A bit like your many, many, many recent posts which even by your standards are excessive and that takes some doing.
I believe you met with JM to ask some stadium questions but cannot say anything without his approval, I would of thought even you would think to get this sorted but I guess it diminishes your feeling of self importance. We get hints of things you know but cannot say so what stadium questions have you been able to confirm.
At least that would be a rare interesting post from you but maybe you have not received clearance.

There is a whole thread about his conversation. Go have a read.
And why are you surprised that JM would want to keep some answers to himself?

A couple of Fev fans have suggested Morgan Smith might be heading to Wakefield. I think he's out of contract with us but I'd be a bit surprised if he got a SL gig - he's a very likeable player who always gives 100% and has a nose for the tryline at Championship level, but for me he doesn't have that creative ability to open up a defence necessary in a real top-end Championship half back.
Springer has recently signed on for Fev for next year (as has Ford btw as he was also mentioned), Lineham has gone ok for us but Championship looks his level now and I'd be surprised if we took over a big contract.
Jordan Lilley just hasn't progressed for me, he's steady enough but mid-level Championship and no more looks his level.

I've really no idea what you're on about. What has any of this to do with signing Cherry Evans or Luke Gale or Henry Paul?

I've told you and your fellow conspiracy theorists, I've now met JM twice, regarding various non playing issues. That's all, no insider knowledge other than I got the impression no signings were finalised - I'm allowed to get an impression without actually having to know it as fact.

Just stick to the point, you're making yourself look ridiculous with these Area 51 flights of fancy.

Now if you'll excuse me I've got Mash on the other line wanting to run a signing past me, then I'm popping over to see Shaun Wane to finalise the England squad

Don't agree about Lilley, I've watched him a fair bit through the years and I think he's a decent player - we have a live wire in Lino who's been told to step up, we need a steady player to go with him, one who will be happy to play a supporting role.

As for Morgan Smith, that strikes me very much as a Applegarth/Trinity type signing. Get your point regarding creativity but a lot of that depends on the coach, the plan and the players around you. The vital one is that if he gives 100% as you suggest then he can do alright in SL. Not every player in SL is superior to those in the Championship in terms of pure ability, far from it. What matter is that you are willing to do the job you are given to the best of that ability.

I'm not going to pretend like some on here will that I know much about him, so I won't dismiss or endorse him, but if the Coach sees something in him that suits our squad then welcome aboard.

I learned my lesson with Paul Sykes, he was supposedly passed it when he was with us ten years ago, and despite no really being a HB when he joined us he ended up being one of the best we've had in SL. With one or two extreme exceptions every player has a clean slate when they join the RW&B, they can write their own story.

On those two points I'd change the first to 'willing and able'. A lot of the difference between champ and SL is whether you are able to perform physically. Forwards have to be giants with an engine like Mo Farah and backs need to run like Usain Bolt. ........ or somewhere towards those obviously.
A skillful player in the championship can be a star in SL if they can take to the training but an average player can excel too if they realise they have the physique. A skillful player can unfortunately fail, simply by being willing but the body isn't able.

The second point is relevant. They should get a clean slate as to be honest we don't know how they'll perform with new coach and new training. Can go either way no matter what they've been in the past.

How come you get the best jobs!!!!

I wish you'd hurry up as I've had Carter on the line trying to get hold of you because you haven't signed off the budget for next year and we can't proceed without you.

......Oh great, now I've got a text from IMG chasing you too now.

Come on Vasty get your act together.

Jordan Lilley is a turnstile even in the Championship, he’s got a bit of football in him and a decent kicking game but too often he flatters to deceive which results in there being no end product.

Morgan Smith was a junior prodigy but like many before him the big junior price tag weighed him down and he’s taken a long time to rebuild his game. He’s a good defender but doesn’t have the attacking game needed when creating for other players.

If we sign both of them maybe the RFL will accept them being half a player each and let us play with 14 on the pitch

Remembering all this is just your opinion, and this might shock you, not everybody rates it. Others do have the right to see it differently, most noticeably our one dimensional coach. There is no evidence to me that Lilley is a 'turnstile' silly cliche comment.

Morgan Smith, junior prodigies do often turn good later on, just takes an enlightened coach or a team that suits them, or shall we just bin them all?

Before you start, I have no idea if they are what Applegarth wants, and I don't care if we do or don't sign them, but I'll take the opinion of the coach over any faceless poster on here, myself included.

As far as I'm concerned, every signing is a great signing until they prove otherwise. IMO all fans should see it that way for no other reason than it's only fair. Also the fact that nobody on here has any idea how Applegarth will be as a SL coach, the tactics he will employ or the players he will assemble and the mentality of those who are signed. That's how I view it.

Just had a ring round and a quick nosey about Smith, general opinion seems to be that he's now as ready to step as he will ever be. Consensus is that he's well worth a punt but not guaranteed.

Sounds like the sort who do well at Trinity.

Lino is now an experienced player at 29 and as I said before needs to be taking a commanding role next season. For me I’d be more than happy to sign a half with a few years under his belt but with some potential. Morgan Smith could be a shrewd option. Lad has been around and appears to have a running game. Would probably allow Lino to take that role on of guiding the team.

I’d happily look at Smith and Springer from Fev if some sort of deal can be done.

In the very least it seems to show that there are plenty of players available.

Apparently Oliver Holmes been offered to clubs for 2023. He’d be a useful acquisition. I suppose it all comes down to what Apelgarth wants or thinks he needs.

Great news Trojan, I'll pass that on......

