Re: Hopes for 2019 : Fri Nov 16, 2018 12:57 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

I think the rebuild has some way to go yet so I think you'll finish 6-9th (which is an improvement nonetheless). There's still a lack of power up front, especially in the front row. Where's the player that consistently makes 100m+ in every game? (difficult to replace Peacock but the gap is clear) Where's the impact prop off the bench that can turn things your way with some big carries? (Garbutt was the nearest you had). I think you're 2 props short of a top 5 finish.

I'd be careful bringing youngsters into a team that might struggle at times. Could ruin them. You can't expect those players to win you games. They're a bonus if they come through. It's the 1st teamers that need to raise their game.

The halfbacks are going to be a new combo too so it won't be champagne rugby from the off. There will be a new coach "bounce" but expect it to be tough at times.

I think everyone agrees re. the pack, and front row in particular. Singleton and Crosby are solid but not spectacular: Oledzki is a year or two off still yet but has a part to play. Peteru needs to play somewhere, possibly prop. Couple of very good young prospects coming up after Oledzki from the academy. Deffo need at least one more impact prop (which the club has recognised the need for, if rumours are true).

However, I'm going to be positive and suggest Leeds will offload the players needed to bring in the quality prop, before the start of next season. Of course everything depends on injuries again, but with the prop in place I still think Leeds will be right back up there again. Myler and Lolohea are experienced halves who've played to a high level, I don't expect them to take ages to perform. As soon as we get a competitive/dominant pack together, the halves and backline should cause problems for most teams. It's not often a SL side has had such a massive overhaul in one off season as Leeds have just had, it's going to be almost impossible to predict how they'll go but I'm pretty confident they'll be out of the bottom half of the table no matter what.

Re: Hopes for 2019 : Sat Nov 17, 2018 3:33 pm  

Glad to see we are off loading dead wood, or in the process of doing so and have made a few good signings.new coach and a bit of a fresher feel about things at last. I'm looking forward to a season again for the first time in god knows how long,and intrigued to see what style and approach to games Furner takes.

Overall if we can get another strong front rower in i see no reason with that squad we can't push for a play off spot, we have probably the best centre pairing in the league so hopefully we can get the best out of them.

Re: Hopes for 2019 : Sun Nov 18, 2018 5:50 am  

I think a big key for our season is down to how Watkins comes back from such a bad injury and can Stevie Ward stay fit. If both those are positive we can go well.

Wigan have lost some top players but always seem to fill gaps well. Saints have lost Barba but have recruited better than anyone in my opinion and are the team to beat. Cas and Wire will be challenging but we won't be far off.

Just hope we play a better brand of rugby. I want to leave The Emerald on match days having enjoyed it which is something I can't say I have for a long time.

Re: Hopes for 2019 : Sun Nov 18, 2018 7:39 am  

Marty Grrrrrrrrrr! wrote:

I think a big key for our season is down to how Watkins comes back from such a bad injury and can Stevie Ward stay fit. If both those are positive we can go well.

Wigan have lost some top players but always seem to fill gaps well. Saints have lost Barba but have recruited better than anyone in my opinion and are the team to beat. Cas and Wire will be challenging but we won't be far off.

Just hope we play a better brand of rugby. I want to leave The Emerald on match days having enjoyed it which is something I can't say I have for a long time.

The Emerald. Arrrrgggghhh boulderdash.
FWIW I think we’re one decent prop away from being contenders this year. Contenders for silverware that it

Re: Hopes for 2019 : Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:42 am  

Think we'v had the best recruitment of anyone, wouldnt of thought in a million years we'd be signing Merrin, Hurrell and Lolohea in one offseason and McCllellends one of the best youngsters in the whole british game. Saints have done well but think our signings are of better quality.

I was a big critic of Mcdermott and of Lowes/Sinfield taking on the first team after him, so with a coach who i think will get much better performances from the existing players and some quality recruitment, im hoping and expecting to see some good, well structured attacking rugby and a 3rd to 5th place finish

Re: Hopes for 2019 : Sun Nov 18, 2018 9:24 am  

mattsrhinos1978 wrote:

Think we'v had the best recruitment of anyone, wouldnt of thought in a million years we'd be signing Merrin, Hurrell and Lolohea in one offseason and McCllellends one of the best youngsters in the whole british game. Saints have done well but think our signings are of better quality.

I was a big critic of Mcdermott and of Lowes/Sinfield taking on the first team after him, so with a coach who i think will get much better performances from the existing players and some quality recruitment, im hoping and expecting to see some good, well structured attacking rugby and a 3rd to 5th place finish

The best signings we have made is the coach, and changing the conditioner. That will have a big effect, a big imorovement.

In terms of recruitment, we needed a big change. But to look at reality, it really only boils down to changes rather than individuals. By that I mean, we now have a proper stand off, and a quality one. We now have gone back to two quality centres. And we are back to a leader in the pack.

