We will fill all 5 quota places and will have another 1 or 2 players who are here on residency rules. It's about establishing a foothold in SL and playing to the rules. Anything less puts you at a disadvantage.

The Vicar

I would, but only because they are ahead of quite a few clubs. I think they're actually technically safe this time around. It'll be Cas, Wakey, Salford with a Crusaders wild card if they are more unsustainable than we know, but that's an unknown quantity and they will stay if able. You have to say Bradford are ahead of those. And maybe KR too. Salford have made themselves safe this time although the crowds have to come with the new stadium.

take crusaders out of the equasion and add bradford and it will be more realistic........

Yeah, well you'll notice I left that bit out when I quoted you. Should tell you what I thought about it.



Err.. Wrong on every point there I think.

Bradford are not in debt. Certainly we've made a loss in the last year, but that's not the same as debt. There are long threads on the Bradford board about this exact point and I've no desire to go pull out all the relevant points of those threads just to show you up. In fact most SL clubs operate at a loss.

True, there's a lot wrong with Odsal. However, in terms of what is needed from a ground we tick nearly all boxes. We've a large number of facilities including food outlets, bars and toilets. We've a great corporate centre at the far end of the ground.

No real academy products. Just in the team at the moment there's Whitehead, Olbison, Burgess, Crookes, Addy, Donaldson, Crossley, Langley, Halley, O'Brien, Bateman, Kopczak, Finigan, McAvoy, Sykes, Southernwood. Or to put it another way, we've got pretty much most of a team of decent young lads getting ready to come into SL. And Paul Sykes
And just round SL there's Leon and Karl Pryce, Stuart Fielden, Paul Deacon, Brett Ferres, Stuart Reardon, Chris Bridge, Ryan Atkins, Joe Wardle, Jamie Peacock, Kieren Hyde. I'm sure there's a few others that I've forgotten. But I think you'll find that your point is invalid.

As for over-reliant on imports? So is the rest of the league. Because there's not enough quality english players in the game so in order to be competitive clubs have to sign overseas players.

I think they're immune arent they?

Going back to the OP, why are Hull mentioned as being one of the teams which have too many overseas players?

Our team this year has 16 regular first team players who are from England, with a further 9 youngsters who over the next year or two, will begin to have more inclusion in the squad.
Not to mention the academy squad, who over the past few years have been one of the dominating teams in the league.
This leaves 6 players in the team, who are not English born.

IMO, it's not about having too many overseas players, it's more about how well the youth is being brought into the team, and judging by these numbers, we're managing to do that just fine.

And take yourselves, you've got a great set up for youngsters to be in the squad in the next couple of years, but it's inevitable that there will be a handful of players who are overseas.
And this handful is not a lot, at all.

Besides, there are plenty of other clubs in the SL who's English born / Overseas ratio is a lot worse.