I'm naively hoping there will be some reinforcements announced once the visa fiasco is sorted. To be fair to Cha-Lo we are only 10 games into the season, which should be just about long enough to see the short falls in the team. In my opinion I don't think we are that far off the mark. Some experienced pack members will make a massive difference to our team and maybe an average utility back to use as required.

I agree with Anita, just hope they seize the moment and act quickly and effectively to give us a fighting chance.

I'm also in this boat. Hoping there are some waiting in the wings that they haven't announced because they made that mistake with Phoenix and all it did was get people's hopes up for something that just isn't happening yet.

The only issue with it is that I was hoping those announcements would be due about 2 months ago when the visas were sorted. But every week we hear "the visas should be sorted soon" and then every week feck all happens.

You were moaning at the lack of signings, namely props.
I pointed out that we have just signed one only two weeks ago. From Hunslet. I'm not seeing many names of available props being mentioned on here. So no, obviously it is not ideal for us to be playing 18/19 year old kids every week, but I think it's pretty clear that there aren't that many available players out there right now.

You can read what you like into that quote from Beattie, but it certainly doesn't 'confirm' that he's frustrated and thinks we're p!ssing away our chances of staying up.

That simply isn't true - as another poster has already said, there are a number of ways that you can interpret Beattie's comments and it's more likely that he was sticking to his pay grade.

No, you can't read in what you like. Taken as a whole, the quote is crystal clear.

And, whether he's frustrated also isn't the point - though with respect, reading that, he plainly is - it is the glaring truth of what he said. And if despite what he said he doesn't think we're " p!ssing away our chances of staying up" then there's something wrong with him, because we are.

And btw, I don't buy into the "props don't exist" any more than I bought into "scrum halves don't exist". We got one within 10 seconds of a coach with contacts and knowledge arriving. It isn't up to random nutters on message boards to say who's available either. That is very often a "behind the scenes" thing that only insiders such as agents and close contacts know.

I would agree that we're hampered by the visa thing, but that makes life more difficult, not impossible.

Really? So, let me have your alternative fact interpretation of this quote:

How are we p!$$!ng away our chances? We're 3 wins off being safe with 19 games remaining.

I agree with that Anita, but the timing isn't open ended.

The 'kids' are being bashed about every week; the average (I know there are exceptions) 18, 19 or 20 year old forward isn't ready for constant, every week-end coming up against bigger, stronger, more experienced mature players. I'm speaking more for the pack members, though it applies, only marginally less, to other positions too. Some of these lads are good enough to eventually become top players but they need nurturing, encouraging and leading on, and not left fending for themselves, like they have been for the last couple of weeks. It's wrong on every level. Not only does it lead to possible disillusionment, the club owes a duty of care to these young people.

So first you broke the T&A article into three sections, commenting separately on each. Then when challenged about your interpretation of one of those quotes (in order to suit your own agenda), you throw a different quote back? Interesting debating technique.

For what it's worth, I agree wholeheartedly with Beattie when he says that kids can't compete with hardened Championship players. Anyone with a basic understanding of human physiology would say the same, regardless of any rugby league knowledge - to say or think otherwise would be ridiculous.

My comment was aimed at your belief that the owners are not communicating with Beattie. I don't believe (from the T&A quote) that you have proof of this.

From Shaw Cross

James hasn't played for Hunslet for some time.

Well, like against Halifax, for a start.



You think ending the season with +2 points is "safe"? What are you on? Even if it was, what margin for error are you using?

We must have different definitions of "safe".

Haha, my apologies. In some ways that only strengthens my argument in that it shows just how wide we are having to cast our net to find available players.

This isn't a debate and I don't have an agenda unless it is for the Bulls not to be relegated and not fold again. "Agenda"? How ridiculous. Have you been on the conspiracy sites or something?


But there are some who ridiculously think they can. As you see from other posts. Does that include the owners? I don't know. They don't say.