However, is Hurrell really a big imorovement on Moon at centre? Not so sure, but will be glad to see it. I think people are tainted on Moon because of his final year. Briscoe is a massive downgrade on Hall. We have lost Garbutt, replaced with a quality individual in Merrin, an improvement. But an injury to Merrin and back to where we were, as currently stands.

McClelland I agree on, massive potential, but that is potential, and won’t come out if we keep persevering with Sutcliffe instead, as is the norm.

Not been negative on it, I am just been realistic, that there is still a lot of if’s.

Re: Hopes for 2019 : Sun Nov 18, 2018 9:24 am  

To be Frank I really don't care where we finish this year, all I want is to see entertaining games and come away from Headingly with a smile on my face. I think silverware may be a little too ambitious but to be challanging will be a "right result"

Re: Hopes for 2019 : Sun Nov 18, 2018 10:06 am  

Gotcha wrote:

However, is Hurrell really a big imorovement on Moon at centre? Not so sure, but will be glad to see it. I think people are tainted on Moon because of his final year. Briscoe is a massive downgrade on Hall. We have lost Garbutt, replaced with a quality individual in Merrin, an improvement. But an injury to Merrin and back to where we were, as currently stands.

McClelland I agree on, massive potential, but that is potential, and won’t come out if we keep persevering with Sutcliffe instead, as is the norm.

Not been negative on it, I am just been realistic, that there is still a lot of if’s.

Yup, lots of ifs. Re Moon, to me it seemed his powers were on the wane (see what I did there?) so Hurrell's probably an improvement. As it stands, the biggest loss from Hall is the metres he made running the ball out. IF we sign more grunt up front the effects of his loss will diminish. But it's pretty unrealistic to suppose we'd sign his equal and in any case wing is lower priority than some of the issues that have been addressed. Injuries can scupper any side though with the front row we seem stuck with, we may be in a parallel version of that scenario already. Also, no-one seems to have mentioned our kicking game. Stank last year, albeit our field positions were poor. Do we have the right mix of talents to address this?

Re: Hopes for 2019 : Sun Nov 18, 2018 10:35 am  

Gotcha wrote:

The best signings we have made is the coach, and changing the conditioner. That will have a big effect, a big imorovement.

In terms of recruitment, we needed a big change. But to look at reality, it really only boils down to changes rather than individuals. By that I mean, we now have a proper stand off, and a quality one. We now have gone back to two quality centres. And we are back to a leader in the pack.

However, is Hurrell really a big imorovement on Moon at centre? Not so sure, but will be glad to see it. I think people are tainted on Moon because of his final year. Briscoe is a massive downgrade on Hall. We have lost Garbutt, replaced with a quality individual in Merrin, an improvement. But an injury to Merrin and back to where we were, as currently stands.

McClelland I agree on, massive potential, but that is potential, and won’t come out if we keep persevering with Sutcliffe instead, as is the norm.

Not been negative on it, I am just been realistic, that there is still a lot of if’s.

That's fair enough assessment and pretty much how i would see it. Next year is about true transition at last though, the changes made so far are encouraging and i expect more big changes to be made during the next summer when Furner will know who he wants and doesn't and has chance to identify what he needs.

Re: Hopes for 2019 : Sun Nov 18, 2018 11:57 am  

Gotcha wrote:

The best signings we have made is the coach, and changing the conditioner. That will have a big effect, a big imorovement.

In terms of recruitment, we needed a big change. But to look at reality, it really only boils down to changes rather than individuals. By that I mean, we now have a proper stand off, and a quality one. We now have gone back to two quality centres. And we are back to a leader in the pack.

However, is Hurrell really a big imorovement on Moon at centre? Not so sure, but will be glad to see it. I think people are tainted on Moon because of his final year. Briscoe is a massive downgrade on Hall. We have lost Garbutt, replaced with a quality individual in Merrin, an improvement. But an injury to Merrin and back to where we were, as currently stands.

McClelland I agree on, massive potential, but that is potential, and won’t come out if we keep persevering with Sutcliffe instead, as is the norm.

Not been negative on it, I am just been realistic, that there is still a lot of if’s.

Yeah i mentioned the change of coach getting more out of the existing players

With regards the signings, i dont think anyone can complain, we'r signing as good a level a player as we can realisticly expect, in merrins case maybe a higher level of player any of us would expect to be coming over here. Injuries happen, clubs can only put together as good a squad as they can and hope for the best on that score, Merrin might play every game and so might ward and watkins , then we'd be instantly a better team than last year. Hurrels a better Centre than moon but in reality moon played very few games at Centre and certainly not paired with watkins, Hurrell and Watkins is lightyears ahead of any Centre combination we put out last year. Loloheas a much better six than either one of moon or suttcliffe and merrin will be, on paper, our best forward and a much needed leader, i dont expect him to be garbutts replacement, think that players still to come in. Agree briscoe or handley are massive drop offs from hall.

With the squad we'v got and the improvment i think furner will bring, i dont think making the playoffs is an unrealistic expectation.