Howes said Bulls have a lot of irons in the fire at the minute, so we're likley to be looking at some of his players maybe.

I also think Sykes played 6 as an amateur, so it's not a position totally new to him.

look at solomona thread. i put up a list of players that howes represents. Theres not really many in it that would be off interest to us with exceptions of burrows,shenton and maybe fox.

I stand corrected.

But I think it tells its own tale that - having tried Sykes at 6 - London then decided to move him to another position and bring in someone better... McLinden perhaps (sorry if my memory is failing me)

It would hardly have opponents quaking with fear for us to have a No6 next season who was tried and replaced at London something like 7 or 8 years ago.

having checked my memory was playing tricks. paul covered at standoff for broncos a few times around time I said but he wasnt the regular standoff when all players were fit.

Tbh I quite like him there. he gives us some different kicking options and looks a lot less exposed defensively.

putting sykes at six would be a big mistake bcus he gives us nothing in defence or attack and don't know why we give him a new contract and deacs has been a legend but his time is up but personally i'd give hyde a chance at six or sign two quality half backs but who'd want to come to bradford at the moment and we better not sign ashley gibson because we've got crookes who's just as good and we don't want another leeds reject.

How depressing. Deacs and Sykes as our staring half back combo next year.

I wonder what we are going to spend this money we have on next year? I'm beginning to think that it going to be nothing.

"Irons in the fire" - positive spin to say we have noone signed yet and are struggling to sign anyone.

That was Howes who coined that phrase, Hood said:

'This rich seam of young talent will be complemented by the established senior players already under contract and the two NRL Grand Final winners Glenn Hall and Heath L'Estrange who will be here from Manly next year. And I would expect before too long to be making further announcements of further quality signings.'

Whether we'll agree with his idea of quality signings remains to be seen but it would appear we're fairly advanced if not completed our recruitment.

Vicious circle: sod all fans turn up, income drops, scope for quality signings reduces further.

If you were the club accountant, telling Hood how much he has available to spend on players next year, and looking at what has happened to gates this year...what would you be telling him? Remember that the club cannot borrow money so can only spend what it earns, and cannot spend more than that in the hope that more fans turn out. There are personal legal and financial implications for directors who do that.

All too true

I just hope its not as bad as some of us fear and that we do have some good news somewhere in our future regarding signings/OSV etc to give everyone a lift.

As for stand off, I've said it before and I'll say again, the success or failure of our recruitment this off season starts and ends with the half backs in my view. I've been a big fan of Deacon but he appears shot and its hard to find a reason for that to change next year, but he is captain and contracted and so the money is on him being our starting 7. Sykes is a good player who has done a fine job when playing at 6 and will do a decent job there. (As an asisde did he play a bit of 6 for us first time round in our academy before moving to FB or am I making that up???) BJ is going, and whilst Im not his biggest fan by some distance, he's a better option than deacs if paired with another good half and I'd like to think if we are letting him go we have an upgrade in mind to bring in.

But if Deacs/Sykes is our starting pair for 2010 it will be a worse position than we started this year in IMO and our prospects for the halfs bringing out the best in our backs (which is one of the reasons why our backs have not looked as good as they could this year IMO) will be just as bleak. No point even mentioning silverware prospects as we wont have any.

Ideally we need two new quality halfs, or failing that one outstanding half to complement Deacs or Sykes, assuming BJ is off. (outstanding could mean an outstanding prospect for me BTW not neccesarilly an established world class player like orford) I know we have financial concerns and need to recruit accordingly but we are offloading players like Morro, Solo, BJ, Newton which must represent a significant section of the cap, enough to still save some contingency money and still recruit a quality half, even if it means we go with more kids/lesser lights in other less pivotal positions, unless things are worse than people are letting on behind the scenes.

He made 13 appearances at stand off or scrum half out of 125 games for Londonquins.

A downward spiral is on the points you made but in reverse they are valid for impovement

You are stating this as a definite fact, along with your statement that Deacs WILL be captain next year. Just out of interest, is this just an over-stated opinion or do you have a source?

Personally I'd play Menzies there but, along with several other posters, I think it's pretty irrelevant without a new scrum half.

And to those saying that 'irons in the fire' isn't enough, the club has stated openly in the past that we only announce new signings once the season is dead. Those that are announced prior to that is only owing to the selling club releasing the info. At least wait until the squad for next year is finalised before slating the 2010 recruitment policy.....

Yeah it's just my opinion, but I'm pretty sure it will be very close to what actually happens.

From Morro's Blog



Does that mean BJ is done with for his Bulls career, and it's pretty certain that Sykes will be playing 6 next season? In my opinion yes it does.

I'm worried about this Kearney signing, I dont want to see some average Aussie come in and take the Jersey off of Dave Halley who has made the FB position his own this year. He should be rewarded and given the NO1 shirt, and first chance at making the position for his next year, but if we do sign Kearney, it's pretty certain he's going to be back on the wing in my books.

Bj's still recovering from ankle surgery .No point risking further injury by coming back to early.

tend to disagree. all reports about kearney have mad a point of mentioning hes played in halves in past. I see him coming in and taking deacons spot personally. or at the very least providing competition in the halves.

If you sign Gibson you will have the 2 most over rated players in SL in one team.

#

Why, will we have also signed Burrow & Sinfield?

Does anyone rate Gibson? I hadn't noticed!

Dreaming!

if the current information is correct then Wakefield Trinity's backline will look something like this next year:

1. Matt Blaymire
2. Damien Blanch
3. Daryl Millard
4. Ryan Atkins
5. Luke George
6. Ben Barba
7. Danny Brough

I'm looking forward to the day Brough leaves Wakefield (for whoever). It will show you lot just how you're not as incredibly important as you all seem to think you are.

calm down mate.....its only rugby!!!!! Players leave all the time, have no doubt the Brough will leave at some point, just dont see him coming to you when he has offers from Wigan and Hudds by all accounts!

I don't see him coming to us either. But every time someone mentions Brough, there's some Wakefield fan on here making out like he'll never leave as he's in love with John Kear and wouldn't ever want to be without him. It's all getting a bit tiring and I'm awaiting the day when reality kicks in and he buggers off for pastures new.

This isn't aimed at all the Wakey fans, as some are fine (and from what I've seen, you are one of the decent ones), but those who I do refer to are getting a little bit repetitive now.

Where on earth have you got the impression that Wakefield Trinity spectators and supporters think that the club is important to anybody other than themselves?

My comment isn't about whether Danny Brough would consider signing for Bradford it's about the fact that Danny Brough isn't leaving Wakefield.
Therefore whether you're from St Helen's, Warrington, Wigan, Huddersfield or anywhere else you are "Dreaming" when you name Brough as a potential signing.

Typo corrected