Re: Recruitment and retention : Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:29 pm  

Personally, I think there needs to be a rethink about Mini.

Has been great for us, but has looked less effective and not putting in the 80 min shifts he used to. Should he take up a quota spot to be a bit part player next season?

Re: Recruitment and retention : Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:33 pm  

Mild mannered Janitor wrote:

Personally, I think there needs to be a rethink about Mini.

Has been great for us, but has looked less effective and not putting in the 80 min shifts he used to. Should he take up a quota spot to be a bit part player next season?

Depends if the club feel that they can sign an upgrade on the same salary and one who plays 80% of games. Not exactly dropping off trees especially from down under.

Re: Recruitment and retention : Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:52 pm  

overall this season he hasn't been bad, imo not the player he was a couple of years ago but still worth 1 yr contract,

Re: Recruitment and retention : Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:03 pm  

hull2524 wrote:

overall this season he hasn't been bad, imo not the player he was a couple of years ago but still worth 1 yr contract,

I wasnt suggesting for a moment that Mini has been poor. He is committed and runs the ball with purpose. However, he will be 37 next season and IMO his impact is not as evident as it was a season or two ago. Will another year be a year too many?

Re: Recruitment and retention : Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:22 pm  

Minichello offers four times what Washbrook does, he's more valuable than Talanoa by far (pretty much any winger can score the majority of tries Talanoa bags) and we have an expectation that he can do 80 minutes most games. There aren't many 10 years younger who do that with his work ethic, and he often comes in at dummy half too. Does he make errors, sure, but again that's the price for keeping him on without a break sometimes week in week out.

Re: Recruitment and retention : Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:33 pm  

Minichiello is definitely a good option for next year but his game time needs to be limited a bit more. He should come out of the first 13 and be used more as a rotational option rather than a starting player every week. That way he will still be effective but there will be less pressure on him.

Re: Recruitment and retention : Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:27 pm  

We desperately need some size in the forwards. With watts gone, taylor is the only one of our props who offers the workrate and impact required

Re: Recruitment and retention : Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:35 pm  

We look a better side with a ball handling middle player.
We sold Watts, replaced him with Westy who was looking good, but then have lost him for a number of weeks now.
Mini will sign for another year again I reckon. Any replacements have to be signed within the constraints of the salary cap, so it’s not easily done.
Just think he needs to be spelled a bit more to increase his impact.

Re: Recruitment and retention : Sun Jun 17, 2018 12:21 am  

[quote="HFC Boy"]I wouldn’t be surprised to see no new faces for 2019.[/quote

If we dont get some power and pace into our second row we will fall further away from the top four or five clubs.
Minichello for me should be a bench interchange next season and nothing else
Hadley and Westerman similar ball playing loose forwards so in a balanced team one should miss out.
Manu is probably as near as we get to a powerful second row but is injury prone and looks like he may be leaving.
Washbrook should be released and that leaves us with Turgut ,Downs and Lane.
Turgut has failed to impress in any game he has played and looks destined to be a Championship player.
Downs and Lane should both go out on loan and will provide some cover.
We need a minimum of one Masila type second row for next season

Re: Recruitment and retention : Sun Jun 17, 2018 6:38 am  

We have lost Ellis , Watts and Pritchard over last couple of years and Mini not quite as effective and Manu injured a bit now means we probably do need 1 or 2 additions not wholesale changes however