I don't have a "belief", I simply read one thing that Beattie was reported as having said, the import of which seems clear enough to me, but it isn't a matter of "belief". It worried me which is why I commented on it, but it is just one report in one newspaper. He might, just for instance, come out in the next few days and "clarify" what he meant. In the meantime I'm at liberty to comment on what he said, and I did.

As for "proof"? Are you mad? Come on then, [uhow[/u could anyone have "proof" of such a negative? Short of Bugging Beattie 24/7 for an extended period and listening for all conversations he may have with Cha-Low? Is that your suggestion?

I've got to say although I'm hardly a perennial optimist, I am disappointed about some of the panic stations reactions being expressed on these pages, especially as the next few weeks are going to get even tougher with little prospect of another 2 points for quite a while.
However, we only need to finish above Dewsbury and Swinton by the end of the season, remembering that the top 4 will have split off by then, in order to stay up.
Sure, we need some troops to return or get some new ones in.
Sure, we need Toovey's situation sorted.
Sure the announcement of Chisholm brings back memories of the Harris fiasco and was unhelpful.
Sure it would be nice to hear some reassuring words from Chalmers and Lowe.
BUT, now is the time to remain calm, weather the storm, and make sure we have the team ready to win the remaining "4 pointers" towards the end of the season when it really matters.
If we lose those, and go down, then yes I agree we're doomed - but for now let's remain behind the club and be grateful we still have a team to watch, however painful getting hammerings by the top 4 or 5 teams will be.

I am with FA on this.

The single quote of 'You'll have to ask the owners' may well have been intended to be throw away but the fact it came out at all does point to him being frustrated. Otherwise he'd surely have come out with a more diplomatic 'Cha-low are working on bolstering the side and obviously any opportunities will be assesed blah blah blah'

Also +2 isn't a realistic survival points total for me. I am not sure we need to panic just yet but seems there's a hint of complacency and hopefully getting dicked by Fev may just have shaken that?

We need more than 2 Points as it stands now, never mind other teams winning anymore games

Not sure where you'd getting +2 from.

We're on -2 now. The three wins the poster suggested would put us on +4 and (currently) 10th place. Which is what he clearly meant. I think he mistakenly worded it that this is all that was needed, when what he actually meant was 3 wins more than Swinton (as well as 2 more than Dews).

I think some have misinterpreted my post about being 6 points behind. I didn't mean once we caught up that's it job done. I meant in the next 19 games, we have to win 3 MORE games than Dewsbury & Swinton and we stay in this division. Considering we did that in the first 11 fixtures, it's very much game on. My point is lets not panic just because we've had a tough Easter against 2 good team.

I think it's more panic over not getting the likes of Murray back rather than the losing the two games. Short in the pack I didnt expect much out of easter, with a bit of luck we can get Murray back and once this weekend is out of the way maybe we can delve back to Leeds for Oledzki

Lilley, Oledzki & Hallas are all in Leeds' 19 for their cup game on Friday night. Kind of hope the first two have stinkers so that Leeds don't want to pick them again and are happy to send them back to us.

To be expected as Leeds have an easier game in the cup so would expect them to rest a few stars. Neither Lilley, Murray or Oledzki featured over Easter so hopefully we could see them back with us, though i think Oledzki will more likely DR with Fev sadly.

Remembering that we still play each of Swinton & Dewsbury twice more.

4 relegation "4-pointers" to look forwards to, at least. I don't know if I can manage the tension....

It is the opposite of panic. When you have evidence that the wheels are falling off, the best policy is to fix it, not carry on and ignore it.

I don't believe the wheels are falling off. If you remember the Keighley pre-season game we were in a similar position, then in came the loan players and we've done ok since then until the Fax game.
We always knew that if the loan players returned to their parent clubs and we got some injuries we'd struggle, and that's where we are now. I think everyone agrees that we need to either get some new players in or the loans back with us, which is precisely what those in charge did early season.
The next few fixtures are all going to be defeats - lets not get too worried about that.
We need to win the "4 pointers" against those around us later in the season and finish above Dewsbury and Swinton then job done. Let's not throw the towel in after 2 predictable defeats.