I think there’s potential in both and be happy for them to sign. I think Shaw is a player who should follow the path of Eseh this year and if he signs we can loan him out to a good championship club to get that regular experience with a call back clause and a view to him establishing himself in 2024.

I guess we will hear something soon.

Truth is that on here we are trying to decipher the motives of people we don't know but we think we do. For all I know Croft may think that the monies on offer are not not worth staying FT for, and prefer a part time role in the Championship or he may not. Ditto Shaw who may be impressed with glamorous clubs an hard cash, I don't know.

It's a bewildering world at aged 20 even though you think you know it all at the time, well most of us do. Even more so these days when most young people are not making career defining decisions so young. Unless you are going into a profession if you pick the wrong degree or starting trade, you have forty years to rectify it, in RL you may only have a season. That's why I tend to think that signing young players is far more difficult than older ones and why it takes so long even though it appears more simple.

If you say compare Shaw to Morgan Smith it's very easy to work out. Smith has yet to reach what we hope is his potential, but he's still a known quantity. He's clearly good enough not to be at the very least a useful player. Shaw is in most ways still a relatively unknown quantity in SL or first grade RL of any kind. He's played a few times and looked decent, especially against Saints, but not outstanding IMHO, so to commit say 30-40 k over two seasons for a club like ourselves isn't easy, when you can get a known quantity for similar money.

I know I'm repeating myself, but I still think signing up Academy products is very difficult unless you can afford to take a hit, bit like the stock market in a way.

Brandon Wakeham told he can talk to clubs while over here in uk.

Don’t know if he’s any good or whether we’d be interested. If he’s a good half then might be worth talking to him.

Gaskell was good at centre so can cover centre and full back with halfback options of Lino, Smith and Wakeham. Suppose it depends if Mash thinks he’d add value or not.

Not really, If Shaw is leaving the deal was agreed before Mash was even recruited. However someone else told me last week they now believe he is staying. I just cant understand the logic in keeping it quiet if he is moving on, neither can I understand having a cloak of secrecy if he is staying.

Good news if he’s staying. It may just be a timing thing.

Maybe because it’s not a done deal.

I was actually not referring to those like Shaw whose decision is not yet known. I was in about the idea that TJ, Miller and Fifita would have stayed for Applegarth, I find that hard to believe.

For ex Academy players I can see Applegarth being in charge as a major factor in them staying. So I’m willing to believe Aydin might have stayed, not sure about Batch.

I really don’t think stuff is being deliberately held back, I personally believe we just drive a hard bargain and that takes time. Also getting the back room sorted seems to have been a priority. Truth is that I really don’t know. People think they know what’s going on at the club but they don’t, not much escapes these days.

Current squad for 2023 as it stands
Jowitt

Winger
Murphy
Taufua
Kershaw
Lineham

Centre
Hall
Lyne


Halfback
Smith
Lino
Gaskell

Prop
Whitbread
Bowden
Butler
Battye
Eseh

Hooker
Hood
Kaye
Bowes

Second row
Ashurst
Tanginoa
Windrow

Loose
Crowther
O’Donnovan

I reckon we will need around 28 players to give us enough depth and it’s pretty clear looking at the list the positions we need quality and depth in.

Full back/utility back
Centre
Second row
Prop
Loose

There’s some quality out there ofcourse but we absolutely need 2/3 quality players coming in. I’d be happy for us to sign 3 quality players and back fill some depth with promising young prospects either from the academy or lower leagues.

Personally and this one may not go down well with some! I would look to re-sign Hampshire.

He offers cover at fullback/Halfback and wing. With a potentially thinner squad a player of that utility could be valuable. He’s no superstar but I believe he is SL quality and will offer good all round cover in the backs and halfbacks. Likely allowing us to spend a bit more in the forwards (prop/second row).

I believe he did his ACL and is in recovery at the moment though. I worry about our depth at centre/second row and perhaps halfback.

Listening to the latest interview out of Belle Vue from Mash , the coaching , fitness/ rehab side of the club looks good to go , and there are imminent signings on the way .When the ink has dried on said players contracts , the legions of armchair coaches will again rise up and no doubt give Mash the benefits of their vast knowledge, as to whether the new incumbents will have what it takes to keep us up or that the club is once again going to sink faster than a led zeppelin . Don’t you just love it ….

Tbh no. For most fans of most other clubs this always seems a joyous time of year, I vaguely remember that with us. Now it seems the most back biting time of what is always a back biting season.

The club can never win, they are the wrong signings, they are injury prone, to young, to old, not famous enough, it’s to soon, why when the season is barely finished to we the fans not know every detail of every signing.

It’s boring, tedious and predictable with a recognisable group of culprits.

I have no right to stop them it’s a free country, but it would be nice, but I’m relieved when the season starts for all the wrong reasons, ie something real for them to moan about.

Your known possibles to add are

Shaw
Croft
Windrow
I’d say?

Windrow is already in. I do hope we retain both Shaw and Croft though.

I am excited as to who we bring in. There may be one or two surprises.

Would probably have Gaskell down as a centre rather than a half - can't see him being in the halves this year. Played well at centre recently

I agree

And Taufua.

So you'd have him ahead of Lyne & Hall? I thought he did ok there, certainly better than full back, but not sure he'd be ahead of the two i've mentioned.