Quote ="Mr. Zucchini Head"Gardiner offers nothing, I don't want to be too harsh on a youngster (although he's not that young tbf) but in a year or two you will see him at Batley or Donny or somewhere similar. I tend to agree with you about Laidlaw too. His opportunities have been limited, but he's hardly pulled up trees when he has had a chance.
Martin already looks like a proper SL player, I fully expect him to get the 2 shirt next year. Barron has been the surprise package. A year ago I would have said he isn't good enough, but he's stepped up really well this season and if he is our other starting winger next year I'd be fine with that.
Moy definitely has something about him. He needs to bulk up a bit for sure, but being smaller didn't hold Shaul back, or Dufty, or several others you could name.
Charles is an interesting one. I thought he showed, especially in his first few games, that he had a bit of craft and creativity about him. But I think the week in week out grind of SL really took it's toll. Especially when he was playing in a team with no weapons and a pack that was getting trampled like a doormat every week. We need to see him in a better team to really judge.
Balmforth could be a star with the right coaching, and the one who has been forgotten a little but is potentially the best of the bunch is Staveley. He looked really good before his injury and I'm sure he would have been one of the stand outs if he stayed fit. One of our few players with natural size and power.
We shouldn't put all our eggs in this youth basket, but throw in the likes of Kemp, Westerman and Kirby and I reckon there's a fair chance that at least 4 or 5 of them will develop into high quality Superleague players. We can but hope.'"
yes we can hope but as a strategy hoping that four or five of the younger players come through in 2 years and make regular S/L players is flawed.
I agree that looking at Shaul or Dufty they look small but both are taller than Moy and look to be at least a stone heavier.What he does have is a bit of pace and it wouldnt surprise me to see him used in a different position next season but he definitely needs to add a lot of body weight without losing the pace he has.