Just had a text this dinner time from a friend who works at Hull FC who says that Ewan Dowes has turned down a reduced contract at Hull FC and has been told to talk to other clubs.

Apparently Mick Potter and Bradford are now in talks with him.

What do you think?

decent replacement for sculthorpe assuming we release him. reasonable solid prop if not spectacular. and I'd assume not ridiculously expensive.

That's what I was thinking mate, although it'll be hard on Sculthorpe but he's just been so unlucky with setback after setback.

Fingers crossed this one has some weight because he's a good solid workhorse who could do a job for us.

I think you need to go and read the rumours thread, you're about a week behind the rest of us!

If we end up signing Dowes, then he is obviously the result of us being outbid for Feka and having to fall back on other options.
While not having the impact off the bench that Feka has, he is in better shape and much better in defence, so it's swings and roundabouts really.

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not really as even if we did release him under 'unavailable to train' rules then he'd still get another 26 weeks pay. so basically he's had 1 1/2yrs pays for sitting at home/hospital. Cant say club havent stood by him really.

I think from what Peter Hood said at the Fans Forum he has until January to prove he is available for full time training again! He does have a two year contract and if the Bulls are spending up to the SC next season, they need to pay him up under this years financial year if that were the case! Mick Potter might want more props to rotate, but we don't know his thinking as yet, but hopefully it will combine the better ways of Bulls and Stains play

my understanding of that are of salary cap rules is shaky at best but I believe as long as we reach a settlement before competetive games begin again ( which I assume excludes friendlies) then the settlement doesnt count on cap. so we should have uptil early feb to sort it out. problem would be if we brought someone in on assumption that scully wouldnt be able to train and thus use that portion of salary cap and he then became available. only solution to that problem I'd guess would be a loan deal to reduce our cap spend.

Not a thrilling signing but will probably add something to the squad.

ybe we have been outbid for Feka, obviously Potter wasnt prepared to value him as highly as Salford were.

www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/rugby-le ... 6492913.jp Yorkshire post says we have signed up Dowes already

www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/rugby-le ... 6492913.jp Yorkshire post says we have signed up Dowes already

Which is the correct approach IMO.

There's no point in getting dragged in to a bidding war and paying over the odds.

Potters approach and player targets thus far have been spot on for mine.

If it's true and also that Sculthorpe is leaving then it's a sensible signing IMO. As long as we've got Koppy and Crossley signed up then we've got a bit more depth in our front row and won't have to rely as heavily on Lynch and Scruton as we'll be able to rotate them more than has been done in the past. The idea of an 80 minute prop is fine in principle but in practice it doesn't seem workable. Look at Fielden for eg.

Now all we really need to be linked with is a new half back partner for Orford. (as well as a firm joint commitment from Orford and the club that he is remaining a Bradford player).

We needed another prop to avoid overworking the main two like has happened this year. Dowes will do a job.