Mat there were those comments about Southernwood during last season. BB'11 thinks 3 of the u20's/younger players are ready to step up, Cain being one with Liam McAvoy and Jobe Murphy. BB'11, why is Cain ready now when he wasnt maybe 6 months ago?

Matty Blythe; season long loan from Warrington.

Is this a thought, a rumour or confirmed?

Not sure I understand that one - back row and centre is not somewhere we are desperatly short.
Maybe there are happenings we are unaware of?

Utility players are going to be desperatley needed, because there's little to no cover in the squad right now.

my thoughts too DB, fact or fiction or somewhere between? DTB we have lost two 2nd rows (ok a net of one counting Sibbits injury time!) so maybe one that can also cover centre

The Matty Blythe rumour is an interesting one as he has been linked to us and Salford both on the 12 month loan deal and now yourselves. There was a more recent rumour that he was coming to us as a signing rather than a loan, but announcements at Widnes have been none existent so far, so it is hard to know if there is any truth in it.

Maybe Warrington are offering him out on loan to whoever is prepared to go for it, which I suspect by implication means he gets into the 17 on a regular basis, which is where he is missing out at Warrington.

I would certainly be happy for us to take him as we have let two players who provided back row cover leave and he is not a bad centre either!

To Martinwildbull. I believe he is ready the two years in the academy since he made his debut in 2010 may have done him good then again it may have stumped him not playing SL. He did alright behind a beaten pack in 2010. Yes he was small but he did well. Now he has put on a bit of bulk so give him a chance. We on here will only really know if he's ready if he does get his chance.

Bloke on the Widnes site says Fielden is coming back to Bradford. Hope so.

Suspect we'll see manuokafoa re-signing thus week. Add fielden to that, scruton and mcavoy stepping up a level and our props don't look too bad. Could still do with another one or two as backup though.

Source going to Widnes.

If it comes about Blythe would be an excellent replacement for Sibbit, shame it's only a loan deal.

I'd take Fielden for a year if fit. We need props and his experience would be useful for the younger forwards we have.

yes Mat we need 6 for comfort, for me an old hand and a young gun added to your 4 suspects would provide the balance of two young two old two in the middle.

Lee Gaskell under contract??

Not seen/heard him feature for saints for a while...

Injured or not in favour?? With the lack of halves and him being English, would be worth enquiring!

I'd be pretty happy to get Gaskell partnering Gale, especially if he could be secured on a permanent deal. If not a season long loan without recall option would need to be agreed.

Just checked.. He is contracted till end of 2013 so maybe season long loan could be an option??

I'm increasingly concerned with the lack of halves.. Especially if we cannot re-sign sammut!

Sykes has signed for us on a 1 year deal www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/news ... s/2012/10/

Sykes has signed for us on a 1 year deal www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/news ... s/2012/10/

Good luck to him, he seems to be doing alright over there.

interesting that sykes has only signed a one year deal, which coincidentally was the length of contract he had left with us. Wonder if that means were still paying the difference between his bulls deal (which was widely rumoured to be a high earning one) and what he's signed on at wakey for, with him negotiating a new deal with wakey next year.

Sykes removed from preview squad, and good luck to him, shows how difficult it is being a part player, and hopefully we can benefit ourselves with a loan or two that kick on with regular games.

Good news for us and Sykes, hopefully move PLatt on now.

Yeah, yeah, then we can replace him with Jamie Lyon or someone as good as him cos were Bradford bulls and we can sign anyone! Ffs lad grow up! Platt isn't world class but he has proved over the last season he can be relied upon when needed! His knockers seem to be the glory boys living the past!

We need players like platt if you like it or not! But you carry on snipeing pal!

Interesting to read about Sykes, really had a good year at trinity and getting back some form and turning into a match winner again, funny what a bit of backing can do!

Pleased for Sykes as he as always flattered to deceive, Though a modified adage springs to mind in his case, "
Form is Temporary! Contracts more Permanent!"
It will be interesting to see if he falls back into the habit of not getting involved or getting involved with poor decision making now his future is now more secure.

Just noticed on the squad list we've currently only got 7 home grown players signed up for next year (Whitehead, Langley, Olbison, O'Brien, John Bateman, Murphy, Ball). The minimum we need is 8 in the squad under this years rules but I can't recall if this goes up again next year. In that case we're either going to have to re-sign one of the following, James Donaldson, Danny Addy, Liam McAvoy or Karl Pryce, or find someone in the juniors ready to step up.
I'm assuming we won't resolve our differences with Kopczak.

No amount of backing could or will make either one of them defend properly in the right centre position and it's not living in the past to state it.