Just a hand grenade to throw in the situation. How would everybody feel if we re-signed Carvell? I for one (if his wages were right) would welcome him back, he would be just what we needed in the championship rugged with a great off-load and bags of experience.

(Wakefield have a major signing to announce on Monday which is heavily rumoured to be Tim Smith)

Jay Pitts is more than capable of playing at prop and I was confusd why Lowes didn't push him up to the fornt row when we needed it and insisted on playing Addy there... unless it was to get Danny tackling more.

I mentioned the name a few weeks ago but it was somewhat disparagingly, but AFAIK Paul Sykes is still available.

There are certainly options out there - in a general sense - of players we've heard of to come in, not to mention the Jimmy approach of players we haven't heard of. None of them are particularly perfect on the face of it but IMO we're more in need of experience half cover that prop.

Because right now neither Pitts or Addy are of sufficient size, strength to play prop at the crucial part of the season. No doubt both would hold their own against York but against Paea, Anderson, Poore, Weyman we wouldn't get out of our own 40 metres.

Last season I wasn't convinced by his signing even before he left, but this year I think he's exactly the type of player who could do well for us. A combination of seeing how a lack of props dicked us and the drop down means I'd welcome him back.

I forgot to say before that I'd also failed to mention Jake Mullaney as an option as a half-back, whether or not someone like Chris Ulugia is a suitable full-back stand in if Jake covers the halves I don't know. One thing we aren't lacking is options but we are lacking another defined and experienced half... and maybe a prop.

And now I'm back with the original conundum again.

Interestingly, Clough, who is a prop but some Saints fans said he wasn't big enough is "officially" only 2kg heavier than Addy. While that doesn't point to much is a neat little bullet point for comparison.

All in all, Addy needs to slim down by about 10kg and become a proper half.

Then sign Sam Burgess.

Problem solved.

and Ferguson is 4kg heavier than Clough and a similar weight to the Lumberjack and the Tomahawk. I've done an Excel table of the squad and will post it sometime soon which has various bits of info such as total SL appearances, appearances last season, average gain, missed tackle ratio, age height weight. soon as I can fire up my ftp software I will put it up as an addition to the original post on the 2015 squad listing.

Yeah I could do all that but I'm in the park most evenings with my crew. Nerd.

It does point to quite a bit. Our front row isn't physically or numerically big enough, even accounting for good signings like Clough.

I agree that we could do with another bona fide prop really, and another halfback it we’re to be in an ideal world. We have a lot of backrowers (as usual).

Our lack of size has been a real handicap in recent seasons. As has been said, we may go alright versus Hunslet with only 2 or 3 props but at the end of the year we’ll have to step up significantly in quality and potentially be without some players due to injury. We struggled up front versus Widnes, Hull KR and Hull in 2014. I’d not like to see us go into games against the likes of them with only 2 bona fide front rowers and a bunch of converted backrows.

I didn’t realise Clough was so small. As far as I know he’s not exactly an Andy Platt or Corey Parker type of small prop who plays far above his weight either. He may be a good defender and make few mistakes, that's great - but we do need some lads who can take it out of the opposition. Davies looks promising but is unproven. Big Samir has the physique but apparently can go into his shell.

The half back position is an issue too. We look thin on the ground there. If we lost with Siejka or Gaskell we’d be struggling. A third halfback is a must.

Despite these reservations I remain fairly optimistic. We have a settled squad and staff and should be feeling more confident than we have for years.

He's a real trier Clough and I think it's fair to say he runs above his weight, but I wouldn't be too impressed if he was being called upon to 'lead' the pack. He's pretty good in the contact for his size but he won't be dominating the collision in attack or defence.

Agree. Back row, outside backs including stand off is comparable to anything in the bottom half of SL.
We're obviously dependent on Harry S but every side has a limited number of players who can go to 7. Hull have signed a bus load of scrum halves and HKR haven't got a 1, 6,7 or 9 as of right now.

If we were able to hold out own in the middle third, I reckon we could beat some of the lower SL sides. Right now it's quite a big 'if'.

When we signed Clough, I immediately considered him as a 2nd rower, not a prop.
In my mind I had our pack lining up like this:

Addy or Peterson at loose
Ferguson & Clough in 2nd row
Sidlow/Offerdahl/Tahraoui/Davies as props
AoB/Halafihi as hookers

And we would have had Fleming as back up or rotation prop, with Clough being able to move up to the front row if necessary as we have plenty of second rowers.

Offerdahl leaving means we're a prop short in my scenario, it's as simple as that.

If I were Jimmy, I'd be having a look round the SL sides to see if there were any big units from the reserves/U19s who fancied a season's loan with us.
Failing that, have a look at the reserve grades overseas or anyone available from the Championship.

I don't think we could afford Carvell, and I'd consider him a risky signing after that recent neck injury anyway?

Has Richard Moore's future been officially sorted? I'd take him in Offerdahl's place if not.

Even in rainbow lovey-dovey world of hippies where flowery bygones are bygones, surely to goodness no one can advocate trying to sign someone who walked out on us. That would be mind-bogglingly odd in my opinion.

Moore, I think, has joined Halifax

table with players vital stats now on 2015 squad thread original post, so you can chew over the options with a bit of background info however difficult it is to compare the different standards in the respective leagues each player was in last season.

Great work mate thanks for keeping this updated btw think Offerdahl needs deleting

thanks FA. I have put "Gone" as his alternate position, reading between the PR lines if he gets fit approaching the super 8s we would be interested if nobody else has been drafted in.

Moore is definitely off to Fax.

Interestingly it wasn't for much money from what I hear.

Anyone else been looking on the Mackay Cutters website to see who'll probably be replacing Offerdahl?!

I can understand your sentiments but try to understand the reasons Carvell walked away, he obviously realised all was not well with the club and was proven right.

Which is fine, walking out on the club was his call to make (a call he's got on speed-dial by the way). However, in my opinion you can't seriously then contemplate having another go at signing him. It would be absurd.

Paul Wood?

Mark Mexico...?

For your sake its to be hoped Whitehead, Bateman or Kopzac don`t hint they would like to return in the future. Whats absurd is you thinking that these guys are traiters because they saw bad times ahead and decided to look after themselves and their family and not our club.

How odd. I'm sure you're having an argument with yourself here as I've not once mentioned those other chaps, let alone used the word traitor. My comment is about Gareth Carvell and his respect for contracts. I have no issue about Bateman or Whitehead coming back, although that is highly improbable.

On Kopcak however, there was no call for him to leave in the way he did, especially on the eve of the Catalan game and the disruption that caused.