Are they just taking the Mick now a one year contract for Donaldson. What are they thinking . We should be tying this kid up for as long as possible .

Think he will leave, seems like a huge smack in the face to me. Olbison got 2 yrs didnt he?

Donno has come back from 2 possible career ending injuries and is one of our most consistent performers and always gives his all, what more does he need to do in order to prove his worth, if he leaves and FC gets another Leeds old boy in i fear i have lost all respect for our "saviors"

I can understand the 1 year deal to be honest.

This is the first year in 3 that he's not had a serious injury. If in 1 years time he's still fit and his knees are still working, then i'd be happy us offering him 2+ years.

The biggest thing for the club at the minute is to make sure the players we retain don't spend 1/2 season on the treatment table. Donno has done well this year in that respect.

Completely agree with that. I think the 1 year offer will reflect Donno injury record and not his abilities. I just hope he sees it that way and signs on because we do need to keep as many bodies as we can as this season has shown. I think with a few more players we would have been able to rest players and probably won some of those games we have dropped late.

On a side note, it wasn't long ago most on here were calling for us to cut Donno or only offer him one year as he was such a gamble with his injuries....

I think it is a bit of a smack in the face for him, I'm sure they could have offered a year with a year option in the clubs favour, or what about a one year deal with a second year automatically kicking in after a certain number of appearances if its the injury issue?

Sounds like possibly a better option.

I can see why the club are cautious but similarly there isn't much out there if he decides to go elsewhere.

Is he really that special though? Serious question.

He's played a bit this year, and he tackles everything, which is obviously a positive.

He runs fast and hard, but never breaks a tackle, and I don't recall him ever passing the ball, either in the tackle or in open play.

Everyone seems to think that his position is a loose forward, but I think a player in this position needs to be able to unlock defenses and become an extra attacking spark. The closest player we have in this mold is Bateman.

I do think he has some potential, but he's got a long way to go.

We have previously stuck with the kid, so i don't think we are being that dishonest. We payed him his wage for 2 years whist injured, then offered him a contract when it seemed no other club was willing to touch him. I think pre-season was well underway this year before he was signed on.

Problem is, if we included a clause in his contract which says if he plays 20 games then he gets 2 years, his knee could go when he's played 21 games, and then he's out for a year, and might be a weaker player for it.

I'd be happy if he took the year, then improved next year to the point where FC feels he deserves a long term contract.

Especially, there isn't much of that quality and let's not forget - potential, out there.

He does seem keen to stay though, which is always a positive, so maybe he will give it another year. He is quoted as saying that he's had other offers, though obviously with his injury record they may not actually be ones he'd bite someone's hand off to take. For our sake let's hope so..

If it’s based on players not being able to play because of injury (or fear of injury) ALL our players would be on one year contracts or is it just “old” Bulls players being offered one year whilst the “new” Bulls players are in favour with FC.
Dunno, an “old” Bulls player, like JL and EW - FC clearing out the “old guard” to be replaced by ex team mates in their twilight playing years!!!

Smack in face for him. He's been for all year. If we're only offering him a one year deal because of his Injury situation then we could say the same for Bateman. Ridiculous to offer him just 1 year. He's been our most consistent performer now he's getting a decent run in the side. Can see him plying his trade elsewhere and it coming to bite us on the backside.

I think people are getting a little overboard on this.

Step back and look at the situation. Donaldson has had a poor injury record compared with Olbison. If he'd gotten through this year without picking up an injury, he'd likely have been offered a longer deal.

The reality of the Bulls situation is we're on half our Sky money again next year. So every contract has to be squeezed for everything it's worth. A long term deal for a player who might spend most of that time on the side lines is not a risk the club can afford to take. Which is most likely one of the reasons Langley hasn't been offered a new deal

And Diskin and Walker have?

Another reason one year deals would seem the way forward now - if we make the 12 for 2015 there will be players available from the two that didn't make it. Worth keeping in mind. Of course got to stay up first!

One year deals

Someone put me right if this isn't
[uBack Row/Loose forwards 2013[/u
Elliot Whitehead ---------Gone
Jamie Langley-------------Going
James Donaldson---------Maybe Going
John Bateman-------------Staying
Chev Walker---------------Staying
Tom Olbison---------------Staying
Danny Addy----------------Probably Going

You're correct I think bob, realising P&R is back next year and there is the real chance we could he relegated 1yr deals do make sense hope they explained that to donno though

Why not do what most clubs do and put in a clause that if we are relegated he can leave.

and selling season tickets.

I don't think it is a case of planning on getting relegated but the exact opposite. Making sure that if we don't, and there are 30 odd SL level players available at rock bottom prices, that we have plenty of leeway to pick some of them up, i.e. not too many players already contracted for 2015 and beyond.

I wouldn't class it as being fair on the players, either Donaldson or those who end up in relegated clubs, but we are in a position where we have to be pretty ruthless about these things.

There may be something in what you say though, I personally wouldn't take the risk of someone like Donno maybe getting a better offer. That said, his injury problems may be off-putting enough to scupper that.

There will be around 50 players out of a job after the end of next season though, and not for a second do I believe it will be just the players at the relegated clubs as the 1 to 17 players at both clubs will no doubt be better players than many 'squad' guys at the other clubs so , yes if we're still in, we need to look to that particular 'auction'.