While i think Owen can develop into a very good full back i feel sorry with how the club appears to have treated Mathers.

If the club hadn't have been stupid enough to have offered Hudson & Mcgoldrick those 4 year deals we wouldn't have found ourselves in this position

About 3 stone over weight and bone idle....i hope not

Completely agree. I like Mathers, I think he has good organisational skills, something that you need from a full back. He is pretty solid and a safe bet.

However, with regards to your last paragraph, it seems from reading his tweets he isn't training with the squad at all and hasn't even met Millward at all. Youngquest is sticking up for him with regards to people saying he has thrown his teddy out of the cot stating "if only people knew how much you wanted to give"
Says it all for me

Always seems a nice bloke when you read his articles but sentiment shouldn't come into running a rugby club (if it did we should have given wainwright a 5 year deal!). Milward see's owen as the clubs best fb(correctly imo) so he should play him there, the fact that mathers here because he wanted to be first choice fb has nothing to do with milward, milward should be able to build his own team and if he has decided that mathers is to expensive for cover or that he doesnt rate him he would be a poor coach not to try and offload him, especially when we have other areas (centre) that need to be strengthed.

Mcgoldrick and mathers both struggle with defence at fb, 1-1 tackles and high bombs they can make some real howlers with, mathers can organise the defensive line better, but goldy has more aggression and is better with ball in hand, if milward doesn't rate goldy he will be gone in a year anyway, but if he doesn't offload mathers but doesn't want to play him he is stuck with him for 2 more years. Whats more goldy is our hb cover a role that mather would probably struggle to fill.

I think mathers is already gone mate, he hasn't been training with the team and is refusing to comment on any rugby matters on twitter.

All fair points, however, Millward has stated everyone starts with a clean slate. Surely Mathers deserves the chance to prove himself?

The fact that he hasn't even met Millward let alone training with the team strikes as very odd

Mathers is a natural SO IMO, a role I expected him to return to with outstanding success.

personally i cant see him taking on the line and asking questions of the defence and he has no kicking game, he is also defensivly frail so would be targeted alot.

Mostly don't agree with anyone who suggests that a squad without Mathers in it is better - UNLESS there is a marquee signing in the offing, which I think we all agree is unlikely. Richie Mathers is a specilaist full-back, all of our defense was better last year when he played - if I was going to pull players for 1 on 1 defense and mistakes, he wouldn't be the first.

Basil does things his own way, yes - but daft he isn't and starting everyone with a clean slate is logical and the key work is EVERYONE. That would lead me to believe that there are other factors at play if Mathers goes. No point in us all putting 2 and 2 together and getting 18 though. There is always the possibility that this is being drivent he other way, just for balance; that Richie wants out for his own reasons and rumour of club pushing is just speculation, we are all not so naive to think that players don't use their own methods too??

I would be sorry to see him go - he has medals and finals appearances that suggest he is up to a place in our 17 and that IS a fact.

There was a time when i think he looked like he had enough about him to make a good SO, sadly he has shown little since then to make the switch viable.

I agree. Mathers only real problems all boil down to lack of confidence. The only time he has ever looked like he was re-capturing his early Leeds form was in a dominant Wire side. I fear a move to Wakey will further depress his career.

As it would anyones

I appear to have misplaced the WMDC Village Idiot! Anyone seen it?

I've heard this a few times now about Mathers, he's bloody good player (and a specialist fullback)who is also a complete professional in his training and from what little i know a decent guy, unless were getting a full on big named player then i just can't understand Cas's thinking behind it all... but we'll never get a straight answer from anyone anyway, it will all be swept under the carpet as usual.

Mathers can have the odd good game but often has a mixed game of some good and some awful. No consistancy.
The poor ball control and most days he couldn't tackle a big dinner.
And now after this treatment he would never pull on the cas jersey with any will and desire.
So he will have to go, none of the top clubs would have him.
His options must be limited, hope cas aren't paying his wages at another club at the end of the day.

Not having a pop at you deeman, but actually the only real, proper and confirmed "treatment" of any kind we really know about is the trash spouted on here by a lot of folk - so I think it is difficult to draw a conclusion - I will cite the example of Rooney at MUFC, totally out of love, out of favour and wanted away, it doesn't take much to create a perceived rift of biblical proportions and it similarly doesn't take too much to fix it. Granted we are not MUFC and Richie is not Wayne Rooney!

Can't wait to see what mutual consent BS everyone comes up with when it all goes away one way or another. Then this board will explode with RW negligent diabolical club twaddle, when in fact, Richie himself could have just as easily gone in and said "I am not playing for Basil, you treated me bad and I want out" and it could be nothing to do with how we run our club.

Is Mathers also to blame for the lack of Stadium, The Lies about Probiz not sponsoring the stadium, The lack of Top players coming into the club, The lack of money, The greek economy? No but there is a common denominator ?

When we are playing from NM will you still be defending the BoD, And yes i can have a go because they have produced nothing to make me think any other wise. If they cant make progress move over and let someone in who can!!

Up untill the last month i have support the BoD but the boy has cried wolf 1 too many times for me

Just on the stadium point, and i don't want to derail this thread, as i am genuinely interested in peoples views on Mathers, as we look favourite to be signing him.
It is reported in this mornings Wakefield Express (and there's a link to the pont' and cas) that the rival developers and supermarkets are all kicking off over who develops where, and the only thing that they agree on is that there should be only one supermarket development.
Could this/will this, end up in a Public Inquiry?

Ask IA he is in the select commitee?

What gets me is the other bids have made no progress for umpteen years but as soon as land becomes available and progrees seems to be going away from them, Teddy and dummy out lets got to express

That seems to be the way of developers, we may have a similar issue with one!!!

The piece about "STORE-WARS" in the local Express is interesting.

We have Cas Tigers backed-up by a 22,000 strong petition, Opus and (reportedly) Tesco against Edinbrough House who after 5 years with o.p.p. have just re-applied and don't have a developer or a buyer.

Another interesting point to note is how animated the manager of Carlton Lanes shopping centre is over CT's planned development. Both himself and his staff always seem to be enjoying themselves in the Tigers hospitality suite when I have have seen them. No complaints there at all !

shhhhhhh... look in the mirror for a clue

Off you go its bath time

Its OK, panic over!! Ive found it!!!!!

Oh god another thread derailed onto Stadiums

PMSL Quality!!!!!

Sorry i was just picking up on part of Binks' post.
Until all this ground crap is finished it will ultimately reflect on all aspects of our clubs and indeed the area as a RL area, more so than the rugby played.
Sad but true.