Does anyone understand it? I assume we thought more would stick around from 2021 and that Northerners would come to London as there are lots of jobs and it’s a world city. I can see the logic to both but when did they realise neither was going to come true? Our default was to get on the phone to Australia.
What was all that eye wash about JC knowing the London scene. He’s brought in 3 from L1: 2 left tout suite and we’ve mined Skolars above and beyond common sense and decency. Bit of a shambles really. Nice ground though. Sigh.

Perhaps a more constructive line of discussion is what do we think will happen next year. I may be over optimistic but I don’t think we will know we are relegated or staying up until deep into the season leaving us a restricted recruitment window. If we are in L1 we have, without disrespect, quite a few of that standard on the books on 2 year contracts but even then we have mined Skolars dry so we’d only have Midlands really to plunder as it looks like Northerners won’t come, especially to another L1 club. If we stay up- again what do we do? We have a substandard team, can’t recruit Northerners. We can hope to get a couple on loan but our ability to do so depends on what SL clubs think we do with their loanees. How productive has it been for Ferreira, Borough and Chisholm to come to London? Either way we are in a right 2 and 8. So it’s a team full of 2/3rd tier Aussies. Not really a brave new dawn is it.

The recruitment policy was deluded (unless a relegation fight was the target).

Lose to Dewsbury 1st May, and we will know where we will be next season...

Saying that lose to Dewsbury in front of only 500 fans, and I don't expect Broncos to be around next season

Me neither

Northerners won’t come,

Think that should read northerners cant afford to come. housing and cost of living makes it way out of their price range. If they are playing part time rugby they need a very high salary and they still wont be able to afford the standard of living they currently have. Rent £1200 minimum for a small 1 bed flat 2 beds if they are lucky. Council tax add a further £50 to £60 per month to what they pay now, Add another £1000 for the same car, add on top of this food and petrol increases. Most people who live in the south are normal people struggling to pay bills like everyone in the north and not the affluent people who play football, rock stars, actors, merchant bankers, MPs, stock brokers etc etc that everyone thinks they are

I'm tempted to ask if there was a recruitment policy in 2022 or whether anyone who could tell the difference between an Easter Egg & a rugby ball got a contract? Although I suppose even that is a policy of sorts!

I think there was a policy it just didn’t make it past 1st contact and we defaulted to Aussies and anyone from Skolars who could stand up straight. More and more I think we don’t have a pot that is why we are where we are. The massive expense of the ground(s) is a red herring and ring fenced. What we have for team and front and back room staff is akin to L1 sides. Seen like that what’s happening makes some sense. Anyway another away spanking this time from Leigh and then the crunch matches Rams and Newcastle. Lose those and everything falls down.

[quote="itsmeagain"]Northerners won’t come,

Think that should read northerners cant afford to come. housing and cost of living makes it way out of their price range. If they are playing part time rugby they need a very high salary and they still wont be able to afford the standard of living they currently have. Rent £1200 minimum for a small 1 bed flat 2 beds if they are lucky. Council tax add a further £50 to £60 per month to what they pay now, Add another £1000 for the same car, add on top of this food and petrol increases. Most people who live in the south are normal people struggling to pay bills ....

My gut feeling is that anyone looking to parlais a nice 3 bed in Leeds outskirts to similar in London is out of luck. Ditto getting on the London property ladder but, although expensive, I think young players from the North could afford to flat share in London- there are well paid jobs here and it is a world city which should be of interest and a life experience. Many have made the move in all sorts of trades and done well.
The real stumbling block is there is less point making the additional effort to come to a no-hoper team. You might just as well go to Swinton or Dewsbury and be able to meet up with family and old pals. Anyway we are where we are now.

Northerners came to Skolars, Oxford and Hemel part time. They generally lived and trained up north and commute for matches. Frankly that's a more realistic way of getting experienced players than expecting them to relocate for a nine or so month part time contract.