[Pumpetypump]

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:00 pm  

For the game it would be a shame for Rovers to come down because, like us, I reckon they won't be going back up again under this system. Hudgell is not a particularly wealthy man, I mean how could he be, he's a poxy solicitor when we all know the real money is in sundecks.

Salford and Huddersfield can have a decent pop at going straight back up.

[Bullseye]

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:10 pm  

Well Hudders could.

Salford will be fecked if Koukash pulls out.

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:13 pm  

rugbyreddog wrote:

The thing we should have learned from the last two years is that it is not just about how good the spine is but also how good the back-ups are if/when they get injured. e.g. Gaskell was good but if he only plays 40% of the time?

From what I've seen of Keyes so far, I'm happy with him as backup for the halves. After that you're looking at Thomas or Pickersgill, but any team would be looking lower quality if two of their halves were unavailable (except London who seem to hoard halves and Leigh who would just buy more).

Fullback wise, I'm happy with James Clare moving there if Moss is injured. You can't expect to have a second player of Moss' quality just sat around just in case, so I think Clare offers enough to move there as a backup option.

Hooker, I still think we need better quality cover, but that may depend on getting rid of the already contracted Halafihi. O'Brien & Lumb I'm fairly content with as they are, but I'd rather have Lumb as the backup at the moment, as I still think he's more of a prospect than a regular in the 17 at this stage. We could do with another hooker to interchange with O'Brien and then have Lumb covering their unavailable games.

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:14 pm  

I notice that Salford keep stressing the point that their players are currently 'playing for their careers'. I mean, is that just a bit of hyperbole to try and drum up some interest or do they know a bit more than they're letting on?

Just because you go down a division, it does not mean your career is over.

[Bullseye]

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:28 pm  

At hooker we lost a fair bit of momentum when OB went off and Howarth came on yesterday. Howarth’s passing may be more accurate but he’s slower and less effective in defence. Lumb’s hardly had much opportunity. Has Halafihi played much for Swinton? He never got a chance under Lowes so hard to rate him either.

I expect a few Salford players were attracted there because of money. If they go down I expect Koukash to pull out. If that happened they’d have a player exodus to rival ours.

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:30 pm  

Bull Mania wrote:

1. Bradford will have a much better quality squad than the dross this season. There won't be a better spine in the league next year.
2. Motivation. Playing in the shield will give the players plenty of motivation not to be in it again. There is a slowly changing attitude at the club.
3. We should start seeing some reward for our hard work with the academy as more break through.
4. Toulouse coming up will be stronger than those going down. But playing Hemel, Newcastle and North Wales, will be a damn sight different to going to Odsal, Mount Pleasant and the Shay. They won't lose many at home, but i think they may struggle away from home.

A big thing for me is, whoever comes down (which is looking likely) is that they will only have 3 months to sort their squad out. Many contracts will likely become void meaning they almost have to start from scratch. We no more than anybody how ahrd it is to get a HB's. Most will be signed up by now. Back in 2014 we had a year to sort everything out.

The only reason contracts would become void is if there were a written relegation clause or if the team coming down were going part time neither of which seems likely.

I do agree that Bradford should be better next season but imo so will Batley and London along with whichever SL team comes down. Top 4 is realistic but top 2 would be unlikely in my view judging on signings so far. lets face it though Leigh's team is on a totally different level to any team in this division but they are at a level that is needed to have a chance of promotion. London the closest other team to them are still a long way off even competing with SL clubs let alone beating them and with big spenders Toulouse and Toronto coming in in the next 2 years it makes it even harder for teams like Bradford, Fev, Batley, Fax etc who have no big money backers to make the top 4 let alone dream of promotion to SL.

Not sure where the thing about Koukash leaving has come from but he will not be going anywhere and he will throw a ton more money at them.

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 1:11 pm  

Greg Florimos Boots wrote:

. lets face it though Leigh's team is on a totally different level to any team in this division but they are at a level that is needed to have a chance of promotion.

Not sure I agree that they are that different. We had to play them 3 times this year(unlike every other team, which actually means that had we only played them twice we would have qualified for Q8's) in those 3 games Leigh had a total points difference of +6 so hardly at a different level.

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 1:16 pm  

To be fair, Leigh also played well against all the other teams.

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 2:34 pm  

rugbyreddog wrote:

Not sure I agree that they are that different. We had to play them 3 times this year(unlike every other team, which actually means that had we only played them twice we would have qualified for Q8's) in those 3 games Leigh had a total points difference of +6 so hardly at a different level.

Agreed, and if we had had Chisholm and Moss when playing them I reckon it would be the other way round. Thing is they have been consistent against weaker sides and we have basically been complacent.

Did notice about Drinkwater probably wont be there next season supposedly already agreed a superleague contract with someone else and will be announced after the season. With him and Burns off wonder who they will make a play for as they will only have Ridyard and Reynolds. Saw Jarrod Mullen touted cant see why a starting NRL half would swap that for SL

Re: Buying into super league : Mon Sep 05, 2016 2:40 pm  

He might want to import advanced sun deck technology when he goes back.