Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 7:58 am  

Interesting piece in the T&A this morning confirming a core of out of contract players will be offered new deals, including manese, addy, walker, sammut.

Does that men we are expecting to lose one of our current overseas players? Would like us to keep a winger or two also.

Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:09 am  

daveyz999 wrote:

Interesting piece in the T&A this morning confirming a core of out of contract players will be offered new deals, including manese, addy, walker, sammut.

Does that men we are expecting to lose one of our current overseas players? Would like us to keep a winger or two also.

Does sound like were losing another overseas, sadly most likely to be Purtell. Kears still under contract so that's one winger. Don't think it's a definitive list of who's being offered contracts so expect there will be wingers in the mix.

Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:28 am  

daveyz999 wrote:

Interesting piece in the T&A this morning confirming a core of out of contract players will be offered new deals, including manese, addy, walker, sammut.

Does that men we are expecting to lose one of our current overseas players? Would like us to keep a winger or two also.

It was an interesting article, and at the end of it is has a quote from gale saying how much he is now looking forward to next season! Not the words of someone who's off to shuddersfield.

New deals to be offered to addy, Donaldson, sammut and nas, somit says. If thats Along with retaining whitehead, Bateman, gale, kearney, lulia etc and we have a decent core to build around.

Although, can we offer new deals to both sammut and nas? I thought we had a choice between the two, unless we're creating a space on the quota elsewhere? Possibly sadly purtell like mat says.

Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:33 am  

If Purtell is advised he can play again, it will be at Bradford.

Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:46 am  

Bully_Boxer wrote:

If Purtell is advised he can play again, it will be at Bradford.

Which will be a very good result, just need to work out the other quota spots regarding nas and sammut.

Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 11:14 am  

bullinenemyland wrote:

For me there is a sufficient nucleus of players we need to retain/re-sign up. I'd be delighted if the following were available:

Full Back - Kearney
Wing - Aincough/Kear/Purtell
Centre - Lulia/Platt
Stand Off - ???
Scrum Half - Gale/Southernwood
Prop - Manuokafoa/Scruton/McAvoy
Hooker - Diskin/L'estrange/O Brien
Second Row - Bateman/Whitehead/Donaldson/Olbison
Loose Forward - Langley/Addy

If we kept the above, we'd need between 6-8 new recruits to compete to the same level as this year.

Think its going to be a struggle but as always, i'll be there to follow the team and add some encouragement. Looks like we're going to really need an 18th man!!!

It seems that we have " only 16 players signed for next season" (Mick P in today's T & A ). Of the above list Donaldson Manuokafoa and Addy are mentioned as likely to be offered new contracts. Additionally Sammut and Walker are mentioned. Gales quote and the absence of any news suggesting others may take the "Kopscak route" means we are likely to have a decent core of experienced players.
Of the one's who are leaving I think Elima Jeffries and Hargreaves will be the most missed but agree they are not irreplaceable.
The suggestion that we look to long term loans (e.g. Thornley and Evans ) is a good one but I think we need 2 or 3 permanent signings. The savings on those who have left and are likely to leave will be significant. OK has gone on record as saying they will budget for the full salary cap.
I would like one decent half back but cannot think of anyone available. Perhaps they should take a punt on a Championship player. I know Moore didn't fit in at Wakefield but he continues to impress me at Batley.
As regards 2 seasoned forwards I'd be very surprised if Fielden is still at Wigan next year. And from left field how about Menzies as player/assistant coach? Robinson is going from Catalans and it's clear he was enjoying life at Bradford. Of course that's probably not a feasible option given the quota.
We will obviously have a smaller squad than this year-- but surely we can't have the same bad luck with injuries can we?

Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 12:12 pm  

Duckman wrote:

It was an interesting article, and at the end of it is has a quote from gale saying how much he is now looking forward to next season! Not the words of someone who's off to shuddersfield.

New deals to be offered to addy, Donaldson, sammut and nas, somit says. If thats Along with retaining whitehead, Bateman, gale, kearney, lulia etc and we have a decent core to build around.

Although, can we offer new deals to both sammut and nas? I thought we had a choice between the two, unless we're creating a space on the quota elsewhere? Possibly sadly purtell like mat says.

Luke Gale isn't going to Huddersfield. He'll be at Odsal for many more years to come.

Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:31 pm  

Just trying to understand where your out of contract players are up to, I had assumed (probably wrongly) that they would have had their agents scouring the game for new clubs for 2013, I even recall Potter saying that they all deserved to get fixed up elsewhere to secure their futures etc.

Was all that knocked on the head by the supposed "gentleman's agreement" preventing other clubs (well barring Huddersfield!) from approaching/signing your players. I actually thought that referred to players that were contracted for 2013 and beyond, not those coming off contract. I can appreciate that there would be a few who would naturally "wait and see" and maybe others who hadn't yet signed up, but I thought the majority of the OOC players would have signed elsewhere, but maybe not since there have been no announcements.

The one name we were linked with, Hargreaves, seems to have retired to take up a job overseas. Whether that is a "Galea type retirement" remains to be seen, but at least he has already announced he is going!

By the sound of things not too many hard facts seem to have emerged yet, other than those who have confirmed they are definitely retiring or what ever.

Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:53 pm  

Re: Rumours 2013 : Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:55 pm  

I have re read the article in today's T & A and I can't find any reference to a list of players who will/have been offered a new deal. It does say that with 17 players out contract, the first team squad will be decimated during the close season.