Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 7:25 am  

With only Hardaker confirmed next year and an exodus from the squad taking place, are there certain players you would like to see come in?

I think we need a top class centre as Sarg has been well off the pace
2-3 additions in the pack
New scrum half
Potentially new stand off ( if the Rumours about Williams to Catalan are to be believed)

Hardaker is obviously confirmed..Greenwood will be like a new signing still..Manfredi will feel like a new signing

I feel like we need much more grunt in the pack but with a good skill set to open that second phase of play on contact?

Thoughts...ideas...dream players?

Answers on a post card

Re: Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 7:45 am  

desperate for a centre

Re: Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:51 am  

First call, recruit a new coach so he can input on the players he wants.

Re: Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:43 pm  

nikos wrote:

desperate for a centre

100%

I think over the last few years we've tended to exaggerate how much we've been short there. Sarge last time round was pretty good, Gelling & Gildart were a good partnership in his absence & Bateman has always been a very capable stand in.

Completely different picture now. Sarge hasn't got going & Bateman (probably) going means we're effectively down a top class forward AND a centre. I'm not too disappointed that we didn't bring Gelling back, but thinking about how short we'll be next year and the lack of an obvious or available replacement, we probably could've done a lot worse.

Re: Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 4:41 pm  

I’d be looking to bring in Bousquet, Charlie Gubb and a good centre, Junior Sau maybe?

Re: Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 4:45 pm  

For me you can put it into two different sub sections;

Absolute Necessities
New #7
Powell just doesn’t cut it as a scrum half. He lacks creativity, speed and general game awareness and is utterly wasted. He might go well for a lower SL club at #7 but certainly not one wanting to challenge consistently. Some might say Woods but as well as he’s done recently I’ve re watched the Warrington game and I’m not convinced he is a long term prospect. Having said that a new coach and new tactics for Woods may prove me wrong.

Centre
Sarginson was a complete waste of cap space and money to put it brutally. Bateman, as good as he has been at centre is a much better back rower and putting him there alongside Greenwood and Hamlin/SOL at #13 is a formidable back row IMHO. We need a right centre that can create chances for his winger and defend well. Sarginson offers neither.

Would be nice
Prop
It feels a bit strange saying this after his performance v Warrington but I feel we’ve seen the best days of Flower. He just hasn’t been the same player since the Grand Final incident and doesn’t seem to make the hard yards he used to. Barring the Grand Final incident the same could be said for Tony Clubb, maybe it’s due to the way SW has them playing but I like seeing props who run the ball in as hard as they can and make yards on each drive being equally brutal in defence. I just don’t see Clubb & Flower offering that any longer. We’ve got young props coming though along with the emergence of Hamlin/Navarette (the former of which I see making the transition to #13) and we need an experience prop in there. I wouldn’t mind seeing Kopzcak or Casty (as being rumoured) in there.

Hooker
Can we mess Powell about again by shifting him back to hooker? I’m not sure. TL has been very good and consistent this year but the rumour is that he is also off. With Ganson seemingly not getting a look in I think this is an area we may need to look at. Oh how I long for Micky Mac to be back

Other than that I think we’re looking good for next season squadwise. Strength in depth and most areas covered as well for injuries.

Playing recruitment aside; it’s becoming more and more important our new coach is announced sooner rather than later. Surely it’s affecting our own recruitment, I mean who wants to sign for a club with no announced coach? Effectively a rudderless ship come October. It doesn’t make for an attractive proposition and is probably why Catalans are chancing their arm with Williams.

Re: Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:08 pm  

It’s about priorities.

1 - The right coach
2 - scrum half
3 - Centre
4 - prop

Re: Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:48 pm  

Bigredwarrior wrote:

It’s about priorities.

1 - The right coach
2 - scrum half
3 - Centre
4 - prop

1. Lam
2. Drinkwater
3. Sau
4. Bousquet

Re: Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 7:46 pm  

Rumour on the other board that Lam will be the new coach.
I really do hope not.

Re: Recruitment for 2019 : Mon Jul 09, 2018 7:54 pm  

Father Ted wrote:

Rumour on the other board that Lam will be the new coach.
I really do hope not.

Why FT? I don’t know much about him as a coach.