Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:36 am  

I’m not sure Dufty will be signing after all. It seems to have gone quiet on that front. If he does, I’ll bet it will be at half back with Thewlis at full back, as I’m sure Powell recognises that Thewlis is part of the long-term 1-6-7 spine along with Williams.

If we don’t sign Dufty or another half, I can see Mata’utia in there. Not that I like it, but I think Powell is happy with it. Guess we’ll see.

Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:45 am  

lefty goldblatt wrote:

What frightens me is, is Powell trying to do too much, too soon? These are seismic changes to a squad

With just one team being relegated, and Toulouse being in the league, I think it is the right approach.

Turns a 3/4 year rebuild into a painful one-year revolution.

Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:05 am  

easyWire wrote:

I’m not sure Dufty will be signing after all. It seems to have gone quiet on that front. If he does, I’ll bet it will be at half back with Thewlis at full back, as I’m sure Powell recognises that Thewlis is part of the king-term 1-6-7 spine along with Williams.

If we don’t sign Dufty or another half, I can see Mata’utia in there. Not that I like it, but I think Powell is happy with it. Guess we’ll see.

With Matautia in the halves, I don`t see where Ratchford fits, other than as substitute and that surely means Walker misses out?

Heard that we have given Ratchford a new contract, so he must figure in Powell`s plans.

Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:12 am  

Boss Hog wrote:

With Matautia in the halves, I don`t see where Ratchford fits, other than as substitute and that surely means Walker misses out?

Heard that we have given Ratchford a new contract, so he must figure in Powell`s plans.

You could be right, as I think Ratchford has the positive mindset that Powell talks about. I’m not sure what role he’ll play. I like Walker too much to leave him out, and he seems like just the sort of character that Powell wants. He’ll make a very vocal on-field captain/leader if and when he becomes the starting 9. No doubt Powell is working with him on his weaknesses now.

Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:13 am  

I think Ratchford is like Shenton was at Cas. Solid professional.

Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:40 am  

easyWire wrote:

You could be right, as I think Ratchford has the positive mindset that Powell talks about. I’m not sure what role he’ll play. I like Walker too much to leave him out, and he seems like just the sort of character that Powell wants. He’ll make a very vocal on-field captain/leader if and when he becomes the starting 9. No doubt Powell is working with him on his weaknesses now.

Now that we have signed Jake Wardle, for 2022, I too would prefer Matautia in the halves, since it allows both Wrench and Thewlis to play regular 1st team football, which they need.

Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:00 am  

easyWire wrote:

I’m not sure Dufty will be signing after all. It seems to have gone quiet on that front. If he does, I’ll bet it will be at half back with Thewlis at full back, as I’m sure Powell recognises that Thewlis is part of the long-term 1-6-7 spine along with Williams.

If we don’t sign Dufty or another half, I can see Mata’utia in there. Not that I like it, but I think Powell is happy with it. Guess we’ll see.

Well on a thread somewhere it was said if Duffy does not come that we will bring Gale in, and that there had been talks, if I remember that correctly.

Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:22 am  

lefty goldblatt wrote:

King gone (maybe permanently).... Shrugs shoulders, like Alan Partridge. He's been no better than 6/10, since his new contract. Maybe a Martin Gleesonlike moment. Powell would've authorised King's extension, so he's lost a "bit of face".

What frightens me is, is Powell trying to do too much, too soon? These are seismic changes to a squad. Hill gone, now Charnley and King, with Cooper soon to follow, along with loans of youth players here, there and everywhere. Reluctance to drop Williams (who's been bang average at best), Matautia (who's another 6/10 for me) and the turgid Holmes. Add to this, the square pegs in round holes, people are suggesting, Powell's testicles really are on the bacon slicer.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Strap yourselves in. This could be genius, or an unmitigated disaster

This worries me too. We needed a clear out if we were going to shake the club out of the comfort zone it had been in, living permanently just outside the teams who were really competing for Grand Finals. But we can't underestimate the scale of the challenge especially in an era where the elite Aussie players don't come so we can't just load up from the NRL like we did with Morley, King, Hodgson and the Monaghans.

I remember when Lineham left I said something on here like Lineham's one of those players who you feel like needs to be moved on but is not easy to replace and you could easily end up with an inferior player. That applies to a lot of our guys: certainly Hill, Cooper and Charnley.

