I'm pleased that we are retaining the young players. Not wanting to sound negative here but the majority of our current team are very mediocre. Should we be rejoicing at retaining the same team which clearly isn't good enough? Do you think that this year's team are only a couple of (above average) players away from being a team to compete? Just an innocent question for debate....now awaiting the y replies.

Of course in one way that is correct--We are RETAINING players from what is a sub standard group as the last few years have already shown us.But you would hope there is more to come from such as Donaldson,I am sure there is.To me Sammut is a luxury,which you can afford if you have class and pace all over the park to compliment his off the cuff Rugby,but we ain't.
Personally I would just need 3 players to add to what we've got(I know we won't get them btw),Brough at half back,this lad has come on a bundle and his kicking game is different class,Escare(Pace to burn wherever you play him)Dixon for electrifying pace on the wing.Add them and you would soon find the rest were playing above themselves coz Brough would actually be creating from Half Back and killing the opposition with his kicking game instead of just giving the opposition the ball back with no pressure.Different kettle of fish altogether then.
You need to take a chance IMO and get that marquee signing at half back,the rest will follow.Then the crowds would flood back in their 000's.You need to generate excitement,we haven't done that with any of our "signings" up to press IMO.

:1u7rpeyz
Well, if you want to ask y questions..



I don't think our best 17 is [i:1u7rpeyzthat[/i going to get better is central though, and at the end of the day, most SL sides, apart from maybe the top four, are made up of middling, solid players with a few game breakers mixed in, and in our position we aren't really going to be any different imo.

Arsey question? Really?

Agree,the young homegrown players are the core of our future,but whatever team you assemble in an effort to compete and maybe succeed you need the player with brains/guile.the go to man,who can then unleash PACE.To me we still need that to turn this around and get the crowds up to 10k+ once again.The forward signings are solid if not spectacular.

18,000+ at Valley Parade I see.We have a lot of work to do imo.

Well, are the answers y?

I think we were told not to expect 'marquee signings', so it's in line with expectations, to be fair. I think that is the nub though, whilst the odd very quick winger is around, speed alone isn't sufficient to be successful and you really want someone with both speed and a bit of 'nous' and game awareness - and these guys tend to want 'marquee' money. Hopefully Luke George will turn out to be a bargain who fits the bill - I'd guess he's quicker than anyone else on the books?

Yes,George is a step forward and YES we were told not to expect MARQUEE signings,but its a chicken and egg situation imo.Unless you generate excitement,the crowds will not flock back to Odsal imo.
BTW anyone who saw Berwyn Jones play will know,SHEER PACE GETS YOU A LONG WAY in Rugby League.Aussies couldn't handle his speed--lol.

Yeah Kevin Penny's career worked out great

You need more than pace in today's game.

I think anyone who was lucky enough to see Berwyn Jones/Keith Fielding/Martin Offiah etc, play will tell you they would have been great in any era,any league.Kevin Penny may have had other issues,I don't know.If we have a chance of adding PROPER PACE,i for one would welcome it not put up reasons why, us the great BULLS, can do without it.Arguing against adding SHEER PACE,that in itself tells a story imo.

:35195nyj
Definitely agree about excitement but Berwyn was no rugby 'rabbit' though as he had played union in his youth and had learned the art of backing up etc.

Who was that Olympic sprinter who played for Cas a couple of seasons back? He could do 100 metres before most of the chasers knew he'd gone....but how many actual tries did he score?

We also used to have a kid a couple [or more years back called Johnson, I've forgotten his first name but he had a brother [Andy, I think who played in the centres who was actually a much better player, though not as fast. Any way the kid whose name I can't remember could run like the wind and I can remember him, in a pre-season game, running down and catching the speedster on the Leeds wing over about 40 metres - I've never seen the Leeds crowd, who were cheering the 'try' before he got to the half way line, silenced so effectively before [well, not since Vainikolo caught Sinfield's bomb and ran the length of the pitch..