Joined: May 26 2007 Posts: 3486 Location: Still waiting for the title
Head Coach: James Lowes 2009 Assistant Coach: Nigel Wright 2009 2. Paul Johnson 2009 6. Lee Briers home grown 2009 8. Adrian Morley 2009 with option for 2010 10. Paul Rauhihi Overseas Quota 2009 11. Louis Anderson Overseas Trained 2009 13. Vinnie Anderson Overseas Trained 2009 15. Paul Wood home grown 2009
17. Steve Pickersgill home grown 2009 18. Mike Cooper home grown 2009
20. Simon Grix 2009 21. Matty Blythe home grown 2009
23. Chris Hicks Overseas Quota 2009
25. Chris Bridge 2009 TBA. Adam Neal home grown 2009
The ones in Bold as far as i'm concerned...And i'd like to add King and Monaghan to the list if possible..
Joined: Jun 29 2007 Posts: 12189 Location: where ever i am
Dawson wrote:I would keep Bridge, Neal (no idea if he is any good), Hicks, Cooper, Wood, Morley.
Unsure about the Andersons, I am really dissapointed how poor Vinnie has been compared to his time at St Helens. But that may be because of injuries or because Saints are a lot better and made him look better
Vinnie anderson was great in his first season for us, then went down hill, seems he kept on going
Its all a bit reminiscent of Cullen taking over in late 2002 and inheriting a lot of players who he had to find ways to get rid of over time...O'Reilly, Laughton, Crouthers, Sturm etc.
I reckon time will be up for Johnson, Briers, Rauhihi, Vinnie Anderson and Bridge. Jury's out on Louis Anderson. It also seems clear that Gleeson and Monaghan want to be granted releases to the NRL, perhaps King as well. It wouldn't surprise me if Reardon's continuing injuries see some arrangement struck for his departure.
If all those players move on then we've got a lot of salary space freed up for some serious recruitment - and I think Smith will make sure we aren't held to ransom by excessive demands like we have been in the past.
There's a decent core of players with which to move forwards in the pack: Front row: Morley, Carvell, Wood, Cooper, Pickersgill, Neal
Hookers: Clarke, Higham
Back row: Westwood, Harrison, Blythe, Mitchell, Grix
Only one or two experienced additions are needed there.
I think its important that we stand by Riley and Penny as we are short of outside backs for the future and they are important. I also think Hicks is worthy of a new deal. But we need to get some quality threequarters in, three or four.
And two new halfbacks are needed - more than likely we need to look at the NRL.
We are obviously dependent on who is available for 2010 and who isn't....we might have to keep on a couple of players that we don't want to simply because we need to fill a position. It's going to be a difficult task but there could be lots of opportunities, and importantly now we have a respected coach in Tony Smith at the helm, we are going to be able to attract the right kind of player.
Joined: Aug 06 2003 Posts: 5952 Location: Edinburgh
sally cinnamon wrote:Its all a bit reminiscent of Cullen taking over in late 2002 and inheriting a lot of players who he had to find ways to get rid of over time...O'Reilly, Laughton, Crouthers, Sturm etc.
I reckon time will be up for Johnson, Briers, Rauhihi, Vinnie Anderson and Bridge. Jury's out on Louis Anderson. It also seems clear that Gleeson and Monaghan want to be granted releases to the NRL, perhaps King as well. It wouldn't surprise me if Reardon's continuing injuries see some arrangement struck for his departure.
If all those players move on then we've got a lot of salary space freed up for some serious recruitment - and I think Smith will make sure we aren't held to ransom by excessive demands like we have been in the past.
There's a decent core of players with which to move forwards in the pack: Front row: Morley, Carvell, Wood, Cooper, Pickersgill, Neal Hookers: Clarke, Higham Back row: Westwood, Harrison, Blythe, Mitchell, Grix
Only one or two experienced additions are needed there.
I think its important that we stand by Riley and Penny as we are short of outside backs for the future and they are important. I also think Hicks is worthy of a new deal. But we need to get some quality threequarters in, three or four.
And two new halfbacks are needed - more than likely we need to look at the NRL.
We are obviously dependent on who is available for 2010 and who isn't....we might have to keep on a couple of players that we don't want to simply because we need to fill a position. It's going to be a difficult task but there could be lots of opportunities, and importantly now we have a respected coach in Tony Smith at the helm, we are going to be able to attract the right kind of player.
I agree with much of the post, but the bit in bold is what worries me most.
Our last 2 halves have been from the NRL, and they don't always transfer their game that well to the SL - I'm not gonna get into the debate of whether they are 7's or 9's.
One thing that is clear, just signing players who do well in the NRL isn;t a guarantee that they will do well here. We need to be cleverer in our recruitment and sign players who play in the style we want. They may be lesser names, but suit SL's and ours style better (like Grose for example). I trust Smith on this one though.
Matt Orford turns 30 and is out of contract this year.
Just a point to throw in there.
We're the first ones to starve, we're the first ones to die The first ones in line for that pie-in-the-sky And we're always the last when the cream is shared out For the worker is working when the fat cat's about
I wouldn't mind us going for Michael Witt at the NZ Warriors. He's one of the players whos not a big name but has been a cult hero at all his clubs because he's a 100%er, and he has the Nat Wood thing about him in that he can suddenly pull something off that lifts the team when its a dead game. Also he would be without a doubt the best goalkicker in Super League. He seems to have been around the NRL for a while but he's only just turned 25.
Brian Smith brought him through the ranks at Parra so Tony can always canvas his opinion. In fact the Brian Smith connection will be good because he's still coaching in the NRL, so Tony can get an up to date opinion on any of the signings he's considering, to see whether they are still the business or starting to go on the decline.
Most of the players who Tony Smith has brought over from the NRL have been pretty successful in SL. He brought Brandon Costin over to Hudds, plus Andrew Frew, David Atkins, Troy Stone they were all good especially Costin. He also brought Graham Appo over here, our last Super League 'Dream Team' stand off! Anthony Colella started pretty well but then had a career ending injury.
At Leeds he signed Lauitiiti, Donald, Webb and Kylie Leuluai, they were all good.
The ones who didn't really make it were Ben Kusto at Hudds, and Clinton Toopi at Leeds. Mark O'Neill had an injury at Leeds but then went ok for Hull KR.
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as far as i'm concerned...And i'd like to add King and Monaghan to the list if possible..
