I always think of it like this. If he was playing for the opposition, would you even notice him?

I take it you are not aware of the Clubs financial situation?

You always need a few players like that though, I mean Ian Kirke won how my GFs with Leeds?! The trouble at the moment is the quality around him is so poor. If we could ever get on the front foot he'd look much more effective, just as he'd done in the past.

Ewan Dowes was probably a similar type of player, did lots of work but was smaller than a lot of our props but didn't look out of place due to the quality and size of player around him at the time, King, Carvell, Thackeray, Manu, Kearney, mcmenemy, J smith etc, whereas now we rely on fash to be one of the leaders of our pack, which is a problem, and he has smaller players around him too in Lane and Cator who provide little go forward

Indeed. The presence of players like Fash and Cator isn't, in of itself, a problem imo. It's the fact that the players signed as metre makers aren't actually making many metres. Now if Fash or Cator have to make way to reshape the squad then so be it but I do think they have value in a correctly balanced squad.

Every club needs players like Fash, cheap, works hard and is rarely injured, the issue is at other clubs he would be a squad players whilst at Hull he is one of the first choice in the team.

I

I reckon the clubs recruitment might have stalled to see what happens with Clifford, if out for a while we have to bring in another halfback

Exactly players like Fash aren't meant to be the ones that make you big metres they are the ones that back up behind the so called big front rowers. Yet ours are so poor at making any real impact or go forward that player like Fash are unfairly criticised for lack of size etc. When you look at our squad currently we have gone from one of the biggest in 2016 to what must be one of the smallest in 2023 and not just talking in the front row.
A couple of genuine big metre makers in the front row and at least one SR similar to the likes of Sika/Mau would make a big difference.

Is Staveley out of contract this year?

His Dad has just tweeted "Roll on May 1st" - wonder if he hasn't been offered a contract, or a shocking deal

Going off our past record it is probably the latter

Wouldn't suprise me, hopefully something else.

Staveley came from Warrington along with Balmforth I think, one of Pete Ridings signings.
Given he keeps getting touted for a 1st team call up you'd think we'd be looking to keep him. Although wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the younger players have been told they'll have to wait on contracts due to all the upheaval in the 1st team squad.
Maybe he and his family think they can get a better deal and/or security elsewhere.
Or he might just be going on holiday

Hull Live a while back said



His dad's tweet sounds ominous. I note that he follows Salford and Ian Blease.

It looks like Nick Staveley has a few brothers that play at other academies?

Could it not be in reference to them?

It could be but everyone is, understandably, in a pretty negative frame of mind atm thus it must be bad for FC.