Streetboy - if you are the Tim Street who is the author of that piece can I point out to you that this Saturday is not our last home game. We have Saints at the Stoop on Sept 10th.

Your squad seems to be shaping up quite nicely for next year, certainly your 1, 6 and 7 partnership will do very well for you if they can all gel. Kaufusi is a great signing IMO, he's a battering ram to say the least. Dan Sarginson seems to be playing out of his skin whenever I've seen you play.

However, looking at the squad listed at the top of the page you may really struggle for depth if you pick up a couple of knocks, I don't know a few of the names on the list so couldn't comment on them but outside of your 'senior' players' there doesn't seem to be much talent.

With the squad you have assembled I see no reason why you shouldn't be on the fringe of the play off's providing everybody is firing and you can keep them fit. I hope you do, a strong Harlequins (or whatever you may be called!) is only a good thing for English RL.

I think there will be a good couple more purchases/promotions to senior squad.

Rob Powell etc have stated that lack of depth has been one of the major issues with this season. We're aiming to have a far larger squad to pick from, so that we aren't reliant on loan signings.

The "Signings/Rumours" thread on VT has a team made up entirely of OOC players for next season....I would try and snap up a couple of them -

Jon Clarke - we need a proper hooker
Andy Coley - decent prop
Ewan Dowes - decent hardworking prop
Chev Walker - centre...could be a good buy if he can avoid broken bones!

All are English...so off Quota, would be interesting to see if they'd be interested in living in a big city like London!

Do you mean the Jon Clarke who learnt his trade as a Bronco at Charlton then went on to make a name for himself at Warrington? I thought he was a good player but the club didn't - hence another player who made a name for themself after leaving us.

Out of those 4, I would only bother with Coley, who would be a good aquisition.

He made quite a name for himself at Wigan before joining the Broncos. Then he had a bit of a legal issue to deal with and, on release from Her Majesty's accommodation, probably thought it wise to get a few hundred miles away from his former haunts for a time.

He was an OK hooker but I wouldn't want to sign him now.

Oh Dear I agree with Lister

There are other players OOC too....just mentioned those 4 as players in the positions we need to stregthen.

Be interesting to see where they end up....or if they just renew their current contracts.

Agree of my original list, Coley would be my main target.

Be interested to hear views on which of the two you would take on out of:

Jon Clarke V Julien Rinaldi
Andy Coley V Michael Korkidas
Ewan Dowes V Matt Cook
Chev Walker V Liam Colbon

I also think Powell is too general when he says about Northerners wanting to go back home. I'd say that is true when a player is 23 years old or younger and with a girlfriend/wife, close family & maybe a baby in the North. You can evidence this with guys like Chris Riley, Paul Sykes, Kevin Penny, Luke Gale, Matt James etc.

But the guys over 25 with a partner in London will likely only want a good secure contract - players like Purdo, Jon Wells etc were happy to stay for long periods and even Olly and Andy would no doubt have taken the deals offered to Randall and our hero Rodney Trotter.

It is also far easier to retain staff if you are a credible guy yourself and that the team mates are of a decent standard.

I have been sour for many weeks but I genuinely feel we have a decent 13 for next season. 4 more reasonable signings will give an experienced 17. I don't think the other 4 signings will necessarily be better than our youngsters but at least we get a choice as to when we field them.

No offence to anyone but it has been awful to watch Jamie O'Callaghan get pitched in to the first team every week when he was years away from being ready - this shouldn't happen again. Equally I don't really want to see a Dave Williams situation - he came through with Clubby, but Clubby has been in the first team since March 2006 and Dave has only played about 16 or 17 games in all that time. He should have gone full time years ago or been released. It will be hard for him at the age of 24 or so to suddenly play each week, he's been knocking about as an over age player in the under 20s for an eternity.

Cheers
Mark

Jon Clarke V Julien Rinaldi. NEITHER, but Rinaldi if one is compulsory
Andy Coley V Michael Korkidas. Coley
Ewan Dowes V Matt Cook. Cook (but based on little evidence)
Chev Walker V Liam Colbon. Colbon - Don't know much about him but I'm afraid Walker's all washed up through injury.

Oops, honest mistake mate, apologies.

A very well written article none-the-less Streetboy, thank you and well done

are in the first steps of getting our English passports."

(No such things though Chad. If you emerge from the process successfully, you'll find that you have British passports.)

Presumably this would make him off-quota?

Chad would remain a Quota player until such time he both submits his passport to the RFL and gains the exemptions; after a successful review he will be off quota. It is not an automatic process - he must apply.

If he doesn't even know it is a British passport he should be disqualified

Quote ="jbuzza"If he doesn't even know it is a British passport he should be disqualified '" He does say that they have to pass a "Life in the UK" test, which he reckons many British people would struggle with. lifeintheuktest.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/

Quote ="jbuzza"If he doesn't even know it is a British passport he should be disqualified '" He does say that they have to pass a "Life in the UK" test, which he reckons many British people would struggle with. lifeintheuktest.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/

Bloody hell.....some of the things they ask I reckon 95% of normal Brits would struggle to answer.

Don't think Coley is an option, unless something has changed:

[urlhttp://viewtopic.php?f=28&t=505542[/url

If there are three injuries or more to the top 17/18. Is there strength in depth with that squad?

Andy Coley is retiring to continue as a Quantity Surveyor. Listen to the BBC Manchester podcast, Rugby League Extra, from last Thursday. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0 ... aun_McRae/

Andy Coley is retiring to continue as a Quantity Surveyor. Listen to the BBC Manchester podcast, Rugby League Extra, from last Thursday. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0 ... aun_McRae/

I suspect if he becomes a UK national the club applies to the RFL for an "exemption" with the appropriate paperwork and the RFL say yes pretty darn quick.

Updated with Hickey

I thought Michael Worrincey was coming back, has this idea crashed?

We can only hope so.

Quote ="poplar panther"I thought Michael Worrincey was coming back, has this idea crashed?'" That was only ever a figment of somebody's imagination on Wikipedia. FWIW, it's still there: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Worrincy EDIT: Oh no it isn't The comment that Worrincy will be coming back here has been taken out of the Wikipedia page since I provided the link a few hours ago. Some Wikipedia editor has been reading this thread.

Quote ="poplar panther"I thought Michael Worrincey was coming back, has this idea crashed?'" That was only ever a figment of somebody's imagination on Wikipedia. FWIW, it's still there: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Worrincy EDIT: Oh no it isn't The comment that Worrincy will be coming back here has been taken out of the Wikipedia page since I provided the link a few hours ago. Some Wikipedia editor has been reading this thread.