I do have my doubts about next season. Losing Nicholson and Bateman makes us weaker. I’m not sure on Leyland, don’t know if he’s what we need or if he’s good enough to be honest. We’re quite light in the back row. I’d like a huge prop forward and the centres King and Tai just don’t do it for me.

Totally with you. If you could pin Wigan back to their own line French, Field & Smith would be walked over. I doubt it will happen. So when I see one of our half-backs picked out for missing a tackle it does make me think a bit.

King has been a big presence in our left side attack.
And Tai fixed up what was defensively the weakest right side in SL imo.

Presumably Tomkins doesn't know this when passing comment on technique? Perhaps Sam was mistaken too when he called try #2 soft? Or was that slating? Your argument is all over the place.

Careful what you say, the parents of these grown men may be reading.

Be interesting to see the King contract renewal. Maybe he will go back to Wigan.

There is nothing wrong with calling out bad performances, lack of effort or players skill levels on these forums as that is what they are for. I'm one of the ones you're targeting with your rhetoric that if we do so we're bad people. These men play professional sport which is aired internationally on tv. They know comments will be made on their performances by professionals and fans. No one is making threats to their life here or insulting them personally.

When Drinkwater first made contact with Bachelor he was around 7.5 metres from the line at my estimate. As you have pointed out, Bachelor is a bigger player so DW should have gone low but he didn't. He tried to tackle up top and batchelor used his left hand fend to keep DW from getting a proper grip of him. He goes round the waist or below and that likely doesn't happen. Depending on the defensive system they were operating, it could have actually been kings fault as it may have been his job to tackle JB until he moves the ball on, at which point, he slides and covers Hiku.

I coach kids football and coached kids rugby for a short stint. When they're young it's true that it's much better to encourage but we're talking about grown men here. I also played the game for over 20 years. You can Google my name and I'm sure some old match reports will come up to validate this, as I don't hide behind an alias. I wasn't great, I have the stature of a garden gnome and the physique of a toothpick but with 7.5 metres until the line I'd have fancied myself to have a good chance of making that tackle from the side where there's hardly any impact from the running player to bump me off. I'd have gone for the hips/thighs and looked to slip down and squeeze his legs together. As much as I am no fan of Tai you should watch him. He does this regularly and shows how easy it can be. Goes low when tackling from the side and usually ends up slipping down to the knees or ankles and the player soon loses momentum, falls over or just stops.

We are off thread here lads and lasses....

Please stop it or start another thread as this one is for "Recruitment and Rumours" and currently enjoys Sticky privileges

So where are we for next year.

Ins

1. Attempt to make a top overseas halfback signing (Cleary) does that signal we are still looking?
2. Oli Leyland (Halfback project?)
3. Dan Russel (2nd row) - if he comes off that's our overseas quota used.
4.
5.

Extensions

1. Max Wood - 1 year
2. Tom Whitehead 2 years


Outs

1. Dudson
2. Matty Russell
3. Wesley Bruines - option taken?
4. Josh Lynch - option taken?
5. Jake Thewlis - option taken?

Would like a 7 but they seem to be a bit scarce. Nothing against Hayes and Leyland but feel we need an experienced half and preferably one with a decent kicking game. So not much then lol.

Think that's where we are at the moment unless we manage to bring in George Hirst from Oldham to bolster the back row. Must admit I'm a little surprised we'd use a quota spot on a guy with 8 NRL appearances and almost 29 but will wait to see how he performs (if signed). He could be a perfect fit for SL.

Max Wood already signed a 3 year deal in September, plus it has a further year in the clubs favour.

Talent is pretty thin on the ground throughout RL & the mark of a good coach is forging excalibur
from the few bits of cast off metal available to him.

There's no chance on earth we'll sign another halfback with Leyland already signed.

Looking like:-

1. Dufty
2. Ashton
3. Tai/Lindop
4. King/Wrench/Ratchford
5. Thewlis
6. Leyland/Hayes
7. Williams
8. Vaughan
9. Walker
10. Harrison
11. Russell
12. Fitzgibbon
13. Currie

14. Powell
15. Musgrove
16. Philbin
17. Yates
18. Crowther
19. Wood
20. Holroyd
21. Thomas
22. Whitehead