[Durham Giant]

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:03 am  

Uate is a luxury.

A prop is a necessity.

Hastings would take us up a level and is more important than than the above

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Sun Jun 24, 2018 9:06 am  

jools wrote:

So you dont actually know then.

That house you speak of is probably one of the many made available to rent organised by the club- as they do for many of our players. Big deal.

doesnt take einstein to know he will be on over 100k and one of the top paid players at the club.

yep will no doubt be rented out

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Sun Jun 24, 2018 2:42 pm  

I can't see why we have offered such a lot to tempt Uate to be honest. All the reports talk of the 'lucrative super league deal'. I agree that he's a luxury player the kind you sign when you have a great side and are looking for the icing to turn you into trophy winners, we are a long long way from that. That being said, he's undoubtedly a good player , just i would much rather it been spent on up and coming quality forwards or halfbacks as that is where we really lack.

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Sun Jun 24, 2018 6:00 pm  

Durham Giant wrote:

Uate is a luxury.

A prop is a necessity.

Hastings would take us up a level and is more important than than the above

With Woolford confirming Bruno and Taai are props going forward as well as Murphy to 2nd row permanently, I think that rules out us signing another prop.

Props next season: Seb, Taai, English, Clough, Bruno, Dickinson, Walne, Kirby & you could also count Smith & Colton Roche - that's quite a lot!

Wouldn't be surprised mind due to see both Roche and Walne move on straight away. Obviously hasn't worked out for them here - especially Walne who has been fit for some time and just cant make the team.

Colton Roche is 25 so hes past the stage of been a project player to me and didn't even get much chance while we were really low on numbers. Mellor the prime example who joined us at the age of 21 I believe who joined us as a project and is now a very good SL player and is relishing since playing 2nd row consistently.

Loose next season: Hinchliffe & Smith

2nd row next season: Mellor, Roberts, Ferguson, Murphy & Hewitt....

suggests to me if we are to recruit further it will probably be in the 2nd row.

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Sun Jun 24, 2018 6:10 pm  

Hangerman2 wrote:

I can't see why we have offered such a lot to tempt Uate to be honest. All the reports talk of the 'lucrative super league deal'. I agree that he's a luxury player the kind you sign when you have a great side and are looking for the icing to turn you into trophy winners, we are a long long way from that. That being said, he's undoubtedly a good player , just i would much rather it been spent on up and coming quality forwards or halfbacks as that is where we really lack.

If you think of Uate like another Gerry then you have 200m+ per game between them that your forwards don’t have to make, two players who will make line breaks and score tries, and makes for good watching too, it would be a good signing/plan in my opinion if he does come to us.

We needed to make a statement and this is what this signing is signifying our intention to improve and challenge the top 4 and challenge cup again. If we were also to get Hastings plus maybe a big nasty horrible Luke O’Donnell style pack leader the crowds would increase and Sky become interested in us again.

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Sun Jun 24, 2018 6:16 pm  

fartown since 1961 wrote:

If you think of Uate like another Gerry then you have 200m+ per game between them that your forwards don’t have to make, two players who will make line breaks and score tries, and makes for good watching too, it would be a good signing/plan in my opinion if he does come to us.

We needed to make a statement and this is what this signing is signifying our intention to improve and challenge the top 4 and challenge cup again. If we were also to get Hastings plus maybe a big nasty horrible Luke O’Donnell style pack leader the crowds would increase and Sky become interested in us again.

Yeah spot on. That must be our game plan going forward. Like ive said in my previous post, its not looking like we are going to recruit another prop as we have way too many next year ...unless Walne and Roche leave. We therefore have a really small set of prop forwards so Adding Uate to Jerry we will have 2 wingers who can make breaks and make massive metres and will take the pressure off our props.

I think 2nd row is where we will strengthen and we might try get someone like Matt Whitley from Widnes if they go down. A cracking young 2nd rower who has made the England Knights.

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Sun Jun 24, 2018 6:23 pm  

Woolford did admit we lacked size- I would imagine we are looking but it could be slim pickings at the moment.
Having players like turner, Leroy,Jerry and Uate capable of making good metres will negate some of that lack of size.
Woolford strikes me as quite a technical coach and I think he would look to adapt our play to suit our strengths much as brown did.

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:36 pm  

League Express have just linked us with Kenny Edwards from Catalans. He signed for them on a 18 month deal but apparently we are pursuing him. Would 100% improve our pack!

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:21 pm  

giants linked with a new zealander, matagi,... used to play with rapira

was obvious we lack size, glad we are being linked with some big props

Re: 2019 Recruitment : Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:43 pm  

This obsession with size is interesting...we have to get the right player...big doesn't automatically mean good.. seen quite a few "big" players over the years who haven't played to their size yet some smaller ones outshine them....i.e Matty English now. By the way..v Catalans last game one set he took the ball in 3 times...I'm sure we had other forwards on the pitch they need to learn / be told to share the work!!