Great Signing the 1st of many new great signings I hope along with the re signings of the cream of the current crop.

Ben is going to Swinton.
But, he like any of the others who may or may not be offered a contract will play to their highest ability.
They will want to win, that's what sportsmen do!

Well I imagine that all your players are aware of the way Karl is pressurising players from other clubs to sign for Fax, so if they do all sign quite a number of your present squad know they won't be playing much next year.

Perhaps that is why some of them are talking to other teams?

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The players will know in a lot of instances who will be offered new contracts and then its up to them whether they sign or decide to speak to other clubs - but even if there are not retained they are in affect playing for contracts elsewhere so like Halifax John states all players should be playing to the best of their ability.

Its just a bad time of year to be sorting contracts for any club especially when your season is not dead but thats just the way it is.

Karl will know who he wants and I am sure he will be using whatever means to sell the positive package that is Halifax RLFC to any new recruits. If that is pressure then so be it - at the end of the day players can say no thanks !!!!

From what i understand that is not a given, swinton have apparently offered him a good deal but he is in for talks with Karl Harrison on Monday nothings signed sealed and delivered yet.

No he wasn`t! Greetland fans were all hearing things.

No disrespect to Ben, but with Karl's signing of Handforth and his comments on "dummy runs" Ben will be leaving.

I think this is the end for Black.

i still think he has one more grand final winning performance in him though, what a send off for him that would be!!!

How can a club like Swinton offer a good deal?

They have made some high profile signings in the last couple of years and must have a bit of money to spend. Makes for a good league if the promoted teams can sign players of Blacks quality. Lets wait and see though, i wouldnt mind Handforth and Black together if KH thinks he can bring the best out of him again.

If he has signed for You, what is the problem with us announcing it, why the hush hush, If you wanted to avoid unrest in your team,( ie, the teams thoughts on who he who he is going to replace), then you should not have tapped him up and signed him till you were beaten and out of the competition.

I guess you think Batley were totally unaware that Karl Harrison was joining you, until he surprised the Batley players and the BOD after the Batley/Fax game, and you think the speculation had no effect on that game.
Ironic that Handforth was battered into Concussion at half time, and he is now moving to you,

"battered into Concussion"

Really?

=#0000FF" inspirational talisman Paul Handforth who was subject to some rough treatment in the first half and, concussed, failed to reappear after the break"

either that, or he was rested while we were in front ????

With Batley lossing a good halfback and it looks like Ben is not req by us, maybe he might end up at Batley?

I doubt Halifax made an ilegal approach to be honest. Harrison on the other hand put pen to paper for us 6 weeks ago but was obviously free to do so. If we do as you say then dont you think its a bit late to be trying to sign players after the Grand Final.

Handforth is a quality player, and will add a massive ammount of leadership to our team, i think we have lacked since Brannigan. i hope Ben stays and sees out his career with fax, but Rhino is the 'man with the plan' so we should trust in Rhino.

as for Batley releasing this, it is timed wrong...they have no right to announce where he is going, just that he has left.

i dont think it will have any baring tomorrow though.

like Rhino says, some of our squad need to play to the best of their abilty to be offered new contracts. simple...........

Ha ha! This is sour grapes because you were beaten. End of chat!

not really, we knew we were never going to win it , and neither are you...
Handforth was a Batley Player, why should it effect Halifax that the club announced where he had gone ?.
Should Batley have announced that Handforth has left, but we cant tell you where hes gone, ?. ( it's a secret ).

But we still have a chance, which is more than your club has.

Yes. The big thing there as you say Handforth WAS a Batley player, is it the norm to start announcing who players have signed for? I mean most of the Widnes players that were released have been snapped up but i dont see Widnes releasing where they have gone even though it would be more appropriate than the Handforth case. All it is is a total lack of class by Batley.

Ha ha ha...this gets better. Listen RPH...we took it on the chin when Batley beat us fair and square 4 times this season and we won the one that mattered, so please have some dignity. Whether we lose against Sheffield or next week against Leigh or even in the GF against Featherstone is irrelevant. What is important though is that Batley announced Handforths signing in bad taste when they had no right to do so, and you and everyone that follows RL knows that it is inappropriate to do what they have done. You are bitter because Karl left and that Handforth has decided to move on now his contract with Batley is over. To even suggest that he wasnt concussed against us just highlights how silly you look. Get over it!

I think you will find I said he WAS concussed, I had to highlight it for one of your forum members !

Yes you won the one that mattered, the other four did not,

so like you say end of.

btw, the Handforth signing, appears to be just a rumour.

How stupid would Batley look now if he went somewhere else.

Why you getting so excited then flower?

Best back down now eh, and look forward to next season? Lots of positives over Batley for you to be worried about little old Halifax and the cheek they have for trying to have the best people working for them!