D word?

D word? As in Joel Monaghan?

Could not agree more, we just roll over and get shafted every time someone tries it on. It would be nice for once to turn round and just say "Get lost, they are under contract." We are now obviously seen as a soft touch. Why have Hull not gone for Bailey at Leeds for example? Because they would tell them where to go.

Adey - I think you do most players a disservice too. I am sure most would see out their contracts with good will. They want improved deals when they leave don't they? Not for any future employer to see a lack of commitment.

Lynch and Raynor leaving is on the surface not good news. But.

It's funny firstly how there's been a general feeling of criticism on here toward Lynch for much of the last 6 months and yet now it's the worst bit of business to get £50k-£100k for him. How so?

Also, it's only when you finally find out that people have gone and you start looking at possible alternatives that you realise how they just weren't that critical.

Or to put it another way, and just using rumours on this board irrespective of whether they have substance or not, Raynor and Lynch out, Goulding, Cuthbertson and Morrison in, is a good deal for mine. With the possible addition of Karl Pryce and possibly Ewan Dowes (why not) and we're a significantly better squad than this year IMO.

We mustn't forget that Lynch will have been one of the highest earners and so we've now got a chunk to spend, so the future doesn't need to be as bleak as some would have it. Again, good business.


All of that said, my biggest concern is whether there is actually a grand plan like this. Are we acting or reacting?

Maybe, maybe not. But I certainly do not do most agents (who, after all, are behind much of this - go ask Caisley about Sam and George?) a disservice, as far as I can determine.

Don't forget, though, I am referring to players who have decided they want to leave - be it for money or for other reasons. So we are talking about a subset that is already disgruntled in some way, or (at best) can see a great opportunity that they are contractually prevented from pursuing. And they are probably not over-bothered about how future employers see them, since they already have a future employer lined-up and wanting them to succeed in getting out of their contract.

I submit that players who are already in this position are far more likely to consider taking steps to bring about what they want than players who are not?

Not condoning their actions in the least - I'm the sort of idiot who believes in delivering on any commitments I enter in to, and I get VERY angry seeing those who do not seeming to prosper (as you will know from my loathing of that little Aussie mummy's boy toerag). But, aided and very much abetted by agents with a vested interest, I remain unconvinced that a considerable number would not put themselves before contract and club.

I don't see the Burgess and Lynch situation as being the same.

Selling Burgess was bad business for the club (assuming the pay off was the £40K quoted on here). Keeping him for a year, with his performances on the pitch and the feel good factor and good press off it (and I don't believe most players would coast for a season either) far outweigh the benefit of the transfer fee imo.

The deal with Lynch (again assuming its a "significant 6 figure sum" as quoted) is good business though and not a sign of poor management by the club. Some of my thinking here will depend on whether the remaining forwards step up and perform in the additional game time they will get - the assumption people make is that they won't increase their stats incrementally based on game time and close the gap with Lynch, I don't think that's a given and hope Koppy and Burgess continue to improve (and no I have nothing to back that up!) - and/or we make good use of some of the cap space for a replacement.

Another thing I'd been thinking before about talk of us having space under the cap was around players up for contract renewal soon. Look at the list of people finishing next year - Elima, Ainscough, Burgess, Donaldson, Addy, McEvoy. We need cap space to be sure of retaining some/all of these players. Making knee jerk signings and using up cap space for 2/3 years on average players isn't good management. I'd put Jeffries and Syke's signings in that bracket. Anyway my point is losing Lynch's salary may help with retaining up coming players and be beneficial in the long run.

Bottom line for me is Bulls aren't going to win anything next season with or without Lynch and Raynor. Aim should be to develop a winning team for 2, 3 even 4 seasons down the line with out going bust. Planning recruitment purely aimed at making the play offs as if thats the limit of our aspirations doesn't do it for me. It should be about progress to winning trophies.

Of course I've been drinking since lunchtime so could be talking total baelycks...

Because he is an ar5ehole who would not be supported by any FC fan.

I chuffed to bits that we have signed Andy. Felt disappointed when we didn't get him from Cas and despite his age I am certain that he will do a great job for us over the next 3 to 5 years.

