I'd imagine Warrington would have our entire front row but signing any of them would cost them a lot of £££'s currently

Would it though? Most players are out of contract at the end of the year so I can't see the fee being big. Really hope we don't let anyone go. I think some Leigh fans would be very upset with us only having a small squad as it is. 2 props needed soon.

thats exactly why i cant see us selling anyone who we want to keep.. we are working around the clock to add players not release top level ones

Yes it wouldn't make any sense letting anyone go unless they demanded it and downed tools which I can't see any of this squad doing. We look to have a tight knit group here and I really hope they get us over the line. I asked Derek about Asiata the other month as me and my dad were arguing, as I said he was on 2 years but my dad said 1. Turns out he's on 1 but if we get promoted it gets upgraded for another year. I wonder how many more are on that deal.

I would not be surprised if we had a number of players on contacts that are two years, but either party can walk away from if we are not in Super League next season.

Of course, in Super League we would be limited to 7 overseas players, so that restricts us somewhat in which players we can keep if we do get promoted.

How many overseas players have we got on the books? Some of them seem to have links to the UK.

Pass. I really don't know.

Of the En-Zed contingent (5):

Aekins is supposedly of Welsh descent though how many generations.....?
Iaone is Non-Fed.
Hingano ditto.
Inu ditto.
Bell is a Scots international but not on our books.

Aussies (5):

Hitchcox is Non-Fed.
Stone is a Maltese international - not sure how that works.
Amone is Non-Fed.
Asiata ditto.
O'Donnell ditto.

PNG's (2):

MacDonald, errm, sure Bongser read of some Scots blood on the spear side, though can't find it now.
Ipape is Non-Fed.

All this could be eyewash, Bongser needs sleep.

Brisbane born O’Donnell, 23, is a British passport holder with family links on his mother’s side from Ashington in the North-East.
Aekins mother is Welsh
So that is 2 less on the Non-Fed list
Meaning a possible 8

Why ask the question if you work for The Home Office? Any news on MacDonald?

Could someone explain the Kolpak rule & is it PNG or more countries that qualify under that rule to be exempt please ?

Hi Ste. Following Brexit, pretty sure Kolpak doesn't apply to the UK.

I think since 2019 it’s a straight up 7 non British, no caveats. But only in super league for some reason.

All I know is that regardless of the rules, if I come back, I’m too old and crap to play? but will drink a beer with the best of them and cheers the boys on.
Seriously though, I think we have put in place (and when I say we I mean Derek) a structure and future that will stand the club in good stead. The teaming of Chester, Lam must be the envy of many, including SL.

I thought that O'Donnell had a very good debut today, particularly given the fact that he had only just flown half way across the world earlier in the week and had only a couple of practice sessions with his new team mates. He ran strongly and was a threat. He also tackled hard, very hard.
He looks very useful.

A truly magnificent tache. Seriously this guy put a shift in.

Very good debut
Sidlow looked bad though didn’t even come on pitch at the end that’s a worry

Yes, it is a potential worry. He did his fist stint (and, i think, only stint in the game) and came off at the end of that and didn't return. It looked at the time that it was a planned interchange rather than as a result of injury. If memory serves me correctly, he didn't come back. O'Donnell was possibly the interchange with Sidlow and he went on to do a very lengthy stint on debut.
It could be the case that Sidlow is being rested, the game was safe by the time in the second half he might have otherwise have been expected to come back on. It could be that O'Donnell was having such a good run out that Lam felt it was more beneficial to keep him on and Sidlow could then be kept wrapped in cotton wool.
For me, he (Sidlow) is a prize asset particularly given that he was one of only two uninjured props that we had going in to the game.
Dick, you say that he wasn't there on the pitch at the end of the game and I must say that I did not notice that. However, I saw that he was with the replacements for most of the second half and I noticed that he was standing for a good part of that half. If he is injured then perhaps it is no more than a niggle. I certainly hope that, if he is injured, that it is not serious. We need him fit and firing every week until at least either or both Ioane and Green are back. As everyone on this forum knows, we are really short of front rowers at the moment even when (if ever) they are all fit.
Derek, Chester and Lam know the situation. However I, for one, am confident that this shortage is likely to be addressed before the end of the season if and when the right prop comes available. I appreciate that O'Donnell is a second rower but his signing clearly demonstrates that the club, behind the scenes and without press speculation, are constantly scanning the available talent down under and that when the right man becomes available that they are then straight in for him.
For the moment it will be a case of make do and mend, probably with temporary loan signings from Saints or Wigan.
But, going back to your original point, I agree that if Sidlow is injured that it is a worry, in fact a huge worry, in more ways than one.

He walked off quite gingerly I thought it was thigh or hip that was bothering him and he was stood up in dug out at the end shaking hands etc so might not be too bad I hope .
He has been great in all of the games so far

Crackin Cumbria derby on premier.
Said in commentary Ford signed for fev, how many half backs do they want

If Leigh don't get a top quality class halfback, Fev will be in the driving seat. I'm sure of that.

We have them

No we haven't.

Anyone else notice that 'Haven's stand-in No9 (No24) revelled in the name of "Hookem"?

Very convincing today. Not really tested but finished well.