I'd still like to use him as a 9. Start him with AOB coming off the bench. It gives good cover then as if one of the halves goes down, Charnock can always move there. If Moss goes down, Pryce could go to fullback with Charnock into halves. If nobody goes down, you get two hookers sharing the role as Rohan seems to want.

Then when one of the halves inevitably ends up injured for a few games, you can move Charnock there and bring in Lumb. Lumb gets some game time to see him improve, without him having to play almost every game, barring a few injuries.

Not sure about playing him at 9. Part of me still thinks we'll end up signing Falloon for next year.
I'd take Charnock as a loose forward though, let him and Pitts share the role (hopefully Pitts stays) and Pitts might end up spending more time in the 2nd row where I think he is more effective.

If there is a next season (not for this thread try all the others) then I think we'll need cover for Pryce (if he does actually come) as he isn't getting any younger and Keyes and Thomas can be inconsistent.

I think Haggerty is good enough to play loose forward for us if we want someone with a bit of ball playing ability there. Personally I'd like us to go with 5 props. 2 in the front row, 2 on the bench and a mobile prop sort of player at 13. We've been out muscled far too often this season and we need to inject some size and aggression into the forward pack.

Don't think charnock is good enough, especially if we sign pryce. The reason he's looking to leave saints is due to a lack of first team rugby. I don't see him as a hooker, as we need to start recruiting players for the positions they're suited if we're going to get anywhere, and we need a much stronger pack so loose is out of the question.

IMO we need an experienced hooker. A Micky higham (if only) type player. Someone who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and guide us from the play of the ball. Too many times do we get a quick play of the ball in good position and go the wrong way or get a slow ball out.

The pack needs strengthening that's for certain. Some big, mean, hard hitting forwards. Every other championship team has plenty who run through us! Featherstone kicked us to death, because they knew our forwards couldn't make up the metres. Pitts isn't good enough, no more of these 'ball handling' back rowers. We need a big, mean pack to punch some holes in the opposition. Olbison and mellor just qualify really.

That and another strong, steady centre would be a great start for next season...if there is one.

I agree. I fear Charnock is really just an Addy mk 2. Jack of all trades.

Olbison has gone backwards this year IMO. In 2015 he looked like he was coming good - this year he's struggled to make ground in attack. Mellor has got a lot of developing to do yet so an obvious keeper.

Agree we need a big mean pack. Clark could be a cornerstone of it. We need fearless, slightly mad players like him.

I've come to accept that Clark is gone after this season. The rumours have gone on for far too long and from so many different sources for there to be nothing in it.

Anyone half decent will be off soon.

And who could blame them?

I have a lot of faults, but one of them isn't being bad at my job. If my employers didn't pay me, I wouldn't be turning up to work. I'd be happy to accept the same position elsewhere for someone who wanted to actually pay me.

I agree.

So today's t&a article is about Danny Williams not being offered a new contract.
I kind of saw that coming really because he wasn't getting in the side for ages and there was no mention of injury etc.

Whoever ends up signing him will have a decent winger on their hands. Not the quickest, but a very solid and dependable winger with good hands and knows how to finish. I think he's done well for us in his time here.

Interestingly, the article also mentions that London have offered Jay Pitts a deal and that we're after FOUR Broncos players. That number keeps going up!
Macani and Magrin we already knew about. But Ross also mentions prop Mark Ioane and second rower Alex Foster.
I'm not sure if the Alex Foster thing is some crossed wires though, because we've had a Broncos supporter on here recently linking us with Alex Walker. The similar names could be causing confusion.

Don't know much at all about any of those London players so can't really comment.

"Tom Olbison and Matty Blythe are out of contract at the end of the season and could join a huge raft of departures which includes Mitch Clark, Paul Clough, Dale Ferguson, Danny Addy, Dan Fleming, Steve Crossley, Epalahame Lauaki, Lucas Walshaw, Jonny Walker, Etu Uaisele and Richie Mathers."

Is he now hinting we're not losing Gaskell?!?!?!

