Strange reporting from Total Rugby League. I am non the wiser after reading it twice:
"LEIGH LEOPARDS now have one quota spot open following the exit of Ben Nakubuwai.
League Express can reveal that the Fijian prop will be with the Leopards in 2024 after making 22 appearances for the club in two years since his move ahead of the 2022 Championship campaign.
In that time, Nakubuwai scored two tries and earned a reputation for himself as a barnstorming prop.
There had been question marks concerning Nakubuwai’s future with the 27-year-old out of contract at the end of the 2023 Super League season.
That brings Leigh’s quota to seven with Tom Amone, John Asiata, Edwin Ipape, Ricky Leutele, Matt Moylan and Kai O’Donnell joining Nakubuwai at the Leigh Sports Village for 2024."
Well, clearly the so-called reporter and the editor didn't read it twice because if they had then the article would not have been printed in this form. Yes, poor reporting and non-existent proof reading. Shoddy work!
I have no agenda against Big Ben at all but I think the signs for him being kept on for next season are not looking good.
Firstly, our beloved leader DB has pronounced in his recent club interview that an additional overseas signing is in the bag - subject to visa clearance.
Secondly, that source of the ultimate truth when it comes to pronouncements on Leigh signings, Yorkshire Live, say that we are in for Sailor - subject to visa clearance (I'm fed up of writing this provision already) and that Big Ben is the identified overseas player to give way/not be kept on.
Thirdly, I think Ben's position has been under threat ever since we made so many British forward signings post-season.
It doesn't look good.
For anybody reading this I would now go out and place a good slice of their hard cash on the best odds possible that Ben will indeed be retained for next season. What do I know!
Personally, I think 6foot 4ins 17stone Big Ben is an excellent forward who gets through a lot of unsung forward work. I hope we keep him on as we need to rotate our forwards a lot more this season so they don't burn out for the run-in as they did last season. He's also a smashing bloke and Edwin's housemate. All good teams are built on a big squad of big forwards.
Mulhern and Amone are two of the best Props in Super League. The best you can say about Big Ben, was that he was honest and hard-working. When Mulhern and Amone are rested, the tempo should not drop. Norman is no worse than Big Ben and there is a belief that Trout will bridge the gap. If Mulhern and Amone play less minutes next season you know that Trout and Norman are doing their job. Last year saw periods of the game with only one prop on the field. Hughes and Halton are tall, but they are not built to be battering rams.
As I said previously I have no gripe at all with Big Ben however the club cannot be sentimental on big decisions, even when one such decision relates to Edwin's housemate.
I'll just put it out there - is our greater need for a quality back or the retention of a workhorse prop?
I'll just add that Ben was never a starting prop in the eyes of Lammy and despite the obvious wear and tear on Amone and Mulhern, Ben never played big minutes in games. He's a bit of a luxury.
We stopped being an effective team at the end of last season because injuries deprived us of our first choice backline and the replacements were, and again this evaluation may seem harsh, simply not good enough at that level. In a nutshell we were short of SL quality backs.
Would I have a problem with Ben being retained next season, not at all, but I would be worried about a lack of quality cover in the backline - that area is to me where we are short.
If I am right then unfortunately Ben won't be with us next season.
Joined: Jul 25 2015 Posts: 3382 Location: Here (But Only for the Beer)
Seem to recall that Ben was announced the same week as Fergy. We all know which of them made the biggest impact.
Pretty sure Edwin knows his way round the kichen now too so, yes, thanks for the hard onfield work and the cheese souffles and we wish you well, Ben, in your future endeavours.
I thought Edwin had his family with him now, so would have thought he would be with them.Maybe Ben is a lodger at Edwins place at the moment until he sorts his contract situation out. Could follow Joe to Salford. Sailors visa issue may now be sorted, so we let Mellor go now.
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