Any of these three props would be an asset to us next season. Crabtree has been told he is not required at Hudds. next year so may be willing to come down a league to see out his last couple of years. Mullally has not fitted in at Leeds and doesn't seem to have much of a future there. He performed very well for us when on loan last year. Elima would add some much needed aggression up front but may want to stay in France after this year. Any of them would do for me next year.

Would take Mullalley but might find a place at another Super League club if he is anywhere near as good as when he was on loan with us.

Elima is retiring

hes retiring to Deja Vue Dun Romin

Well, we'd definitely be deja vue for Olivier and if he didn't move on he'd be a fit for dun romin as well...

No chance we'd get Mullally. Wakefield would definitely want to sign him a few other SL clubs too.

Cratree I wouldn't touch. Way past his best and just seems to spend his whole time moaning about the sport.

Yes to Mullally definite no to over the hill Crabtree and Elima.

Yep

Let's just remember we are a championship side and have to cut our cloth accordingly. If we were in superleague with the money that comes with that I agree I would not sign either of those players but both would be decent in the championship.

Eorl Crabtree is past it. Even when he wasn't past it, he's still one of the most overrated props in the league. For someone of his size, he should be knocking players flying. Instead, he just doesn't. He's like Lauaki without the blowing out of his @rse after 5 minutes.

No, we're definitely a Superleague side

Well we might, but at the moment, we don't have any spare cloth

We don't want to be decent in the Championship. We have to be able to beat SL clubs in the second half of the season.

In love all the aspirations, honestly I do but, are we not still a club which is wondering whether the wages are going to be paid, come the month end?

Or is that sooo last month..?

Couldn't agree more ....

On a side note, do Bulls have a scouting system & how far afield do they venture if so ?
I ask as I believe we did very well to go looking at the NSW Cup comp in Oz & in doing so bagging Josh Drinkwater *who initially & clearly told the club it was until end of season in order to put him in shop window of SL*. NSW Cup is a good hunting ground IMO.

I also believe that there aren't enough top amateur players getting a gig at all Pro & Semi Pro levels, can't believe there aren't some promising young lads out there in most positions who deserve a shot.

Edit.

Rumours are that FFMM, Tom Spencer & Sam Hopkins could be on the move, all 3 are very useful players. Spencer is a big lad & always looks in top physical condition, he isn't a cart horse & I think he has been under used & under rated for a long time.
Sam Hopkins has had some very big games for Leigh (probably the least likely to leave) & FFMM rumoured to be having a final fling in France, quite how much of this has substance is anyone's guess.

Our academy is doing very well, to be fair - especially so considering we don't have the 'pull', we did a few years back. Rated as, 'excellent', by the RFL both U16s and U19s have beaten some decent SL teams over the last season. The academy certainly gets recruits form all over the north of England, though not Aussie, so far as I know.

We have had some young [above academy age] players from the Aussie lower leagues though, both last year and the current one though, not all were really successful.

Nope, as I say, we have no spare cloth and I remain very worried as to future deliveries. But, if we don't run completely out of cloth, then there is no alternative but to aim to be the next Leigh, as settling for has-beens and never-wills and resigning ourselves to permanent mediocrity is a death knell.

It wouldn't in reality be settling for anything, because what would actually happen is a spiral into decline and probably oblivion. The best analogy I can draw is that of my first club, Bradford Park Avenue. They have done decades of cloth cutting, but ceased to be recognisable as my club within a short time of relegation, and I considered the old Avenue pretty much defunct and wasn't prepared to watch the new low rent incarnation with all due respect to the stalwarts who have kept it going. It may be lots of things, and its still here, but to me it isn't Avenue. Not my Avenue, anyway.

Nobody is saying it is easy, indeed it may easily prove impossible, and if I'm honest I have no clue how we're keeping going or how we will do so over the winter ... but I'd much rather go out with a bang, not a whimper. I really don't want us signing club singers, because they and we will never qualify to perform on any big stages - they're just not up to it.

If somehow we can afford it, then while I'm not mad keen on the signing, getting players of the category of Leon (i..e genuine SL quality, not gone at the game, last- hurrah stylee players) may be one short term policy to try to make us competitive.

So for example, a season in the Championship being led around the park with players like Chisholm, Pryce and Moss, with some genuine top quality backs, and genuine top quality hookers, notably AOB, must put us in with at least a genuine chance of playing well, if financially we can find a way to keep it going.

If there is a next season for us, maybe we should market it as the Last Chance Saloon Season.