I thought that as well when I read it

I'll see if I can find out about the other mentioned London players

Gaskell in the list of departing players

Tom Olbison and Matty Blythe are out of contract at the end of the season and could join a huge raft of departures which includes Lee Gaskell, Mitch Clark, Paul Clough, Dale Ferguson, Danny Addy, Dan Fleming, Steve Crossley, Epalahame Lauaki, Lucas Walshaw, Jonny Walker, Etu Uaisele and Richie Mathers

Yep, was edited 25 mins ago. Looks like he saw his omission and rectified it.

I've no issue with any of those players leaving. If they had performed then we wouldn't be in the situation we're in now.

Don't know much about the London players mentioned but I'm guessing that they must have played better than most of our blokes this year. Alex Fosters profile says 2nd row or centre. Hate seeing that.

Looks like Smith is heading for the much needed clear out. On the face of it its disappointing to lose some players but really got to ask if they have been worthy of staying after the last 2 years. Seen a lot of posts on other sites/social media slating the signings from London, but look at what Cas did signing quite a few of their relegated team and look how that turned out for them

London players achieved something this year. That's a tick in the box to start with but will they help sell season tickets? One suspects not. The Bulls will need to make a couple of relatively high profile signings on top of signings like these if they are to reignite the fans interest after the last couple of years.

It's a shame for London who seem to lose players en mass each year. It must be connected to the high cost of living in the area set against the championship wage.

Hopefully add Lovegrove to that list too.

Ross says Olbison is looking for a club for next year. I'm assuming by that he hasn't been offered a new contract? He's has been poor this year though.

I think a move would potentially do Olbison good. I do have my doubts about whether he's anything other than steady championship quality at best. He looked like he'd broken through last year but has gone backwards since.

We need more size and aggression in the pack. We've not had it since we had the likes of Elima in the side. Clark has it and he and Clough are the only two I'm really sorry to lose.

I have to say I am disappointed to hear we're losing Lauaki and Pitts. Lauaki was never given a fair chance under Lowes becuase we never utilized him correctly. Yes I agree he did arrive a little under cooked and unfit, but there were times when he was ready to offload and we just had nobody in support to take advantage - that was down to poor coaching. In a short space of time under Rohan he has completely changed his attitude and we were seeing really good things from him - to the point where he was on occasion our best man on the pitch. I can't help but feel with a good off season under Rohan to really get his fitness back up, Lauaki would give us some of that size, power and aggression we've been lacking.

As for Pitts, he has been one of our most consistent performers. A real workhorse every single time he takes the field and sadly has had very little recognition for his endeavours.

Margrin and Ioane i'd be OK with. We need props. Macani doesn't excite me one bit. Would be very disappointed to lose Pitts.

We will have a better squad than next year simply because we will have a quality spine. You can get props, back-rowers, centres pretty easily throughout the year with loan signings. Decent FB'S SHs, you simply can't as we found out. Smith won't make the same mistakes of bringing in random players who weren't improve our squad.

Think Smith will have some aces up his sleeve. Look at Kieren Moss . Ioane has some aggression (I think) which we've been badly lacking. Another big tough, even grubby prop will do.

Smiths making changes, Don't think he's happy with our physical condition and has brought in his brother to do the strength and conditioning. Looking forward to seeing us after Smith has a pre-season with them.

I think that a big clear out at the end of this year will be good for the team. I feel that there needs to be a fundamental attitude shift in regards to the status of the team and that no one is going to roll over for us, a fact that despite 2 years of teams coming to Odsal looking to take the game to Bradford, many established first teamers do not seem to have grasped.

We've a decent core going into 2017 and hopefully Smith will be able to forge his team to push on next year

As I understand it, Alex Forster is missing home, Magrin and macini weren't offered new deals (both London lads) I dont think Ioane is leaving London

Correct on all points! (Except it's 'Foster')



Ioane has denied the rumour.

I don't want us to lose Pitts or Olbison. You'd think that with Addy leaving, Jay would be a shoe in for the 13 shirt and could really make that position his own. Perhaps he just wants a change of scenery.
Olbison is a solid second rower, but forget all this nonsense of playing him at prop. He might not be a stand out player but he's dependable, a decent defender, runs hard and he's also homegrown (can't be too far off a testimonial?). I hope we offer him a deal and I hope he stays.

I wonder if any of the Batley props fancy going fulltime. Doubt we could get Hirst, but Rowe or Lilycrop would do. Plus Lilycrop is ex-Bulls isn't he?