I thought I'd create a separate thread to keep the OOC one free from wild speculation.

The shopping lists are out:
[urlhttps://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/full-list-of-every-super-league-player-out-of-contract-at-end-of-2022/[/url

[urlhttps://www.zerotackle.com/rugby-league/players/off-contract-2022/by-position-2022/[/url

So. Who is in your letter to Rugby Santa?

... Jim Ratcliffe (Ineos), he lived in Hull for 8 years.

He'd be a good signing for the club but I wouldn't go to another game so I'd miss out on celebrating all the trophies he could buy.

I'm just assuming Trueman and Mellor have signed.

Bowden - Ellis Robson
Take a punt on Robson or a champ forward on an initial 12-month deal. If it works out great! we've got another forward on a cheap deal. It's not the end of the world if it doesn't work out. Burrell probably won’t be ready for another 2/3 seasons

JJ - Mellor
If he's signed, I hope it’s as a squad player, but we'll wait and see. Hopefully, he would be signed to cover injuries and bridge the gap until someone like Severs is ready.

Houghton - Jayden Berrell.
Berrell won the Q Cup player of the year last season. He's at the Sharks stuck behind 2/3 hookers. I'd like to see us go into the season with a new hooker plus Lovodua and Balmforth

Reynolds - Trueman
Plenty has been said about this. Would be an upgrade on what we currently have. 24/25, international honours already. A type of player we should be able to build a team around.

Shaul - Broadbent
Covers 1-5, good age with plenty of scope to improve. Rovers are sniffing around apparently. Would complement Wynne, Scott, Litten etc. Could set us up nicely when Swift/Carlos/Griffin eventually leave.

Ma'u - Benjamin Jullien.
Manu has been in fine form recently, however at 33/34 I’d be reluctant to re-sign him. He picks up his share of niggles too. Jullien is younger, a good line runner and looks to fit into the BH mould. Quicker/consistent/athletic. Would he swap the south of France for Hull? Probably not...

Gale - Lachlan Lam/Brandon Wakeham
Struggled to find any attainable SH. I'm not against the idea of Gale staying 1 more season, but we've been here before with aging half backs (Long & Dykes spring to mind). Take a punt on Lam. He's 24, can't quiet break into the Rooster first team, does well in NSW Cup, been linked to SL before. Or try and get an equivalent type of player... Brandon Wakeham with our Fiji connections?

Plenty of versatility & competition in this team. SL Champs 2023



Connor
Swift
Wynne
Carlos
Mcintosh

Trueman
Lam/Wakeham

Sao
Berrell
Evans
Lane
Savelio
Lovodua

Satae
Taylor
Griffin
Cator

Brown
Robson
Fash
Burrell
Mellor
Julien

McNamara
Hookem
Balmforth

Broadbent
Scott
Mitch
Litten
Walker

Don't see alot of movement, probably 5 out

Reynolds
Bowden
Johnstone
Shaul
Ma'u (I'd keep him, but don't think we will)

In
Truman
Mellor
Overseas player (I'd like a fullback)

Promote and upgrade top young players.

Wonder if the emergence of Wynne and Mitch at centre has cooled our interest in Mellor as Griffin can fill that backrow/centre role on the bench.

My reservations with Broadbent is Wynne covers the same positions plus I'd rather see Wynne given a long run plus we have Cam Scott and Mitch too.

Plus we have three decent backrowers about to come through from the u18s.

If we lose Ma'u then I'd be looking for another wide player though. Filling team places is one thing but winning trophies might need a bit more than that.

Severs and Jebson both look as though they could potentially make the step up but down to their lack of size and I wouldn't like the idea of going into 2023 with the pair of them at potentially 3/4 on the depth chart if Ma'u does go. Who is the 3rd player you mean?

They're both taller than Ma'u, so that's a step in the right direction.

They may be slightly taller but they will both be only around the 80kg mark, the good thing is they each have a great frame to put on some size.

...85kg and 92kg, so moving in the right direction.

No chance either of them has a playing weight of 92kgs, maybe they were at that before preseason or during it.

Having seen Jebson in action I can tell you he's about that weight. Both of them will fill out over the next year as the club gets them ready for first team duty.

The other backrower is Nick Stavely. He's really big.

Stavely is a unit, more of a prop style 13, he is getting interest from the NRL

Who's the Wigan player we are being linked to?

Hopefully Bevan French

It is.

French, Trueman, Connor would give us plenty of strike.

Don't get too excited though. Article says a move to a rival SL club seems unlikely. Canterbury and Parra both been linked to him too.

Matt Shaw pouring cold water all over the French rumour.

The flip side is JD gets more right than he does wrong.

Personally I can't see it happening. If I was him I'd feel like I owed Wigan something after how they were understanding with his family bereavement.

Saying that he won't be first choice full back at Wigan, I can't see him being first choice in the NRL either, unless Canterbury prefer French to Dufty.

If anyone hasn't seen it, this is what we're up against in the NRL... https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... ap-7037663

If anyone hasn't seen it, this is what we're up against in the NRL... https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... ap-7037663

Now we don't just have to worry if our youngsters are good enough for SL, we have to worry if they are good enough for the NRL.

Bevan French - as if

when i first read it i thought wow have the club finally realised we need a player with real pace,footwork and the ability to backup line breaks at full back then reality kicked in

HDM what you expect

Wonder if Manu & Kane could put in a good word with French