Sure you did'nt mis-hear someone talking about training at bev westwood?

Tickle and Burnett starting, Manu doing 2 spells replacing one of them one time and the other the other time.

sorry meg!!! No need to doubt my tingly source though!

Think he's been on the source, tell you not a chance

Sounds like we are going to have a virtually new pack next season.(which we need)

Damn right we need to change our pack !! So Thackray, King and Tickle to leave ??? Does that seeem to be somewhere near the mark ???

Heard that the club are trying to get rid of King, it seems unlikely that Thackray will get another contract and now Tickle to Wire ??


Anymore forwards ?? Hopefully we will find enough money for two big no-nonsense forwards to replace them !! (aswell as Lauaki)

I reckon only 1 more forward to come in (hopefully a big prop), turner who I reckon will play in the centres (although I'd rather play Briscoe there) and either a utility back or a specialist FB depending on what he's planning for tansey

Just one forward isn't enough for me. We have one of the weakest packs in SL with almost zero go-forward. This will not be sufficiently addressed with just one more forward if we want to be challenging for the top spots of SL.

Although it's a decent start.

The signs from rule would indicate there aren't anymore props coming in, although if said people move it would surely have to be addressed!

No more props coming in would be a total joke !!!!

I haven't got a clue about the quota spots though. Am I right in thinking that we have two more quota spots available as long as Lauaki is "Tongan" ??? and where do we stand with the "Kolpak" spots ???

Is it one Kolpak player allowed but Manu will not count ???

One more overseas player kolpak or otherwise.

Your allowed 6 overseas players in total but in that number you cannot exceed 5 quota players. Currently we have 5 overseas players signed up(4 of them been quota), so we have the option to sign one overseas player, Kolpak or Quota.

As for Manu not counting, thats a subject someone will have to bring up on propaganda hour, we announced his signing on 3rd Feb but if his actual contract signing was before 1st Feb he can apply to become a fed player next season. Until we know otherwise i'd assume he classes as an overseas player.

you can have 6 non fed players next year, with a maximum of 5 being the old style quota players

But i believe you are right that Manu is now classed as federation trained and wont be a kolpak as such

Stupid cop-out rule. We spend years gearing up for the reducing quotas and making sure the homegrown players are coming through and the RFL at the 11th hour basically give everyone dispensation for another couple of years.

Its a stupid ruling. If your not born in Britain or Ireland then your classed as an overseas player. Hopefully they will keep reducing the number of overseas players too.

Wrong, you can bring over a young aussie with potential, as long as he plays for at a British club for 3 years before he's 21 he can be classed as a federation player.

All will come good in a few years time when the overseas quota is down to 5 and those who have used the Stanley Gene ruling will have retired.

As long as they don't make some of our "homegrown" players take English speaking lessons we might be OK!

I wasn't saying that was the ruling. Its what I think the rule should be.

Again Raynor to Bradford and Leeds interested in Yeaman and Hull may be prepared to let him go.

A load of tosh maybe but as 99% of this thread is made up of the same I thought i'd share.

I would be really dissapointed if Tickle left. I know he's no superstar but imo he's one of the best forwards at the club and an excellent goal kicker too. He's one of the few players that runs good lines, his defence is solid and he bags a few trys from time to time. Do we need to re-shuffle our pack? Yes. However getting rid of our best forwards is not the way to go about things. King looks past his best for me, he tries hard and he's got a lot of aggression (something our players lack) but he's not half the player he used to be. Radford is a very average player, makes very few metres and never offloads. He doesnt lead the team like a captain should and again his best years are behind him - get rid. Manu - beast (enough said), Thackray - offers us some impact off the bench and makes good metres however he needs to be more consistant - still has to prove his worth. Dowes - not good enough imo, yes he works hard but our wingers make more metres than him and again he never offloads or break tackles - get rid (although we won't).
So to summarise...
Keep:
Tickle, Manu, Burnett (obviously), Cusack (already signed)

Get rid:
King, Radford, Dowes

Coming in:
Fitzgibbon, Lauaki

Sign:
2 big rough props

As for Sam Moa - Havent seen enough off him, if he can shapen up and condition himself properly - Keep.

1st one not a chance

2nd again be very suprised plus Yeamo due a testimonial next year i think

Tickle shouldn't go. He is one of our only forwards who are capable of an offload.

Dowes - King - Radford
Berrigan - Houghton
Cusack - Lauaki - Maloney
Fitzgibbon - Burnett
Tickle - Manu
Washbrook - Whiting

That would be the forwards for me next season. Although if we can get players in to replace King or Radford, then we should do so.

Tickle shouldn't go. He is one of our only forwards who are capable of an offload.

Dowes - King - Radford
Berrigan - Houghton
Cusack - Lauaki - Maloney
Fitzgibbon - Burnett
Tickle - Manu
Washbrook - Whiting

That seems a little top heavy in forwards with 14 of the 25man squad only leaving 11 to fill all the backs posistions

I too would be gutted to see Ticks go, however can understand his dilema as he has 4 young children and his missus probally founfd it difficult to settle down here away from family

Not hving ago at the club here but do you think they do enough regarding helping players settle in new surrondings

Take Ticks for example must be hard moving to a new city with the kids as it's not as if you have family and friends you could leave them with

Tickle - I agree, the type of player we need at the club. Even on a poor day he's one of our top forwards.

King - Seems to have lost some confidence. I'm 50/50 on him at the minute.

Radford - He's a players player but predictive IMO and we need more.

Thackray - Great runner and can lift the team but he simply lacks the size to get us on a roll. Either look at replacing him or possibly the option of moving him back to Second Row where he started out.

Dowes / Cusack - Both the same player, Dowes lacks size and Cusack takes up a quota spot. One should go but for me that would depend on who we could bring in.