We now have 5 pre season games planned. Toronto, St Helens, Keighley, Sheffield and Halifax. This is an unprecedented number. Anyone other than me wondering why? Is cashflow a problem?

Also, is this wise from a playing point of view? 5 games. That's a heck of an injury risk for meaningless games. If we had a head coach would he agree to all these games?

Expect at least 3 of these games to be predominantly U19 games.

Chalmers said that there would be a large number of friendlies due to the number of new players and the need for them to gel.

5 games still seems excessive to me. Especially with both halfbacks coming back from injury. I'd say 3 would've been a better number. But I'm not a coach. Hang on....

We went from 4 preseason games, down to two. Now up to 5. So we are back to the original number plus 1 for the late start to the season. Lets have it! More rugby before the season! Besides. Gives us a few good tests. I can't see many of our lads getting injured against a U19's St Helens side. The other 4 will be good tests in their own right.

Edited for accuracy

Correct me if im wrong but at this moment we only have 23 players in our squad!!!

Correct.

The Coach who can bring in the most players cheaply will get the job, that's why Duffy is on the interviewing panel as he is the Clubs contracts Manger!

We also have a friendly against Dewsbury too I believe.

To save trawling through announcements and threads, can anyone give a quick list of confirmed games? I think there are six, as Dewsbury was also mentioned I believe

Halifax (H)
Sheffield (H)
St Helens (TBC)
Toronto (H)
Dewsbury (TBC)
Keighley (H)

Dewsbury confirmed a week ago.

[urlhttps://dewsburyrams.co.uk/2017/11/18/rams-announce-two-pre-season-games/[/url

4 home games you would assume is the end of that, or they wouldn't be selling that pass for all 4. They'd wait until they were all announced.

I genuinely missed that press release, cheers.

I think it's a great number.

Plenty of opportunity for everybody to get a run, plenty to test 19'S out against men. Plenty to test partnerships.
Match fitness.

Ideally we should building up in competition, finishing up with Keighley as a bench mark as theyre in our league.

...and plenty of games to pick up injuries in. Of course our massive, what is it, 21 man squad, gives us plenty of cover if the worst comes to the worst.

Yes, there is the odd advantage to be gained but the negatives far outweigh the positives imo. With our luck with injures I hope we've got the cavalry in reserve, waiting in the wings.

OK I've done the trawling that I hoped someone else would do



From what I can see online, so far it is:

Tuesday December 26th Halifax (H)
Sunday January 14th Sheffield (H)
Sunday January 21st Dewsbury (A)
Friday January 26th Toronto (H)
Sunday February 11th Keighley (H)

Not sure where St Helens fit in. Was this something to do with the Bentley deal? Because there's no mention of it anywhere, and since St Helens begin their SL season on February 2nd I don't see where it could fit unless it was on January 7th.

You can pick up an injury carrying a crate full of bottles and falling over as you get onto a coach in Skirlaugh too.

You're correct with the 5 you've mentioned.

I think the Saints game is one that's been rumoured as part of the Bentley deal, but never confirmed anywhere. Whereas for the Chisholm deal, Sheffield included in their press release that a friendly was part of the deal. Weekend of Jan 6/7 as you say is the only possible place. As I said previously though, I would think if it does happen then it's surely away, or why start selling the "pre-season ticket" thing and not include it?

Well I suppose the friendlies at our fortress Odsal will bring in some well needed money, (albeit it enough just to open the place on those days)

With respect to squad size, are people concerned because the squad is short or because we're used to having a ridiculously large squad in recent years with several underperforming or underused players? I think the latter might be playing a small part in this anxiety at the moment. I agree that we need more but realistically we're not far off are we? 24 senior players and 6 youth players should be more than enough to get us through the season and with all these pre season games it will give us more than enough chance to give pre season minutes to the inevitable late signings that we make. I don't think a squad of 23 is too far away from completion really. Does anyone have preference over where we need to strengthen, for example?

They are aiming for a squad of 30/31 with a few of the academy making up the last few squad places

My concern over the number of games is that it increases chances of getting injuries in games that don't matter. We might get a squad of 30/31 but despite that there are some players who, if they got an injury in pre-season, would be a massive loss. I'm thinking Chisholm, Keyes (both recovering anyway!) and Hallas. Why take the risk of so many games? I'd rather see us play 2 or 3 at a push. Even then I'd be wrapping up our playmakers in cotton wool.

Looking at the squad I think we're short in the following areas: Backrow, Wing, Fullback and Centres.

I also think we need another prop and maybe another halfback as any club worth it's salt would go into a season with 3 really. Competition for places and cover for injuries. We can't rely on Reiss Butterworth to cover halfback on his own.

Ideally we'd be recruiting some experienced hard ass forwards. A prop and a backrower. We need cover for Lee Smith who will not get through the season un-injured. Same applies to centre cover. We have Gibson and Oakes then nobody. Only two wingers and one that only has a handful of games to his name.

We're ok for hookers.

Can't argue with that Bullseye.

Oh the irony of that eh Sam!