Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 9:04 am  

Forgot all about Mendeika!
Wouldnt mind keeping hold of Danny Williams, but Blythe has to go! Crossley & Lauaki... Depends on who else we keep hold of and any other props we may sign i think. Presuming we're in the championship again next season, I wouldnt mind too much if we gave Lauaki 1 more year; he's been a changed man since the arrival of Rohan!

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 9:32 am  

Bullnorthern wrote:

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.

Sidlow signed til end of 2017 last year.

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 9:45 am  

Is clough tied down while 2017 too?

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 10:22 am  

eccleshillbull wrote:

Is clough tied down while 2017 too?

Ooc this year unless I missed re-signing

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 1:32 pm  

mat wrote:

Sidlow signed til end of 2017 last year.

Sorry Mat- I was using the dates on the 2016 Squad thread. Relieved that he's already signed for next season.
I would think there will be competition for Paul Clough's and Jay Pitts' signatures.
Doubtless the phantom poster Peter Hood will repeat the story that Clough is gone!

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 5:28 pm  

I would like to keep Gaskell if possible, we haven't really seen the best of him due to his time out and with a scrum half alongside him he would really excel.

If we can't do we go with Keyes or Thomas or do we look to bring another six in?

Hopefully keep Williams, so we have him and Ryan fighting it out with Caro. Do we have another winger.

Defo need a centre with some pace as well.

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 6:23 pm  

There won't be many queueing up for Pitts signature if they've been watching this last couple of months !!!

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 6:35 pm  

Bulls4Champs wrote:

I would like to keep Gaskell if possible, we haven't really seen the best of him due to his time out and with a scrum half alongside him he would really excel.

If we can't do we go with Keyes or Thomas or do we look to bring another six in?

Hopefully keep Williams, so we have him and Ryan fighting it out with Caro. Do we have another winger.

Defo need a centre with some pace as well.

I think it's pretty much nailed on that Pryce will come in to replace Gaskell. I don't suppose we can really miss what we haven't had for large periods of this season and the end of last season.

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 6:42 pm  

Bully_Boxer wrote:

I think it's pretty much nailed on that Pryce will come in to replace Gaskell. I don't suppose we can really miss what we haven't had for large periods of this season and the end of last season.

Even without his injuries, Gaskell was relatively anonymous since the opening game of the season.

Re: Recruitment & Retention Latest : Mon Jul 04, 2016 7:16 pm  

Bully_Boxer wrote:

I think it's pretty much nailed on that Pryce will come in to replace Gaskell. I don't suppose we can really miss what we haven't had for large periods of this season and the end of last season.

Im not so sure personally. i hope so because he is a fine player. I think there will be still 3 or 4 SL clubs that will take Pryce.