Im 50/50 wether letting lynch go is a good or bad thing.
The major down side like previously mentioned is, it shows that we are willing to sell any off our players to any team!! You would never see leeds selling sinfield to say saints, or warrington letting briers go , etc etc . That said i don't really believe lynch should ever of been named our captain in the first place, captains that have respect from the referees can gain so much more for their side during the game and you could tell with the way the ref's spoke to lynch that he didn't have that respect at all.
Look we are going to miss his work ethic in yards up field , however he is quite prone (especially in big games) of crucial errors, he does give quite a few stupid penalties away and can become quite slack at try line defense. i just hope we do sign a decent prop to replace him and not give the old " we will give youth a chance" , that would be no good for anyone and our pack would get murdered next year if we do.

OK. I kept my own counsel on Lynch for a while because I had a pretty damn good idea he would be probably be going from a bit ago, and said I would keep a low profile over it.

IF this frees up cap space so we can sign a marquee player who can make THE difference (although that seems to require Jeffries to be off quota and Sammut Fed trained? Mat, you are the guru on this?) then OK, I'll buy it. Win for Bulls win for Hull FC and most importantly win for Andy...that's fine.

If we have lost Lynch and get no-one of consequence to replace him though, then its JP all over again. And I'll go fekking ballistic. You watch me.

Doh.

Quote: Adeybull "OK. I kept my own counsel on Lynch for a while because I had a pretty damn good idea he would be probably be going from a bit ago, and said I would keep a low profile over it. IF this frees up cap space so we can sign a marquee player who can make THE difference (although that seems to require Jeffries to be off quota and Sammut Fed trained? Mat, you are the guru on this?) then OK, I'll buy it. Win for Bulls win for Hull FC and most importantly win for Andy...that's fine. If we have lost Lynch and get no-one of consequence to replace him though, then its JP all over again. And I'll go fekking ballistic. You watch me.'" www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... w_players/ Maybe Im reading something that's not there but I've thought ever since the 'I've given the players too much credit ' line that Potter didn't rate Lynch. Last week his attempts at saying he wanted him to stay were positively ambiguous. Considering the deal was on the table for a month I think Potter has players lined up to come in and isn't in the least sorry to see a big wage earner go.

Quote: Adeybull "OK. I kept my own counsel on Lynch for a while because I had a pretty damn good idea he would be probably be going from a bit ago, and said I would keep a low profile over it. IF this frees up cap space so we can sign a marquee player who can make THE difference (although that seems to require Jeffries to be off quota and Sammut Fed trained? Mat, you are the guru on this?) then OK, I'll buy it. Win for Bulls win for Hull FC and most importantly win for Andy...that's fine. If we have lost Lynch and get no-one of consequence to replace him though, then its JP all over again. And I'll go fekking ballistic. You watch me.'" www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... w_players/ Maybe Im reading something that's not there but I've thought ever since the 'I've given the players too much credit ' line that Potter didn't rate Lynch. Last week his attempts at saying he wanted him to stay were positively ambiguous. Considering the deal was on the table for a month I think Potter has players lined up to come in and isn't in the least sorry to see a big wage earner go.

People may not like this but i would sell ANY player in our squad who is 32, a high earner and more importantly in the last year of his contract who may have stated he wont be re-signing for £100k (if this is the amount received).

People are quire right Wire wouldnt sell Briers, Leeds Sinfield etc but i suspect our finances are not as well off as these clubs so needs must

Cashing in on an asset may not be ideal but money talks. Lets hope we can use Lynchs salary to attract an excellent replacement and we are still better off by the transfer fee. Easier said than done but lets give them a chance

It does sort of come across that the club didn't go out of its way to try and keep Lynch, so I hope you are right about there being a player or players lined up. My big worry, if that includes a strong antipodean candidate as has been rumoured, would be if we can't get a quota and non fed trained slot freed up in time. If we are relying on the RFL to rule on Sammut, I don't think the experience of recent years should fill us with confidence for a favourable ruling? That is my biggest concern. If we can bring in a strong replacement - and we sure need something to stiffen up the pack - then I expect history will show this as being a win-win-win as I indicated earlier. Bringing in some Joe Averages is precisely what we do NOT need right now though, as pretty well everyone has said. I HOPE there is a pretty strong candidate lined up and provisionally signed, just waiting on the necessary slots to become available.

I hope the T & A publish some sort of 'tribute' piece about Andy Lynch. Similar to that of Paul Deacon when he left. Link below: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... ul_Deacon/

I hope the T & A publish some sort of 'tribute' piece about Andy Lynch. Similar to that of Paul Deacon when he left. Link below: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... ul_Deacon/