Lol this is the best part of the season throwing players names around like confetti.

I like Morgan a lot as he's a wholehearted player who does everything to the best of his ability. He's popular amongst fans at Fev, many of who were disappointed that he was left out of the team recently, partly because of that but also the heritage part (his grandad Pete was a Fev legend).

For me he just doesn't have that creativity you need in a SL half back, he has scored a lot of tries this season from 5-10m out but he wouldn't have scored many of them against SL defences, and more importantly he's had Joey Leilua outside of him all season and I'm struggling to remember him putting Joey in space at all. For me, he's a good Championship player and no more, but who knows I could be wrong.

if my memory serves, he came through our juniors the same time as Milner and both jumped ship at the same time . Not for me, his best years are well behind him. Why lose batch and then sign holmes

The irony of your first paragraph again, you really don’t have any idea how you come across on these threads and posts do you
Yes it’s just my opinion but it’s kind of backed up by the reality of his game whether your perfectly honed eye for talent sees the evidence or not.

Turn style is just a metaphor to explain the poor level of his defending, often used in the game, why do you think Leeds didn’t persist with him and none of the top Championship clubs have chased him.

As I said, Morgan was weighed down by the huge expectations placed upon him by Warrington, where he had some amazingly enlightened couches, after they paid stupidly high money for him as a junior. When it didn’t work out he and his agent were still expecting to get top wages for him as they touted his availability around a host of clubs. Huge knock to the kids confidence and ego to find there were no takers at that price. He’s done well to regather himself and go again but that doesn’t detract from the realities of his game. Who mentioned binning anyone, that’s just you going off on a gammon fuelled rant because someone had the temerity to disagree with you.

You continue to focus on what you perceived as a wholly negative word that I used to describe Applegarth and choose to ignore that I also said IMO he was a good coach who perhaps needed to be head coach at a Championship club and wouldn’t rule out him coaching at SL level one day
But crack on mr expert on everything, I’ll continue with my opinions and my supposed “vendetta” (ridiculous comment from you).

"Just your opinion" is perfectly fine.

I think you're slightly over doing the SL creative bit, trust me, not that many are all that special. I concur that for Wigan or Saints he might not cut the mustard but for us he's probably about right. No point having a clever player in a not so clever team, we've had that before, HB's on a wavelength that is different from their team mates. That's not a dig at the Trinity squad, just that we have to play within our limitations for now.

However the lad is still young and if the team progresses as I hope it does so will he. A few years in SL and we will see the true player, good or bad, it's always a gamble even with the best players.

But I'm not an expert and that's why I'm not the one making assumptions before a players signed or a game has been played, you are.

I hope Applegarth is a good coach, but I don't know and neither do you.

I don't mind people having negative opinions on the Trinity coach or the players once they have been in the job a while or played, that's fine by me. But what I don't get is writing them off before they start.

It's like with this Smith lad from Fev. You've just written him off because at 25 he hasn't quite hit the mark. But life is not like that, it takes time with most people. People learn, they grow up, they change or sometimes it just click , or they just meet the right coach and team mates where RL is concerned. This lad could be about to explode onto the scene as was once expected or he may end up a dud, but thy are the chances you take. Sometimes even those with huge reputations tank miserably. This is not just aimed at you, just give these players a chance and they may repay you big time, in truth what choice do we have, we can't buy success for now so we need to be bold and create it.

I agree they all need to be on the same wave length but not that you shouldn't look for more intelligent players.

Some are leaders and some are followers. You need intelligent clever leaders
Some moves are really complicated but the coach also sometimes needs to make a particular role a bit more simple.

Agree we need a proven SUPER LEAGUE 6 if we buy championship players to play in important positions on the field we are going back 3 year .Know fans will come at me and say what about Finn ,but come on he was ok for one and a half years of is 3 year contract and played the rest of the time because is face fitted keeping Williams out of the team who was a lot better player than fans gave him credit for

Quote ="alegend"Agree we need a proven SUPER LEAGUE 6 if we buy championship players to play in important positions on the field we are going back 3 year .Know fans will come at me and say what about Finn ,but come on he was ok for one and a half years of is 3 year contract and played the rest of the time because is face fitted keeping Williams out of the team who was a lot better player than fans gave him credit for'" You do realise he's played SL for both Warrington (22 times) and London (22 times in SL), he's not a nobody. He dropped down to the Championship because London got relegated but you'd hardly call Fev slumming it, especially as that's where he comes from. Players do improve with age I really don't get this idea, both Kay and Hood followed a similar route just to name but two. Take a look https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Sm ... gby_league)

Quote ="alegend"Agree we need a proven SUPER LEAGUE 6 if we buy championship players to play in important positions on the field we are going back 3 year .Know fans will come at me and say what about Finn ,but come on he was ok for one and a half years of is 3 year contract and played the rest of the time because is face fitted keeping Williams out of the team who was a lot better player than fans gave him credit for'" You do realise he's played SL for both Warrington (22 times) and London (22 times in SL), he's not a nobody. He dropped down to the Championship because London got relegated but you'd hardly call Fev slumming it, especially as that's where he comes from. Players do improve with age I really don't get this idea, both Kay and Hood followed a similar route just to name but two. Take a look https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Sm ... gby_league)

Plenty of decent players have stepped up from finding themselves in the championship to being quality SL players. Joe Batchelor was working with my partners brother at Frankie and Bennys a few years back.

I wonder if we are looking at anyone at the Rhinos, as they are looking to offload, in order to provide cap space for Hardaker.