True, with them seemingly being issued so early (before all players have even arrived) it’s obvious that squad numbers are not too relevant in what Cartwright wants to do and no real indicator of his idea 17. I do think rewarding or even taking away squad numbers can still be a useful tool for player management/motivation or confidence building. You could look at it the other way and say that maybe it could be a big confidence boost for Barron getting the 2 jersey and maybe some sort of challenge laid down for him to nail down a starting spot. I remember it being a big deal and raised eyebrows years ago when a young Maguire and Burrow got given the 6 and 7 shirts at Leeds above some more senior players. They absolutely smashed it.

With him being all but certain to play prop this year i wonder if he's been allowed to put some weight on during the off season.

Good to see a few of lads out together having a coffee yesterday on a day off. Seems like it's been a really positive start to pre season.

I've heard some positive comments from a friend of one of the younger players who has said there's a complete change in things across the board. The club has been allowed to decline in so many areas, let's hope this is the start of a big change

It may not mean much to the supporters but i am certain it does to the players.
As you say Barron must be delighted to receive the no 2 shirt and if i were Martin i would be disappointed to see Briscoe given the no 5 shirt in front of him.

How can you be certain? This is just another whinge for the sake of it.

Some players will want a certain number because of the traditional one for their prefered position, some will want a number for other reasons (like Shaul in his last season). Some won't be bothered.

I would imagine that Martin would rather be in the starting XIII with 22 on his back than out of the team and training with number 5 on his kit.

sorry Reverend
As usual i am sure you are correct
Apologies to all your followers

I'd be more concerned if Martin had a lower number on his back than Briscoe at this stage of Martin's career.

I like the fact that although Martin had a decent year last year for a rookie, he's still being challenged to call himself a first choice. Keep the young lad hungry.

I think Asiata will be the most important player to keep fit. A real competitor who leads the way. We'll always compete with him on our team

I like that a few of our overseas players have played for Cartwright before, Asiata, Sezer, Cust. Trust is massively important.

I'm loving how the club is portraying itself atm. Looking a much more professional outfit after the absolute shambles of recent years. Training looks soooo much better, players looking fitter and it's only the start of pre-season, communication from the club on how pre-season is going is much improved too, makes you feel more connected. Rome wasn't built in a day n all that but I'm genuinely feeling much more optimistic that the team will be able to compete next season. It's almost like we haven't just got a new team but a new club