Welsby does go to FB (feels like a Wellen's obsession) then I would go for a development utility back (eg Lachlan Walmsley).
Samisoni Langi is another option different in he covers centre/SR and can act as ball player.
Forwards. I would re-sign Batchelor. Rhyse martin if finance allows.
LMS/Amor go - Norman and a recruit to replace.
Hooker - recruit Nu Brown Roby reduced minutes probably . Release one of Smith/Eaves.
A little out of date now, but demonstrates we haven’t actually had a marquee in the last couple of years: https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/spor...s-2020-3587721
Whether we use one next year probably depends on the full impact of COVID, and how crowds return after restrictions are lifted.
I don’t think we need many signings this year, but it is critical that they are quality. I think 3 signings was suggested in the rumours thread, and that’s absolutely bob on for me;
Right centre; I know there’s a suggestion of playing Simm there, but I think he’s still a couple of years serving an apprentice, covering injury and being the one putting pressure on the senior players (like Welsby is currently doing) away from being a first choice. A 2/3 year contract for a big name NRL player would be perfect, seeing them going back to Aus after the contract and Simm stepping up. I wonder what Lyon is up to these days! I know there’s been some suggestion that this would be a waste given our attack down the right, but this is a little chicken and egg with a) the amount of disruption in the right second row position and b) Coote and Naiqama not being in great form to date. Naiqama when he first came over was almost revolutionary to us in that we actually attacked down both sides again, and I’m confident that a new signing would have a similar effect. The OOC market seems fairly slim pickings but trust the club to have their ear to the ground as it were
Prop; Amor and LMS aren’t the answer (albeit both having a decent swan song year so far). Another to complement Walmsley and Paasi would be great, with Norman stepping into the 5th prop roll, and similar to Simm putting pressure on the 4 props to perform. Would probably prefer a UK based player for the roll, and actually think there’s quite a lot of choice - Sao or Vete (tying in with the Hull link), Kasiano at Catalans, Pauli Pauli at Salford, or another direction of Holroyd at Leeds or Wilson/ English at Huddersfield (maybe a chance with the supposed unrest at Huddersfield). (This is caveated with i assume a certain Luke is happy with being thrashed every week at the bulldogs).
Right Backrow; probably the least surprising given we’re losing Bentley and Thompson - have already been linked with Edwards, Proctor and Savelio - Our prodigies in Savelio and Jones probably offering the best options in my opinion. I’m still not convinced by Batchelor personally, i know he has his fans, and will likely move into a bench position next year, with Wingfield nipping at his heels.
I have no idea if Fages is going to Huddersfield, why it hasn’t been announced or if the rumours have any impact on his deal, but I think the plan should be the same whether he stays or goes, and would still like to see him transition to be Robys replacement if he does stay.
All in all, that’ll leave us
Welsby
Makinson Signing1 Percival Grace
Lomax Dodd
Walmsley Roby/Fages Lees
Mata’utia Signing2
Knowles
Roby/ Smith Batchelor Paasi Signing3
Simm Norman Wingfield all on the periphery
Playing the devils advocate when have the club insisted that Welsby is going to FB? Why would you release LMS and replace him with Norman whom we have never seen play? Don't get me wrong, I hope Norman is the next big thing, but it's a bit early to be singing his praises. Maybe we will know more about Norman after Wakey. Welsby I would like to see him have a season at centre, but they may throw him in at 1. We could go Welsby at 6 and Lomax at 1. Right now without knowing whom we are talking to it is all speculation. But it keeps the forum alive.
Agree on this. Don’t understand why people are happy for LMS to go. There’s clearly a shortage of good props in the league and he dominated that Wigan pack in his first stint on Sunday. Lees has the potential to be the best prop in the league within a couple of years. Walmsley, Lees, Paasi and you won’t find any better 4th choice props in SL than LMS and probably 5th choice props than Amor. We have no young props coming through and Norman obviously isn’t ready yet so I’d give both new 1 year deals. Never know we might be able to tempt Luke Thompson back in a year. So in all the prop position shouldn’t be a concern for next year.
A decision needs to be made on Welsby at fullback or Welsby at centre. It’s a risk to promote both Welsby and Dodd to the spine of our team in the same season when Dodd especially has played hardly any minutes at 7. Coote could have been that shoulder to lean on at times for both so I would like a quality, experienced back coming in. Preferably a fullback for me with Welsby to play centre for a couple of years before moving to FB.
All the talk of Wingfield, Simm, Foster stepping in is premature. Wingfield looks a good prospect however hasn’t played enough as yet. Simm for me is OK back up, Foster same. If we promoted all to our starting line up we’d be falling behind Catalans, Warrington, Leeds, Hull FC
A fullback, a second row to replace Thompson, Batchelor promoted to replace Bentley. As a minimum for me. That said I wouldn’t be too disappointed if we signed a real quality centre with Welsby going to FB. As long as he’s definitely ready. We would look short for cover at FB though if Welsby got injured.
We should retain LMS because there is no one available who can do the job he does. Get rid and use Norman people are saying, Norman is just a bodybuilder with no rugby brain. He will be gone in a couple of years
Don’t get the panic. Coote & Naiqama are losing their legs and we need fresh blood in the squad. Coote was offered a one year deal but wanted two, and got better terms.
Roby is doing one more year & we are looking at backrow, a quality centre, full back and prop for next season. Last I heard was no decisions made on Amor or LMS but I would guess one or likely both to be retained. We have money for next season and signings will be announced once inked. Reacher has thrown a cpl of names into the mix, we ain’t running with a diluted squad next season.
10/12/1989 12-12 v Dewsbury (H) Regal Trophy.
Att:5,847 (Loyal supporter ever since).
A lot of people seem happy to ditch LMS and Amor and promote Norman. Do we know if Norman is actually any good?
Absolutely, I don't understand the stick Amor and LMS get. Our recent success has been due to the quality of props we have so why would you release both of them in one go? Unless we can find two equal props on the market who will command a similar wage or less then I'd retain them. They aren't world beaters but they're solid for us and very rarely get injured. There is a shortage of good British props out there and you never know what you're going to get with the NRL. The really good props like Paul Vaughan for example are on $800k, no way are we competing with that. Norman is a project prop and maybe one for next season tbf but at this stage we just don't know.
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
With props like LMS and Amor , it allows you a bit more cap to spend on the back line / spine positions
Both players are happy to take a smaller wage to continue playing at a club where theyve essentially laid foundations with familys/kids.