Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Tue Nov 30, 2021 11:05 am  

batleyrhino wrote:

Do you know why? Accused of assaulting a woman according to his Wiki page. If that’s true I doubt he’s either what we would want, or someone who could get a work permit.

Didn`t know that just heard he was suspended by the Storm.
Then again we have been known to take players who have done something similar.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Dec 02, 2021 3:11 pm  

Looks like Catalans are making another couple of decent signings at centre and at prop.
Looking like favourites for the GF this season with some shrewd and expensive signings.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:18 pm  

chapylad wrote:

Looks like Catalans are making another couple of decent signings at centre and at prop.
Looking like favourites for the GF this season with some shrewd and expensive signings.

Looking very strong indeed. I thought our recruitment was pretty good this year but you'd have to say theirs is better. How do they keep it under the cap? I do want to see Frencb RL prosper but can't help think that the English sides must feel like they are operating with their hands tied behind backs when Catalans can recruit the top class English players without it counting on their quota. Doesn't encourage them to invest in their own talent.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:56 pm  

ArthurClues wrote:

Looking very strong indeed. I thought our recruitment was pretty good this year but you'd have to say theirs is better. How do they keep it under the cap? I do want to see Frencb RL prosper but can't help think that the English sides must feel like they are operating with their hands tied behind backs when Catalans can recruit the top class English players without it counting on their quota. Doesn't encourage them to invest in their own talent.

Very true and agree with all that.
Pity we couldn`t have signed him as he`s just the sort of prop that we need.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:00 am  

ArthurClues wrote:

Looking very strong indeed. I thought our recruitment was pretty good this year but you'd have to say theirs is better. How do they keep it under the cap? I do want to see Frencb RL prosper but can't help think that the English sides must feel like they are operating with their hands tied behind backs when Catalans can recruit the top class English players without it counting on their quota. Doesn't encourage them to invest in their own talent.

English clubs can sign French players in just the same way.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:16 am  

Some big players signed by Cats this year, they look serious contenders already.

It’s good for the competition to have these names playing. I do wonder whether the progress of Cats and Hull in particular, new coach at Wire - we will have our work cut out to win silverware next year realistically.

The team should be very competitive but without that extra prop…me may need to be patient. I get the sense that we need another year to develop this young squad and figure out where the holes really are for senior, quality players to fill for 2023. We’ll see.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:30 am  

KaeruJim wrote:

Some big players signed by Cats this year, they look serious contenders already.

It’s good for the competition to have these names playing. I do wonder whether the progress of Cats and Hull in particular, new coach at Wire - we will have our work cut out to win silverware next year realistically.

The team should be very competitive but without that extra prop…me may need to be patient. I get the sense that we need another year to develop this young squad and figure out where the holes really are for senior, quality players to fill for 2023. We’ll see.

I agree with this.For us to bring in a decent prop there will have to be big decisions made on the off contracted players.With the increased upgrades on the younger players i cant see this can be achieved without releasing players come the end of the season.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:52 am  

Yes I just think the slew of contract announcements just after Gale's departure is no coincidence - and losing out to Napa too I suspect so we're not tied in to another big salary.

Which is probably the right approach. The props signed by our competitors mostly are risky and still expensive - I think we need more of a sure thing when we sign. In 2023, as long as we don't get too sentimental, we should have plenty of cap and quota space to make the right signings to finish this squad rebuild. Then we're into tweaking like we used to be in the good old days.

I noticed Cam Smith was listed as prop on the site squad list - probably an error but I do wonder whether he could move to prop as he fills out. Certainly is his year to stamp his authority as a first grade 13 at Leeds - thought he had good spells at the beginning and end of last year but he just needs to go another step for me.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:15 am  

KaeruJim wrote:

Some big players signed by Cats this year, they look serious contenders already.

It’s good for the competition to have these names playing. I do wonder whether the progress of Cats and Hull in particular, new coach at Wire - we will have our work cut out to win silverware next year realistically.

The team should be very competitive but without that extra prop…me may need to be patient. I get the sense that we need another year to develop this young squad and figure out where the holes really are for senior, quality players to fill for 2023. We’ll see.

Agree, some teams looking strong for next year. Catalan pack looking vey formidable and it was good last year. They have the potential to dominate for a bit in the future with the salary cap dispensation for Eng players. Yes we can bring French over same basis but there's not a great deal of quality out there, that may come with Catalan sustained success.

We are most definitely a prop light compared to the top teams in the comp.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:31 am  

I'm still confident we are moving forward as a club but it's unrealistic to expect the like of Mik, Holroyd, Newman et al to be at peak at their age. We've plenty of improvement left in us and will probably need to be near or at peak as a squad to start wining those big games regularly again.

Of course injuries will have a great part to play again - we were decimated last year and some other clubs have been relatively unscathed in recent seasons. It's a bit of a lottery but you do the best you can with what you can control.

I do think the standard should go up across the board next year which is a good thing. Going to be very different seeing our first 13 trot out for the opener compared to last year - possibly new 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 11, and one or two subs. Pretty much half the first grade side could be different, that's significant change again.