: Sun May 17, 2009 3:42 pm  

after eastwood signed we were told there was space for a signing. there were plenty available in the off season,when the squad should have been sorted

: Sun May 17, 2009 3:43 pm  

tad rhino wrote:

after eastwood signed we were told there was space for a signing. there were plenty available in the off season,when the squad should have been sorted

Like who?

: Sun May 17, 2009 3:47 pm  

few of the aussie clubs are feeling the pinch this season (cronulla, souths now they have signed crocker) & might be happy to release players if they can't realisticaly reach the play offs.

: Sun May 17, 2009 3:47 pm  

the club would have had a full list of OOC players halfway through last season. i don't have that at my fingertips

: Sun May 17, 2009 4:06 pm  

tad rhino wrote:

the club would have had a full list of OOC players halfway through last season.

That's the point here. Fans know (me included) next to nothing, it's not their place to know. Club CEO's on the other hand will be well aware of player's availability and it's their job to maintain (and where possible) improve the existing squad at any given time, not least during the close season when ideally these matters should be taken care of.

Would you rather have money left unspent gathering dust in the bank or extra players available for selection to the under fire coach.

: Sun May 17, 2009 4:19 pm  

tvoc wrote:

Where have you heard that?

As I explained in my earlier post I see plenty of reasons why a player who has shown tremendous loyalty to Castleford through two relegation seasons in the past would remain loyal to Castleford now.

The question is would posters like to see Shenton play for Leeds? This poster says yes while acknowledging it's highly unlikely to happen anytime soon.

If you're going to fantasize about someone playing for Leeds that is unlikely to happen I am sure you can find better w@nking material than Shenton.

How can you post the very salient reasons that the CEO can't sign him yet criticise the CEO for not signing him?

Right centre is a problem area, has been since Toopi's departure, but it's not the only issue facing Leeds.

If the right centre has been a problem its' been since Chev's departure because if it was a problem then Toopi was most certainly not the solution. Unless the solution is being rightly displaced by Gibson then missing 75% of a season with injury.

: Sun May 17, 2009 4:25 pm  

tvoc wrote:

That's the point here. Fans know (me included) next to nothing, it's not their place to know. Club CEO's on the other hand will be well aware of player's availability and it's their job to maintain (and where possible) improve the existing squad at any given time, not least during the close season when ideally these matters should be taken care of.

Would you rather have money left unspent gathering dust in the bank or extra players available for selection to the under fire coach.

Well maybe GH-BM didn't rate or think the available players were right for the club?

: Sun May 17, 2009 4:28 pm  

fanstanningley wrote:

Well maybe they didn't rate or think the available players were right for the club?

Indeed.........or they have faith in the players coming through the ranks and having invested so heavily in the youth set up and enjoyed such success from it, feel entitled to rely upon it.

: Sun May 17, 2009 4:48 pm  

G1 wrote:

How can you post the very salient reasons that the CEO can't sign him yet criticise the CEO for not signing him?

I haven't criticised the CEO for the non-signing of Shenton. I have expressed an opinion that Shenton would strengthen the current Leeds squad if he was available.

G1 wrote:

If the right centre has been a problem its' been since Chev's departure because if it was a problem then Toopi was most certainly not the solution. Unless the solution is being rightly displaced by Gibson then missing 75% of a season with injury.

Toopi took time to settle at Leeds. The latter part of 2007 and 2008 (when available) his form was pretty good and Gibson far from being in a position to challenge for the spot was permanently on the treatment table. Leeds haven't had a settled right centre since Toopi's injury V Melbourne with Ablett coming closest to claiming it.

G1 wrote:

Indeed.........or they have faith in the players coming through the ranks and having invested so heavily in the youth set up and enjoyed such success from it, feel entitled to rely upon it.

Only time will tell if the squad assembled is up to defending their SL title.

If they have such faith in the youth set up why did they see the need to target Pritchard, Eastwood and Soliola in the off season?

What isn't in question is that the squad assembled has already failed to defend their WCC title, went out of the Challenge Cup at the first hurdle at home, lost V Salford for the first time in 16 years (at home to them for the first time in 32 years) and lost away at Odsal becoming the only Bradford opponent to do so in 2009 in the process.

: Sun May 17, 2009 5:18 pm  

tvoc wrote:

Only time will tell if the squad assembled is up to defending their SL title.

If they have such faith in the youth set up why did they see the need to target Pritchard, Eastwood and Soliola in the off season?

What isn't in question is that the squad assembled has already failed to defend their WCC title, went out of the Challenge Cup at the first hurdle at home, lost at home to Salford for the first time in 32 years and lost away at Odsal becoming the only Bradford opponent to do so in 2009 in the process.

After reading all the posts on this subject. It seems to me that tvoc is the only one writing perceptive, sensible opinions, in marked contrast to the Hetherington cheer leaders who are ably led by G1.