Joined: Jul 25 2015 Posts: 3377 Location: Here (But Only for the Beer)
Cokey wrote:Was Mitch poor value B&B?
Maybe Bongser is tarring him with a collective brush - there were too many rebellious mercenaries in the 2017 team. No probs with recent imports - Leigh has a whole different ethos now.
Then again, if he was value for money, why did it take everyone so long to cotton on to the Brown referred to?
Joined: Aug 19 2011 Posts: 21792 Location: Across The Universe....... Jai guru deva om - Nothings gonna change my world.
Bent&Bongser wrote:Maybe Bongser is tarring him with a collective brush - there were too many rebellious mercenaries in the 2017 team. No probs with recent imports - Leigh has a whole different ethos now.
Then again, if he was value for money, why did it take everyone so long to cotton on to the Brown referred to?
I did mention Kev Brown who i think cost us around 10k for about 3 games. Personally i thought Mitch did ok for us tbh.
Whilst I understand that he club needs to sign some younger players are any of these guys doing to get into the first team? We are desperate for a replacement for Amone as Pene was the replacement for Nakabuwai and needs a good pre season, we had Norman, Baxter, Wilde (injured) Gannon, Brand, Derbyshire, Davis, Brogan and Rothwell who weren’t really playing last year so have we really upgraded the squad?I think we need a bit more quality and competition for starting 13 as our weekly 17 for me pretty much picks itself.
Binosh wrote:Whilst I understand that he club needs to sign some younger players are any of these guys doing to get into the first team? We are desperate for a replacement for Amone as Pene was the replacement for Nakabuwai and needs a good pre season, we had Norman, Baxter, Wilde (injured) Gannon, Brand, Derbyshire, Davis, Brogan and Rothwell who weren’t really playing last year so have we really upgraded the squad?I think we need a bit more quality and competition for starting 13 as our weekly 17 for me pretty much picks itself.
how much do we have to spend - cash best 10 out of listed probably £1.5 million what does that leave us
For me we’re looking at it completly wrong, we dropped on so lucky with amone, we have 2 big minute eating props in trout and mulhern, we need someone like Bryne from Wigan or sangare from Leeds, and use the quota spot for another strike centre, move Hanley out to wing and Macintosh is good cover, but there is 0 strike down that edge, backs win the matches, and English props are better than Australian and kiwis for me as a whole and lot better value for money
If the plan is to improve year on year then clearly we have not yet replaced Tom Amone who has been the best prop in Super League during 2024. AAron Pene is a capable bench prop who is deserving of a place in the seventeen. He is the replacement for Ben Nakubuwai and is nowhere near the quality of Tom Amone.
Overseas players - Lammy and Chezzy have opted not to swap like for like and the biggest change will be one less forward, but gain a specialist Fullback. Asiata, Amone and O'Donnell are a big gap to fill, but they played more than half the season without Asiata.
Instead we have Second-row/Prop in Ben Condon and an all-round forward in Issac Liu. Lammy has shown in the 3 years at the club that he does not require 4 props in the squad, and now we have some kind of flexible in the personnel. Personally I would love the Iceman to be a ball-playing Loose, but I fully expect him to appear in the front-row if needed.
Jack Hughes and Matt Davis have shown utility, especially Jack who has played Prop/Second-row/Loose forward/Centre and Stand-Off. Owen Trout is ready to step-up, but the question is have we got any oven ready forwards capable of being thrown into the match day squad. Dan Norman has been reliable without being dynamic, Brogan has been bloodied in a few games. The problem is that looking at the new signings only Brad Martin is ready to join the match-day squad.
If Mat Moylan does retire then I think it would be advisable to use the cap space created to sign an adequate replacement for Tom Amone. We have played great rugby when either Gas O’Brien or Ben McNamara have been in the halves. Both are skilful, brave and defensively strong.
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