Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 7:57 pm  

chapylad wrote:

I think this is going to be one of those he said they said stories that only Austin and Hetherington know the truth.
Austin saying he was never offered a deal Hetherington saying he was offered 1 year.
He`s gone now which is a shame at this stage of the season.
But let`s hope Sinfield can show us we won`t miss him.

Regardless of the one year deal thing Austin has asked to be released to go to cas for 7 games, that to me doesn’t scream of a a player we should be offering a deal to.

Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 8:01 pm  

Said I wasn’t impressed with the signing in the first place, nothing that has happened in the 18 or so months since has changed my mind. He’s always been a rocks and diamonds type, just not what we need or needed.

The signing was and is typical of a lower cost option, someone who didn’t have that many other good options at the time, and represents pretty much everything that was and remains wrong with our recruitment strategy.

Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 8:03 pm  

Agree Batley

Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 8:09 pm  

batleyrhino wrote:

Said I wasn’t impressed with the signing in the first place, nothing that has happened in the 18 or so months since has changed my mind. He’s always been a rocks and diamonds type, just not what we need or needed.

The signing was and is typical of a lower cost option, someone who didn’t have that many other good options at the time, and represents pretty much everything that was and remains wrong with our recruitment strategy.

Couldn’t agree more!

Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 8:36 pm  

tad rhino wrote:

Austin might be a prat but he didn't deserve to be messed about. by August he should have been told if he was wanted or not.
I'm sure some will think the club are entitled to do what they want, in their world they do nothing wrong, but players are entitled, at this stage, to get there futures sorted

They're a "human resource" like the rest of us. This isn't football.

Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 8:59 pm  

YoRhino wrote:

Couldn’t agree more!

Trying to buy a team has never worked. Recruitment should be about developing our own academy players.

To my mind the academy coach is just as important as the first team coach. If we don’t focus on our academy players we lose them to other clubs who will give them regular first team rugby

Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 9:23 pm  

You'll only ever get 1-3 who will progress from each cohort though so your recruitment has to be everybit as good maximising those spaces available and providing experience. We've got both wrong for too long and now there's a greater emphasis on the integration of the younger players, which is great to see, we still cant seem to get the other side of the equation right.

Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 9:35 pm  

Last sacked at Cas. Powell incoming?

Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 9:43 pm  

From Austins side of things, that gives me a little smirk.

Re: OUT 2023 | Blake Austin - Castleford Tigers : Fri Aug 04, 2023 9:47 pm  

Seth wrote:

From Austins side of things, that gives me a little smirk.

Austins gone from saying to NRL clubs to come and get him, to signing for cas and supposedly signing for Featherstone within a month.

It’s not been the best month has it.