Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:38 pm  

How many quota spots do you want to keep free? we've got two or three free at moment. Think jacks shows enough potential to be worth a gamble tbh. Halfbacks always take longer to gel with team than other positions and he's only had a week before Xmas and last couple of training with team

Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:45 pm  

Bully_Boxer wrote:

I'd rather we held onto the quota spot than use it up on a backup halfback, either he's good enough to be starting 7 or don't bother.

Not sure about this It's not just about having a good starting 17, you do need a decent number of 'back up' players.

What happens when Addy or Gaskell gets injured? All it needs is a stray elbow next week and Gaskell is out for 8 weeks or whatever. Then we are playing with Purtell at stand off again...

Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:08 pm  

mat wrote:

How many quota spots do you want to keep free? we've got two or three free at moment. Think jacks shows enough potential to be worth a gamble tbh. Halfbacks always take longer to gel with team than other positions and he's only had a week before Xmas and last couple of training with team

How many of each are we allowed now? It's difficult to keep track. Is it 5 overseas and 7 non fed? Or is it seven of each?

Overseas: Uaisele, Purtell, Lauaki?, Clark? potentially Jacks
Non-fed: Uaisele, Purtell, Halafihi?, Lauaki?, Clark?, potentially Jacks and Caprice?

I'm just guessing with some of these names. Did Vila actually train at all in this country? Same with Clark, I have no idea. I'm also not sure if Lauaki was over here before the non-fed rule was introduced, in which case he won't count on it. Would Caprice count? Again no clue how things work with regards to bringing in Union players.

Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:33 pm  

I'm not sure exactly how many quota spots we have free but I'd keep them for players who can improve our top 17.

I'm as frustrated as anyone about our lack of recruitment at 7 but I don't see any point signing a scrum half who isn't better than our makeshift options and I include Purtell, Addy etc in that.

Perhaps Lowes will have seen enough to extend his trial, but is that even possible with an overseas player?

Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:43 pm  

Bully_Boxer wrote:

I'm not sure exactly how many quota spots we have free but I'd keep them for players who can improve our top 17.

I'm as frustrated as anyone about our lack of recruitment at 7 but I don't see any point signing a scrum half who isn't better than our makeshift options and I include Purtell, Addy etc in that.

Perhaps Lowes will have seen enough to extend his trial, but is that even possible with an overseas player?

Have to agree with this. The next (if any) overseas players we sign should significantly improve the starting 17 otherwise what is the point of signing them.

Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:54 pm  

5 overseas 7 non fed. Clarke has come in with mullaney sjelka and Nielsen going out so think we have at least 2 overseas spots left.

Think jacks is worth persevering with. Even if it's a case of giving him a 2-3 month trial contract. Not sure what rules are in regard to contract lengths and whether they have to be for remainder of current season as a minimum.

Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:59 pm  

I think we've 2 or 3 overseas spots left. I like look of Jacks. He's played 1 and half friendlies (where the teams are interchanging constantly) and he's only been training with us a short while.

Signing him wouldn't prevent us signing anyone else in the future. We could still sign overseas players and have cap space for other players that became available.

Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 3:35 pm  

Bull Mania wrote:

I think we've 2 or 3 overseas spots left. I like look of Jacks. He's played 1 and half friendlies (where the teams are interchanging constantly) and he's only been training with us a short while.

Signing him wouldn't prevent us signing anyone else in the future. We could still sign overseas players and have cap space for other players that became available.

From memory

Purtell counts on both quotas
Uiasele and lauaki are both kolpaks so only count on non fed trained
Clark has a British passport so only counts on non fed trained quota

If that's correct we have 4 overseas and 3 non fed trained spots free. So we could sign 3 full quota (overseas+non fed trained) players.

[Bulliac]

Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 3:43 pm  

I think we have currently 3 definite overseas: Luaki, Purts and Jacks and 4 non-fed; who are the three Overseas plus Uaisele who is a Kolpak.

I'm not sure about Mitch Clark, though I think he may be non-fed trained he may have been born in the UK when his father was playing for us? Though I'm not sure on the years, to be honest.

Of the others mentioned above, Caprice was born in Chatham, Kent. Halafihi was born in Leeds and came through the Rhinos academy, so no problem with either of those.

Re: Friendly Vs Cas : Sat Jan 30, 2016 4:51 pm  

Lauaki is Tongan so should be non fed only.