If you look at our team there are currently rumoured to be three leavers and three already gone

Connor to Hull

Grix to Superleague/Halifax

Wardle to Newcastle Knight.

Patrick gone.

Ferres gone.

Robinson retired.

Incoming we have already got Brierley, Ormsby is rumoured to be signed already there are rumours about Gaskell and Jack Reed.

A fit Jack Reed and Ormsby would give us a pretty good 2-5 with Smurph and Brierley vying for full back and Brierley and Gaskell if he comes back ups/ rotation for Brough and Ellis. Sam Wood should push on and get better so competition and cover in the backs should be good.

Brough and Ellis halves.

If Red doesn't come I believe we still need a high quality centre if Wardle goes.

For me that would improve our back line no end with options to rotate.

In the forwards we have four experienced props Crabtree, Huby, Smith and Rapira plus Johnson and Mason who will have strengthened and matured a bit more for next season and improved from playing a lot this one.

Hookers we have Hinchcliffe, Leeming and Wood which gives us enough cover and Leemng should continue to improve both physically and performance wise. Wood is playing for a new contract but looks a back up hooker not a half.

Back row we have Symonds, Ta'ai (hopefully re-signed) Lawrence, Roberts, Ikahihifo and Hinchcliffe can spell and play 13 if we get injuries.

Plus some more good youngsters coming through to make their mark.

Survive the middle 8's get a good new coach on board and he would seem to have the raw materials to put out a competitive top 8 side next year with a couple of signings and tweaks.

So to me Connor going and us allowing Wardle to go to the NRL makes sense , no point having unhappy players, these things happen in team sports, just so long as we spend the cap that creates wisely the future looks quite bright really.

Yet again The spin Has started coming from Thewlis regarding Jake Connor and his move to Hull. He wants a fee despite offering him an inferior deal than Hull have.
The Pinocchio of Rugby League Thewlis at it again, I am sure Anderson would tell a different tail now he has lost his job. Thewlis prefers to deal with his Favourite Agent and shuns all others. Do not believe him.

We are entitled to compensation for a club trained player I believe and had to pay Bradford some for Joe Wardle.

So don't see where there's owt wrong with that.

if the Club were serious about keeping our young players then pay them. We seem to find money for the overseas players. Rumour has it Jake was offered less ? ARE WE STILL SHORT OF MONEY? Expect more players moving on I predict.

Why is it assumed in the negative we are offering less. It could be we paid the going rate and Hull upped it because he fitted their profile so offered more and then it's a debate about the worth of a player to us to decide if we up our offer.

If Jake had fallen out with PA as rumoured then maybe he wasn't for turning or was too far down the road with Hull when PA went.

How do you know what goes on at the player and management discussions?

I'll ask you the same question I asked 'Simon says' How do you know what goes on at the player/ management discussions?

I would think over the last few seasons the Giants have one of the lowest turnover of players in Superleague.

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]Survive the middle 8's get a good new coach on board and he would seem to have the raw materials to put out a competitive top 8 side next year with a couple of signings and tweaks.
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Hope springs eternal mate, and nothing wrong with that. I think myself that we have too many average players to reach any great heights but who knows , with a new coach.

I'm interested to know why you regard Brierley as Full back, As jools has pointed out he has had some poor games there,
I know P Anderson said he wood be our long term fullback, but look where PA is now. Brierley was a prolific scorer for Leigh, and not at fullback.

I'm hoping we get a coach with different Ideas to what PA had, For one thing I don't regard Ellis as nailed on at Half ( as you do ) I think there are positions he is better suited too. Big Eorl has said himself he is finding the going hard , why keep a player who is going to do less and less minutes, ( make an excellent PR man ) Smith has never impressed me as anything more than average ( don't know how long his contract is ) Wood Jack of all trades etc.

No disrespect to any players at all. But things are what they are, I hope we get a coach in the N Brown style who can recognise what players talents are and bring it out.

don't all contracts finish at the end of October, so his contract would start in the 1st November when he is 22, so no fee is required?

rl£100k fee wantedrl

Having reflected on this I've come to the conclusion we are better off without Connor. It sounds as if this deal has been done a little underhandedly. I know many don't trust what thewlis has said - but whether you believe what thewlis says or not- the timing of this by Connor is extremely poor form. It sounds as if giants haven't okayed this. The fact connor has agreed with hull and his agent this could be announced this week given what's happened at the club within the last week shows little regard for the feelings of teammates, (he will have played with some of the current u19s) staff or fans- says much about his ego though.

Unhappy players talk !!!!!!,

Brierly at halfback for 20 mins looked like enough hope to me to give that a go