Indeed I'm sure the young ones would agree that the more beaver is around the better

Totally agree 12 months for beaver would do nicely
Give Morro 2 year deal and get rid of Solomona too injury prone to risk giving him a new contract.

Morrison is just as injury prone as Solomona, and arguably, when on form, he is a more skilful player than Morrison. Depending on both situations at the end of the season it should be a 1 year contract for none, either or even both depending on fitness.

Yes. Nice and simple.

Who are OOC at the end of the season, just out of interest?

Paul Sykes HOME GROWN
Semi Tadulala OVERSEAS TRAINED
Ben Jeffries OVERSEAS TRAINED
Terry Newton
Andy Lynch
Steve Menzies OVERSEAS TRAINED
Glenn Morrison OVERSEAS TRAINED
Matt Cook HOME GROWN
Dave Halley HOME GROWN
Matt James HOME GROWN
Julien Rinaldi OVERSEAS TRAINED
David Solomona OVERSEAS TRAINED
James Donaldson HOME GROWN
Duane Straugheir HOME GROWN

cribed from the squad detail thread and I've kept the quota implications on as thats going to be a consideration as to who we try to keep.

In order of Priority to resign:

Lynch
Menzies
Newton
Sykes
Halley
Rinaldi
Morrison
Jeffries
Solomona
Cook
James

Didn't include Donaldson and Straugheir because they're not really fully first team.

At least Sheriffe's OOC in 2010, I thought it was three years, it's only 2. Platt and Godwin are both 2011 and they are 2 which I wish were OOC at the end of this season.

You serious?

Lynch
Newton
Cook
Sykes
Menzies
Halley
Jeffries
Morriso
James
Rinaldi

Cook and James above Rinaldi? Menzies behind Sykes and Cook?

Rinaldi

Hell Yeah, Matt Cook is one of our most important players for the future, if we lose him then we will have lost a gem that will be hard to replace. Matt James is also a good player and important to our future, both of these 'homegrown' lads should be signed on long term deals and given priority over a short term average overseas player who is unlikley to improve much beyond his current ability.

Menzies.

Whilst I appreciate that Menzies is a very good player for us, Cook is more valuable long term and could very well turn out to be a superstar in his own rights. Menzies is short term, Cook will be around for a lot longer and will become a very good player, we need to prioritise him. Sykes is another long term player for us and whilst I don't think he is the best player his HG status is very valuable to us.

Many thanks Duckman.

Cook, BJ, Solomona and James to go then?

No problem ME.

For me, Solomona definately to go - no questions. If we get a more realiable replacement I would not be unhappy to see BJ go but then IMO we'd need two new HB's for next season and Im not sure how realistic that is and this season BJ has been more useful than deacon, takes up an overseas quota spot mind.

I'd keep Cook as I like his energy and I think there is improvement still in him. James probably has potential and like Cook his home grown status is important, but I've not seen how he's been going on loan to judge really so I'll trust the coaches on that call unless we get to see him in the first team for ourselves.

Rinialdi needs to be kept on for this season IMO as I've outlined elsewhere, but for next season that would depended on what happens with Newton and BJ or a new half.

A lot of this discussion depends on two aspects we're not privey to though. Which of these OOC players "want" to stay rather than look elsewhere - I'm thinking of Newton, Lynch and Halley mainly. And what other options in terms of replacements there might or (more importantly) [imight not be available[/i, so that if there are no wingers available anywhere for the right price but a glut of backrowers then resigning Semi and Halley would be the priority over the likes of Morrison and Cook.

As a basic principle of the way we need to restructure the playing staff long term I would prioritise any home grown youngsters with [iany [/iprospect of being first teamers over any other resinging/signing activity. We also need a class, consistant half back as a priority and if that means letting someone like Morrison/Solomona/Tadulala go to accomodate one under the cap then so be it. As with an effective half back pairing our lesser lights or up and coming kids in the backs (Crookes next year as starting ?) would look a hell of a lot better IMO.

Haven't we been saying this for the last 4 years though?

