: Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:34 pm  

Spannerz wrote:

. Fitness and conditioning must be looked at as we can't live with the better teams over 60 mins never mind 80 mins.

I am stunned that it has taken so many people so long to make this point (and I am not suggesting that you are one of them). I (and others) have raised concerns about our fitness for a long while yet it is still an issue that has not been rectified.

: Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:58 pm  

Can anyone name a good centre we could sign who will be available.

[Bullseye]

: Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:12 pm  

Rooney may be being envisaged as the replacement for Harris. Whilst this may represent an improvement in some respects it's hardly going to sell many season tickets and has been said already his defence isn't the best. If we do sign him we'll have the old Wakey pairing which hardly set many hearts racing did it?

Having said that any cash that is available should be used to sign some exciting backs as we are very much lacking in this area. Gawd knows who is available but if Evans goes to Cas as rumoured we will have Sykes, Nero and Crookes as centres next year with part timer Johnson filling in. That's not going to frigthen many teams.

While I would welcome the signings of Scruton or Burgess (especially with Vagana nearing retirement and Feather being unlucky with injury) the backs are the main area of weakness in the team.

On the injury front I'm not sure what the club can do what it isn't already doing. It's easy to point the finger and be critical of training methods but I'd suggest that most of us on here have very little knowledge of how injuries have been sustained.

On the fitness front it is obvious that our squad is less dynamic and athletic than the teams above us. McNamara often goes on about his players as being "great athletes" but they are often shown to be inferior in crucial areas. This is most noticeable in our inability to slow down the PTB without giving a penalty away against better sides in defence and in attack we struggle to get a quick PTB because our attacking players are dominated in the collision. While these failings are less obvious when we play mid table or lower sides they are glaringly obvious against the likes of Leeds and Saints.

Alas I don't see great changes to the present circumstances until we start bringing better players through and manage to recruit some decent ones. Let's hope we do sign some quality before the start of 2009 or I can see attendances dropping off even more.

: Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:27 pm  

mystic eddie wrote:

Aye, but the rumours suggest THIS season. A small, but potentially important difference mr club insider....

when IS the signing deadline for this year? have to admit 31st July rings a bell.

: Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:06 pm  

Bryn Hargreaves looks like he may be available next year as well.

What a coup if the Bulls could sign Hargreaves, Scruton and Burgess - a future awesome foursome alongside Sam/Lynch?

: Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:15 pm  

Trimalchio wrote:

Bryn Hargreaves looks like he may be available next year as well.

What a coup if the Bulls could sign Hargreaves, Scruton and Burgess - a future awesome foursome alongside Sam/Lynch?

not much use if backs behind them arent upto standard though.

: Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:16 pm  

Trimalchio wrote:

Bryn Hargreaves looks like he may be available next year as well.

What a coup if the Bulls could sign Hargreaves, Scruton and Burgess - a future awesome foursome alongside Sam/Lynch?

Hargreaves only looks good in a class team. Think he would return back to his poor form shown at Wigan if he came to us.

: Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:19 pm  

mystic eddie wrote:

I am stunned that it has taken so many people so long to make this point (and I am not suggesting that you are one of them). I (and others) have raised concerns about our fitness for a long while yet it is still an issue that has not been rectified.

Or, more likely, fitness is not in reality an issue, and tedious comments by the odd self-appointed anonymous expert on some BB are whatever 100 levels underneath "totally ignored" might be.

: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:04 pm  

kingmonkey wrote:

We aren't signing a half back for next season.

We dont need another 7, but Jamie Rooney would be an ideal partner for Deacon.

: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:17 pm  

6Iestyn6 wrote:

we need a good winger and a class centre or we will struggle next season.

What about a class full back and a class stand-off?