I know hes homegrown etc but if im honest I like this attitude if its the case. Smith obviously wants players in who want to be at the club. If Olbison was prepared to leave its understandable Smiths hesitance in giving him a new deal

For me Olbison has to be on absolutely top form to get in my 17 and he’s had a bit of a year to forget. 2015 was his best season when he made more impact in attack than I’d seen before. This season he’s not showed any of that form. We’re currently lacking some big aggressive lads in the second row and if Olbison has to make way to bring them in then so be it. He’s a steady player who could still do us a job but the need to include some power in the pack is more important. We got bullied a lot last year and that can’t happen again or all the flair at halfback and backs will be to waste.

something I thought I'd never see typed on this forum

I think that's a bit harsh. Right now we hardly have anyone on our books who can play 13, and not many that can cover the back row forward positions like Tom can.
He's not been grabbing the headlines this season but can you pinpoint any specific instances of him having a particularly [ibad[/i game? Perhaps those where he was (imo wrongly) used as a prop.
You only have to look at the try he scored against Sheffield as a display of what Tom is capable of. I hope we keep him.

Joseph's been signed to play 13 and Haggerty can play there too.

It depends what you want from a 13. Do you want a ball handling throwback to the days of Harry Pinner and Dave Heron or a runner or extra prop as is increasingly the vogue in the NRL? Or some combination of the two.

It may be harsh but I don't see what Olbison brings apart from workrate. In attack he's made very little ground after the collision this season, nothing like last year. Often he gets dominated and it results in a slow PTB.

In defence he works hard but I can't remember him smashing an opponent to get us on the front foot.

He's capable of running some good lines but he's not an attacking threat like your Ben Currie or your Paul Medley. Nor does he make up for his lack of physical stature in strength like Bateman.

He's a steady eddie IMO and maybe there's a place for him alongside some forwards that bring "impact" into the pack. At present our only back rowers are Mellor, Walton, Haggerty and Joseph before you get to the young lads.

... which is the rationale, in my view, to look seriously at resigning Olbison. As things stand ,we are definitely a couple of players short for the back row - and where, at this stage, are we going to get anybody who is actually better?

The argument that we should show him the door because he had his head turned by an offer from Wakefield doesn't work for me. He showed loyalty by staying with us when we got relegated when, by all accounts, he had SL offers. Who can really blame him for looking favourably at a SL contract when he's been stuck in the Championship for 2 years and probably realises himself that he's got a bit stale.

I agree that he had a poor season in 2015, but it seems a bit daft letting him drift off to Batley (where he was doubtless have the game of his life when they play us) and then signing some random player to make up the numbers who doesn't bring anything much (and wouldn't be homegrown either...)

Hopefully he get signed up and gain a new lease of life for us.

Ryan Bailey and Jordan Cox both announced as being released by Warrington today.

Should they be players we ought to be looking at? Would we be able to compete for said players or are they still sought after by super league clubs?

I watched Bailey in the grand final and thought he still looked useful.

Either player would be a solid, older head to finish our front row recruitment off.

If Bailey was cheap id take him, adds some bite to our pack which we do lack, not sure about Cox dont know a great deal about him having not watched SL since we got relegated.

This is the thing for me. Olbison hasn't all the great of a season in 216, but then you could say the same about a lot of our squad. I can't, however, remember a time where I've come away hoping we drop him for next week. He's steady, is likely never going to set the world alight but will get on with the graft. You need players like that, workhorses, to let the Chisholms of the world take the spotlight.

I'd have him for next year. But then I'm not Rohan Smith. Maybe this is why I'm not a RL coach!

I'd definitely take bailey if it was an option, only 31 and just showed up well in a grand final quality team. Not sure he'd drop down, I'm sure he could get a gig in sl still.

On olbison I guess it depends what other options rs is looking at, if there is an upgrade in the back row available and we need the funds for that then I'd trust Rohans judgement, if there are no obvious alternatives then I'd resign olbison on a 1 year deal for the squad depth. It's one of those decisions that probably won't be clear until we see the completed recruitment, but we are short in the pack still at the moment.

Are the huds 3 gone yet or are there signings subject to the various "injuries" being cleared up?

Fair questions Duckman.

Looking at the Hudders board they seem less than enthused about getting our three lads. None of them fill an obvious gap in their side as they see it.

Seems like they were recruited by Anderson rather than Stone. I don't know how cast iron those deals are. One things for sure, their contracts here have expired and I expect they represented a big amount of salary.

Based on some rough figures in my head I'd say the exodus of players probably took about 500k of our wages bill at least.

Or, will do in January..

Not much of an Olbison fan here either.

Seen some really feeble defence at times and doesn't make any impact going forward.

Not sure on ryan bailey, does he have a mental health issue? His time at hull kr and castleford were well documented and the guy needed help. His time at warrington playing in a top super league side may have helped him focus. A drop to our level could lead to disaster for both parties

Does Bailey really fit into the philosophy that RS seems to be running with the squad so far? He doesn't really strike me as someone who would be willing to go that extra mile for the love of the club.

Also, he's a complete and utter bell.