We do have plenty of BRs it's just they're all so injury prone. You won't get full seasons out of JJB, Delaney or Achurch. Stevie Ward has been very unlucky with injuries too, I very much hope he doesn't continue with this misfortune.

I know since being stood in the right place at the right time and scoring THAT try, some on here have now forgotten how useless Josh Walters was last season n tipping him as one for the future, but I really can't see any potential unfortunately.

So in my opinion we don't look as strong in the back row as others may suggest.

I cannot understand why esteemed 'southstanders' (him) state we have 'enough second rowers' !!! IF for the start of 2016 they were all fit that might be an arguable point, but we already know we will be starting without Stevie Ward and JJB, so that leaves Ablett, Delaney and Keinhorst...and who else exactly? Walters needs to vastly improve to be a genuine contender .....

Like Faloon, Ali IMO would have made a very good stop-gap signing for 1 year - until better longer term solutions can be implemented.

I#d certainly rather watch Ali come off the bench for 12mins next year than every last one of our 2nd row options behind Ablett and Ward (and Ward likely won't be fit to start the season).

Spot on. I see our current position like this:
JJB missing half of the season if all goes well. If not we might not see him at all.
Ward will miss the start of the season and is a bit injury prone.
Delaney runs his body into the ground. He will miss games through injury.
Ablett is Mr Dependable.
Keinhorst has been great in the 2nd row but can he do it for a full season? Looks a little light for me. Will have to see how they work with him in pre-season.
Achurch looks like he might leave. If he stays how often will he be injured? On form he is good but he is a risk.
Walters is not good enough yet. He needs some games but not flogging to death every week.

I'm not saying Ali will be putting in 60 mins or anything, and if there was a younger, fitter and experienced option to bring in I would do that. But if that isn't an option then Ali could definitely help us out.

Also, his experience would be a welcome plus as we transition a little next year. For me this is a no-brainer.

His father is from Scotland so he has a British passport.

JJB stated on Rugby AM he was ready to start light running and hoping to be fit for world club challenge ?

Because I think we've got enough second rowers. We've got JJB, Ablett, Delaney, Ward, Achurch, Keinhorst, Walters to fill 3 spots in the 17 every week.
Yes a couple are currently injured, but they won't miss much of the season.
With Cuthbertson or Singleton probably playing/being named at 13 that's one less backrower we need each week.

If we needed to add an offloader to our squad then I may be tempted by Ali, but we don't. We need a shed load of hard work from our second row. Mainly helping the back 5 drive it out of our half following a kick and in tackling anything that moves to help our big pack in defence.

As I said, if a player of real quality was available that's different, same for a long term option, but Ali doesn't fit either of those for me anymore.

Got to say i agree with Him we have plenty of Options at BR but saying that i'd love us to after Oli Holmes from Cas ok he's not a prolific offloading BR but he's quality and imo a perfect replacement for Jjb.

Move Hall into the 2nd row & play Handley on the wing.










PS This is a joke.

Ali going back to NZ www.warriors.kiwi/news/2015/11/1 ... ning_.html

Ali going back to NZ www.warriors.kiwi/news/2015/11/1 ... ning_.html

Fairytale finish for Ali. Great run out for us in a full house against the Kiwis as his last game in the UK and then gets to finish with the club he started his career.Good on him, wish him the best of luck.

good luck to the guy. he'll always be one of my favourite players

I hope he has a brilliant final year with the Warriors fitting end to his career.

Meanwhile the Dragons are signing Willie Mason.

Another opportunity gone for a young French player, lost behind a backpacker topping up his pension fund. No wonder the national side is falling behind the likes of even Wales and Scotland.

^This^

I agree... would have loved him at Leeds for a swansong year...he would have complemented the workhorse second rowers we mainly have (if fit). However, it must be really satisfying for a great bloke to finish his career in this way (second only to a treble winning season of course).

good luck to ali

Hi, could anyone tell me how long Catalans have been responsible for France's international RL progression please?

thanks a lot.

They are partly responsible and always have been. In the same way as Leeds are partly responsible for England's development.

I, and I think plenty of people, would be justified in criticising Leeds if they had a similar amount of non-English players in their squad as Catalans have non-French in theirs. Hull KR and London were rightly slated for having 10+ in their squads in SL, I think Catalans should be held to the same standard.

I get it but as the only professional French team they've also got a responsibility to try and stay in SL and grow the game in France. How many of the French national side have come through or still play for Catalan? I bet it's more than any English club have provided for England.

As the only professional team it's even more important that they aren't filled with non-Frenchman.
I agree re them having to stay in SL which is why I'd make them exempt from relegation. I think it's daft that you have effectively a development team but make them have such conflicting priorities.

Development is a noble ideal but I don't think the French public would turn out to see their team get walloped every week. I doubt there are sufficient French players of sufficient quality to prevent this at present. Which is one reason why development in France - and over here too - needs to be from the grass roots up. The notion that the top level of the domestic game should be used to develop below-par players into good ones en masse doesn't work for me. I can't think of any sport with a spectator presence that uses such a model for the simple reason that the customer perceives it for what it is - second rate. In no time we're back in the franchise situation, where large rafts of our fan base perceive the competition as meaningless.

I really meant development as in developing the French national team and the sport as a whole in France.

Nor do I expect their team to contain only French players. There's nothing wrong with adding quality overseas players to your squad.
But they should be an addition, not the bulk and mainstay of your team.
I may have got the numbers slightly wrong but IIRC if Catalans sign Willie Mason they could put out a starting lineup that doesn't include any French players at all.

I don't expect Catalans to not use overseas players but I do expect them to not have too many in their squad. And I think most of us would agree that 13 is too many (or 11 if you take out the 2 English players). In the same way as I thought when Hull KR or London had 10+ overseas players it was too many.
Aside from it meaning they develop fewer players, I also don't think it helps a club engage with its support base as much.

Shouldn't they just be restricted to the same number of overseas signings as the rest of SL?

Players only get better by playing. Ok, some of the French guys might struggle early on but there is enough decent French players coupled with a full quota of overseas players to form a competitive 13/15 players.

Injuries would be problematic but most teams outside the top few have that issue already.

I assumed they were subject to the same rules.
Obviously the 2 English players don't count in the same way as French don't count on English clubs quotas. But I still don't know how they're getting the rest in under the NFT and Overseas Quotas.