Yep.

Cook just does not look like he will ever fulfill his potential IMO.

Quite. If we lose Lynch, Newton, Tadulala, Sykes or Jeffries, we will need to sign a replacement to be able to maintain anything like the same standard, because we don't appear to have ready-made replacements on the books. If we lose Cook, we can cover the gap through several existing second-rowers who appear to be better options currently, and several others who - reputation suggests - are at least comparable prospects.

I [iquite[/i rate Cook, and would like to be able to re-sign a home-grown product, but for the reasons above, he'd be low down my list.

I'd like to think saints are interested in Lynch to replace Cayless.

Indeed, as will Cas, Leeds, Wigan... Lynch would not be short of offers if he were to be available and would get into any side in SL. Which is why he needs to be, and I suspect he is, our priority for resigning. Im sure the club are trying but it might not be completely in our control.

don't know about others but according to this weeks league express morrison has come off non-federation trained quota and is now classed as federation trained under the amended quota rules. would assume this also applies to semi,bj,nero and solomona too.

Possibly so, Im not sure TBH. either way I dont think we'll have too much trouble with the overseas bit of the quota rules with so many we currently have ooc and the rules seemingly being made flexible when needed.

Of more concern maybe is the rule that requires 6 home grown players this year in the first team squad and 7 in 2010 and 8 in 2011, so we need quality not just numbers/potential made up by kids in this part of the quota which is why we'll probably look to resign Sykes/Halley/Cook as current first teamers who are home grown who along with Langley, Deacon, Burgess, Crookes, Kopczak and Whitehead would fulfill this criteria.

Can anyone remember where the quota rules are/were posted on here??- Im sure they were at some point because I wont claim my understanding to be 100% correct.

Overall, looking at the out of contract players (here and at other clubs), what I would like to see happen is something like below. I don't think any of it is sheer fantasy, but it's highly unlikely that much of it would occur.

As a matter of urgency, re-sign Donaldson, Halley, Lynch, one of Morrison / Menzies, Newton, Sykes & Tadulala.

Release Solomona, one of Morrison / Menzies, and probably Matt James. If Deacon cannot regain form & fitness, I would also like to see him retire before things get too embarrassing - would we be able to sweeten the pill by a testimonial match like the one organised for Robbie?

Looking at the list of other SL clubs' OOC players, I can't really see anyone who would provide the boost needed at half-back, so I presume that we would need to look to Oz. I don't see enough NRL, so will leave it to others to supply the specific names. The only one seriously mooted - Finch - sounds like a reasonable option.

From the SL list, I would be very interested in Chris Bridge for half-back cover, but perhaps to play initially in the centre, where I believe he is doing very well for Warrington at the moment. Also provides a kicking option, but not sure that wounds have healed (on either side) from his first Bulls stint!

I would of course be interested in Lee Smith, but it's known that Union clubs are, and I'm sure so would other SL clubs.

If he wanted to return North (no reason to believe he would!), I wonder if Danny Orr would do a job for a season or so. Alternatively, re-sign Jeffries.

From there, it would be good to make appropriate offers to Cook, Rinaldi & Straugheir.

If it could happen, it should be affordable, give a better-balanced side (without being too reliant on a few star names), provide competition and reasonable back up, still allow space for younger players to come through, and decrease reliance on overseas players slightly.

It would apply to Semi, Jefferies, Solo and Morrison but not Nero as he isn't in the last year of his contract.

thought it was to do with when they signed contract ( before feb2007?) but presumably nero would be able to apply for it next year?. still confused by it all. Does it mean morrison counts on overseas quota but is federation trained or doesnt he count on overseas quota at all now hes classed as federation trained. Would certainly be useful as I'd imagine we/d be unlikely to not re-sign morrison unless we were desperate for his quota spot. And its only going to affect overseas quotas for a year or two as most of the players affected are nearing retirement.

Real no brainer this one. Yes, yes yes. Our best player, would be silly to let him go.

Although Rinaldi was overseas trained, he cannot be counted on the quota as he is an EU national.