What's your opinion on the proposed partnership between us Halifax and Hunslet?

It's great that we'll be able to share different ideas and goals but the proposal that we amalgamate player's into just one joint reserve team seems a bit counter productive to me. With players from each club pooled together will it really benefit all 3 clubs in the long term? Think it would be better to enter our own team into the reserve league so that if and when we need a certain player called back into the SL team he'll be fully up to speed on our systems not a combined system of SL championship and league 1 systems.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for improving the standards of rugby but who is going to get the greatest say on who plays in the reserves, probably us, so it could limit the players from Halifax and Hunslet getting much needed game time therefore not increasing their standards.

Really hope it works out for each club and as I said a positive step on many levels but only time will tell.

Grandad.

I'm all for new ideas, but halifax have run a reserve team for a few years now, so we are just piggybacking off their initiative.

Presumably our young players play for fax, their squad players play reserves and their young players play for Hunslet.

This is utter tripe and dual registration in all but name. I allus thought that sport was about competing against each other, me against thee, us against them not getting all pally and having partnerships. The powers that be are slowly but surely killing the game, sad to say.

Is this just a cost cutting exercise or because we don’t have a big enough squad to run both first team and reserve.

Yes as reserve players have to be contracted to the club and it's money the club haven't got, this way we can use players from the other clubs who need game time mainly youngsters and satisfy the RFL's directive of putting a reserve side out and not have to fork out extra money.

Ollie Roberts played for Fax today in a friendly. A sign of things to come perhaps? Noticed he played mainly with the younger lads last week, which for him must be concerning, especially when 2 first choice SR players weren't available in Taai and Edwards.

I was hoping that Mellor leaving would give Roberts a kick up the backside, still think he has potential, we just don't see it enough anymore.

Well he’s the only one with the possibility of changing things. Yes he was injured last season, but when he did get a chance in the first team he didn’t really shine , Edwards, taai, wardle, Lawrence, Murphy all in front of him for second row spots. Hewitt been getting the nod in front of him also. And butler Sam wood are also able to play in that position. Edwards replacing mellor means Ollie is less likely to get a spot not more- he needs to impress in training- it’s in his hands now.

You only need look at the ill fated COHA, dual reg is bad enough, but joint squads...nope.

Absolutely. The game is on a downward spiral and the clubs are being instrumental in their own downfall.