I haven't seen Powell bring in a player yet where I've thought this guy has improved us. He's been bringing in squad fillers which is what TS was doing after around 2014.

One thing we did well during the Gatcliffe era, despite not having a great youth system ourselves, was targeted and brought in good upcoming talent that had emerged from other club's youth systems and signed them while young. I remember Cullen saying this was a deliberate strategy. As well as the more obvious signings who had already looked like stars at their clubs (Westwood, Atkins, Myler, Ratchford) we also made some under the radar pick ups in Bridge, Harrison, Grix and Hill. Although those guys hadn't come through our Academy it meant we were a bit like Leeds/Wigan/Saints in terms of having a core of good players who had been together since a young age in our squad and that gave us a good core. I'd like to see us rebuild with that kind of signing.

Anyway, we know the risks. We've gone all in now so we have to back Powell and accept that things might get worse before they get better. The worst outcome from this is, results are bad as Powell's new squad takes time to bed in, we jettison Powell and end up with an inferior coach who tries to do his own rebuild on a rebuild and that goes even worse and suddenly we've gone from being a decent team to perma-strugglers in the space of a couple of years and pining for the relative stability of the Price era.

Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:59 am  

karetaker wrote:

Well on a thread somewhere it was said if Duffy does not come that we will bring Gale in, and that there had been talks, if I remember that correctly.

To be honest i'm not a big fan of Gale anymore as he is past his best, but if we signed him on a 1 year it would allow Williams the freedom i think he needs. Gale would be the organiser and Kicker and would leave Williams free to roam and pick his moments to scoot through the line etc.
There are alot of Aussie journalists and pundits saying we have signed Dufty so i think we have. And i think he will come over to play in the halves but we will see

Re: Toby King CONFIRMED TO HUDDERSFIELD ON LOAN, WARDLE IN R : Sun Jun 26, 2022 11:36 am  

sally cinnamon wrote:

This worries me too. We needed a clear out if we were going to shake the club out of the comfort zone it had been in, living permanently just outside the teams who were really competing for Grand Finals. But we can't underestimate the scale of the challenge especially in an era where the elite Aussie players don't come so we can't just load up from the NRL like we did with Morley, King, Hodgson and the Monaghans.

I remember when Lineham left I said something on here like Lineham's one of those players who you feel like needs to be moved on but is not easy to replace and you could easily end up with an inferior player. That applies to a lot of our guys: certainly Hill, Cooper and Charnley.

I haven't seen Powell bring in a player yet where I've thought this guy has improved us. He's been bringing in squad fillers which is what TS was doing after around 2014.

One thing we did well during the Gatcliffe era, despite not having a great youth system ourselves, was targeted and brought in good upcoming talent that had emerged from other club's youth systems and signed them while young. I remember Cullen saying this was a deliberate strategy. As well as the more obvious signings who had already looked like stars at their clubs (Westwood, Atkins, Myler, Ratchford) we also made some under the radar pick ups in Bridge, Harrison, Grix and Hill. Although those guys hadn't come through our Academy it meant we were a bit like Leeds/Wigan/Saints in terms of having a core of good players who had been together since a young age in our squad and that gave us a good core. I'd like to see us rebuild with that kind of signing.

Anyway, we know the risks. We've gone all in now so we have to back Powell and accept that things might get worse before they get better. The worst outcome from this is, results are bad as Powell's new squad takes time to bed in, we jettison Powell and end up with an inferior coach who tries to do his own rebuild on a rebuild and that goes even worse and suddenly we've gone from being a decent team to perma-strugglers in the space of a couple of years and pining for the relative stability of the Price era.

Quite, sally. Especially the bit I've bolded. This is my major worry.

When Moran really started spending his money (Morley, then King and Monaghan x2) we've gone from perennial underachievers, to CC and GF regulars, with a bit of tweaking. Powell's "my way or the highway", and it's subsequent overhaul, could well be too much too soon. We let Smith go stale, and Price, well he was stale from the begining. All we needed (as I said) was a tweak. A bluff Yarkie has sent us back to the mid days of Cullen. A few stars, but, miles away from where we want/need to be.