Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Thu Jun 30, 2016 4:39 pm  

Still a 12 month deal is the best I think we're likely to get for a player of his level now. Especially given the likelihood of a greatly reduced amount of central funding.

BTW, on that score, am I right in thinking that it's handed out on the basis of where teams finish AFTER the middle 8s? So if we, by some miracle, manage to squeeze into the top 4, then next year might not be such the strain on the purse strings that some fear

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Thu Jun 30, 2016 4:59 pm  

roofaldo2 wrote:

Still a 12 month deal is the best I think we're likely to get for a player of his level now. Especially given the likelihood of a greatly reduced amount of central funding.

BTW, on that score, am I right in thinking that it's handed out on the basis of where teams finish AFTER the middle 8s? So if we, by some miracle, manage to squeeze into the top 4, then next year might not be such the strain on the purse strings that some fear

Definitely after the middle 8's. We finished bottom and our owner had to dip deeper into his pockets this season.

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:34 pm  

Alan wrote:

Definitely after the middle 8's. We finished bottom and our owner had to dip deeper into his pockets this season.

It's been claimed on t'other forum that this changed this year, and next years funding is determined by positions at end of regular season. Change has certainly been kept quiet if this is the case.

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Thu Jun 30, 2016 8:21 pm  

mat wrote:

It's been claimed on t'other forum that this changed this year, and next years funding is determined by positions at end of regular season. Change has certainly been kept quiet if this is the case.

Could be best for us then, unless we implode over the final four Championship matches this year.

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Fri Jul 01, 2016 6:55 am  

mat wrote:

It's been claimed on t'other forum that this changed this year, and next years funding is determined by positions at end of regular season. Change has certainly been kept quiet if this is the case.

Sounds like Deggsy had a strop at an RFL meeting.........

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Fri Jul 01, 2016 7:13 am  

SombreroBu11 wrote:

Chisholm put it on his own twitter this morning and people got hold of it pretty quick (he event tagged the Bulls twitter account into the tweet). I'm guessing the club wasn't expecting that so just had to announce it rather than the usual members first e-mail. Good signing though. RS seems to be developing a good spine to the team for next year.

Don't get me wrong, I tend to think the "you'll hear it here first" idea is nothing short of craziness. Things will always leak out on social media and internet forums in this day and age. Also when they do send the e-mails out, it immediately gets shared all across those same sites, so it's only a matter of seconds before everyone else finds out anyway.

That being said, if you make a promise, especially as part of marketing your season ticket package, you should stick to it. Any official word should go out to members' e-mail boxes at least 30-60 minutes before they release official statements about new contracts, signings or squads. Either that or don't make the promise in the first place.

[Bullseye]

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Fri Jul 01, 2016 8:36 am  

Meh. It's not a big deal but I like the idea of getting the official confirmation before you lesser mortals

[Bulliac]

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Fri Jul 01, 2016 9:42 am  

HamsterChops wrote:

Don't get me wrong, I tend to think the "you'll hear it here first" idea is nothing short of craziness. Things will always leak out on social media and internet forums in this day and age. Also when they do send the e-mails out, it immediately gets shared all across those same sites, so it's only a matter of seconds before everyone else finds out anyway.

That being said, if you make a promise, especially as part of marketing your season ticket package, you should stick to it. Any official word should go out to members' e-mail boxes at least 30-60 minutes before they release official statements about new contracts, signings or squads. Either that or don't make the promise in the first place.

The whole idea is a bit like a politician's promise: on face value it seems a good idea, was probably a marketing ploy, probably won't work in practice anyway, and will be quietly [but unofficially] dropped.

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 2:24 am  

Chiso should be there on Monday.

He's had a very good season so far with the doggies.

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 8:40 am  

I notice that RL Express says Chisholm is signed " until the end of the season". Quick check of the Bulls announcement and I was relieved to see they say until the end of 2017.
So next season the spine of the team should be decent- Moss, Chisholm, Keyes,Thomas O'Brien and Lumb.
There's obviously going to be a clear out so I'm wondering which players out of contract in 2016 we should renew.
Assuming that the stories regarding Gaskell Ferguson Addy Olbison Fleming and Clark are true , the others I think will definitely leave are Mathers, Uaisele Walker and Walshaw. Baille has already gone. That's 11 of the 2016 squad.
I hope they can keep Clough, Sidlow Ryan and Pitts. Plus the youngsters Trueman and Oakes. Hopefully this will be supplemented by a good few of the current U19's who are in their last year at that level.
By my reckoning this leaves Lauuaki, Blythe Williams and Crossley . I can make arguments to retain each of them but I personally think that no more than 2 will be offered new terms given the certainty of reduced funding.i

PS. And of course of those contracted through 2017 there are long term injury doubts regarding Mendieka and Lovegrove and speculation about Purtell and Halafihi.