Keyes is a better option than Brierley at least out of that lot and there’s an argument for him playing before Ellis too in my opinion. He’s got all the qualities to play SL if he can keep himself fit and gets a good pre-season behind him.

On the face of it the chance to move to the bright lights of SL probably looked like a good move for them all but realistically I would be surprised if any of them think that come the end of the season. Hull KR will be clear favourites for the drop in my opinion and have put together a team that is going to struggle to win games which makes it even less likely that those players will get given a chance. You can't blame them for wanting to move to a full time SL environment though I just think career wise it will be a bad move for them all in the longterm.

That's fair enough in many ways but they will be playing (when they get a chance) at a higher level and training with SL players, who, in general, are at a higher level than the Championship. We shouldn't discount the environment when considering the effect of their moves, even though, given KR's prospects, that environment is likely to be a somewhat gloomy one.

Keyes is more than good enough for lower end SL if he's given a fair run of games to establish himself. I'd gladly take him back at the Bulls though if it doesn't work out!

I'd take them all back in a heartbeat.

After the way they have been treated, I'm not sure they would want to come back.

Completely agree.

At least as loan players, they wouldn't have to worry about being paid or getting their pensions.

milnes came back, though

"Came back" isn't the same as "being bought and then sent on a season-long loan back". I don't imagine he had much say in it and would think that getting him back for a year was part of the deal thrown at HKR as well the pieces of silver, selling the heart of our team to pay off debts.

I would love to have them all back too. But I can't blame players for wanting to leave after the non-pension payments, rumors of not being paid every month, and general B6ll$h!ttery that I'm sure they were sold as much as us.

It is a massive shame they went as part of the attempt to save the club.
Players leave and are missed but we do have a good record of replacing them with new young lads and this will happen again.
Lets all hope the cycle of bringing them through and then losing them due to financial problems is now over and we can keep them. There will always be lads that want to move and in a way this is why we can tempt them here in the first place as they know they will be training at Tong with good coaches and will get a chance if they try hard. Inevitably some also see this as a chance to learn then move on as we do also have a very good record of finding good youngsters. Catch 22 I am afraid.

You do have to wonder if all the various "problems" we've suffered over recent years doesn't cause some youngsters, and maybe especially their parents, to think twice about the Bulls? Certainly the people who are the face of the club, JK and the people involved with the whole youth setup and training would instil confidence, but that constant vibe in the background...

What’s not to like when you’re a junior? The setup is good, central location, excellent facilities and an established pathway to a first team if you’re good enough....

Amended for accuracy