Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:14 pm  

We must be keeping Shackleton? With the loss of Cobi Green and Littlewood do we actually have any out and out halves as back up to Brough/Lilley?

Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:37 pm  

Bulls Boy 2011 wrote:

We must be keeping Shackleton? With the loss of Cobi Green and Littlewood do we actually have any out and out halves as back up to Brough/Lilley?

Only 2 half backs is certainly a concern isnt it. With the best will in the world, at 38, its hard to imagin Brough is going to be able to play every single game.

At the min the squad looks paper thin in general let alone just at half back. Im still hopeful of a few more 'established' players to come in. There's still Anthony Walker to be formally anounced but hes a total shot in the dark having not played since 2017

Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:42 pm  

RagingBull wrote:

Only 2 half backs is certainly a concern isnt it. With the best will in the world, at 38, its hard to imagin Brough is going to be able to play every single game.

At the min the squad looks paper thin in general let alone just at half back. Im still hopeful of a few more 'established' players to come in. There's still Anthony Walker to be formally anounced but hes a total shot in the dark having not played since 2017

I’ve heard there are some more to announce in the forwards and I don’t believe Walker is one of those... we have Matty race I believe as backup half though another would be nice...

Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:46 pm  

Bulls Boy 2011 wrote:

We must be keeping Shackleton? With the loss of Cobi Green and Littlewood do we actually have any out and out halves as back up to Brough/Lilley?

Mathew Race and Billy Jowett, Both very young. I know nothing about Jowett but Race is well thought of.
There has been an eery silence re Shackleton, but something may be happening behind the scenes. Its just getting a bit late in the day with contracts up next week,

Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:17 pm  

A bit of a underwhelming signing, we are said to be in the running for the 12th place in superleague, we are said to have missed out on cuthbertson who signs for York, Leigh sign sidlow, and we get Dan Fleming

Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:18 pm  

RagingBull wrote:

Only 2 half backs is certainly a concern isnt it. With the best will in the world, at 38, its hard to imagin Brough is going to be able to play every single game.

At the min the squad looks paper thin in general let alone just at half back. Im still hopeful of a few more 'established' players to come in. There's still Anthony Walker to be formally anounced but hes a total shot in the dark having not played since 2017

It sure is. I'm sure we had a season recently where we went in with either 1 or 2 halves and I remember everyone on here saying the same thing about lack of back ups. Need a back up halfback and a couple of props. At the moment I have England and Crossley as starters with Fleming, Nzoungou and Scurr as rotation. We're fine in the second row. Arguably our strong point at the moment.

If that's the same Anthony Walker that's brothers with Johnny Walker (our ex player) then I don't want them anywhere near the club. Sooner have Barlow for another year.

Sedgebull wrote:

Mathew Race and Billy Jowett, Both very young. I know nothing about Jowett but Race is well thought of.
There has been an eery silence re Shackleton, but something may be happening behind the scenes. Its just getting a bit late in the day with contracts up next week,

Ah I didn't realise Race and Jowitt were halves, thought they were FB's. I don't know much about these new academy/reserve lads. A couple of years ago I knew who was coming through etc. Nowadays with the teams being stripped year on year I'm not sure who the next 'big thing' coming through are haha.

Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:50 pm  

Bulls Boy 2011 wrote:

It sure is. I'm sure we had a season recently where we went in with either 1 or 2 halves and I remember everyone on here saying the same thing about lack of back ups. Need a back up halfback and a couple of props. At the moment I have England and Crossley as starters with Fleming, Nzoungou and Scurr as rotation. We're fine in the second row. Arguably our strong point at the moment.

If that's the same Anthony Walker that's brothers with Johnny Walker (our ex player) then I don't want them anywhere near the club. Sooner have Barlow for another year.

Ah I didn't realise Race and Jowitt were halves, thought they were FB's. I don't know much about these new academy/reserve lads. A couple of years ago I knew who was coming through etc. Nowadays with the teams being stripped year on year I'm not sure who the next 'big thing' coming through are haha.

Just wait and see what the final squad will be... apparently 2 more props to announce that no one knows yet... just have to see what the final squad is guys.... personally I really like Fleming he was fab against us and fab for Wales at loose forward, if what I’ve heard about other signings is true we could have some pack next season!

Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 9:11 pm  

Pyrah123 wrote:

Just wait and see what the final squad will be... apparently 2 more props to announce that no one knows yet... just have to see what the final squad is guys.... personally I really like Fleming he was fab against us and fab for Wales at loose forward, if what I’ve heard about other signings is true we could have some pack next season!

Hopefully one of them will be a barn storming prop. Only one we've had recently is Peltier. And maybe the other could be an offloader. I wasn't impressed at all with Fleming in his last stint with us but I did like some of his performances for Toronto and Fax. If he has played LF before then maybe he's a back up for Hallas, or another option for 13 if Hallas has to move to hooker for any reason.

What have you heard about the other signings? Hope they are like I have said above as it would really benefit Doyle's game playing with a barn stormer (quick PTB's) and an off loader (Doyle in broken play would be class).

Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 9:13 pm  

To be fair we've probably got more depth already than the beginning of this season. Hopefully Kears got a good forward up his sleeve. Would like to see one more enforcer.

I don't think anyone's really got that much depth this year. Some very strong 17s, but once you start getting passed the 21st man, a fair few of the top teams have unknowns Or young kids signed from SL.

On the half-backs, I'm quite looking forward to seeing Race. He was putting in some dominant performances for the reserves. At least we've got 2 good half backs and then a young back up. Can't remember the last time we even two haha better than the days of having to see Addy put there.

Re: Planning for 2021 : Wed Nov 25, 2020 9:16 pm  

Bull Mania wrote:

To be fair we've probably got more depth already than the beginning of this season. Hopefully Kears got a good forward up his sleeve. Would like to see one more enforcer.

I don't think anyone's really got that much depth this year. Some very strong 17s, but once you start getting passed the 21st man, a fair few of the top teams have unknowns Or young kids signed from SL.

On the half-backs, I'm quite looking forward to seeing Race. He was putting in some dominant performances for the reserves. At least we've got 2 good half backs and then a young back up. Can't remember the last time we even two haha better than the days of having to see Addy put there.

Purtell and Addy in the halves for arguably the biggest game we had over the past 5/6 years haha. I'll never forgot those days unfortunately haha. Brough and Lilley should go well, even if I was looking forward to a few years of Milnes and Lilley!