Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:05 am  

Scarlet Pimpernell wrote:

I have watched a few games when he played for Gold Coast. He is definitely not a prop and tends to be more a loose forward. He can certainly tackle but hopefully because it was the NRL does not have a ball handling game.

We were all lamenting on the loss of Westerman to Cas after the terrific season he had for us . This lad looks like he can make the position fit wherever he’s put , so if confirmed it’s a cracking addition to the team, great pair of hand and a good tackler , what’s not to like . But as vasty rightly says we desperately need to see some movement on the planning/ building front ASAP , hopefully along with a competitive team and a start date for stadium works we can all look forwards to a brighter future at the club

Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:49 am  

Looks like a prop to me (No 8 and taking the first hit up etc) who has a pass and offload in him. Also an aggressive defender.

Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:59 am  

Khlav Kalash wrote:

Looks like a prop to me (No 8 and taking the first hit up etc) who has a pass and offload in him. Also an aggressive defender.

Exactly how I saw him. I suppose he's a fabled middle if you want to split hairs but at 6'1'' and 17 stone he's built like a prop.

I also noticed his tackling on his highlights, I know they are fairly unreliable but there were some genuinely good hits, way more than some of our more recent imports.

Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 12:50 pm  

He`s contracted to Leigh for next season, you would imagine we would be paying a fee unless he has a release clause? Seems strange for them to bring him over to play 4 games, knowing they would be relegated anyway if they hadn`t planned to have him there next year?

Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 12:55 pm  

Wildcat26 wrote:

He`s contracted to Leigh for next season, you would imagine we would be paying a fee unless he has a release clause? Seems strange for them to bring him over to play 4 games, knowing they would be relegated anyway if they hadn`t planned to have him there next year?

He will have a release clause and they would be glad to get shut anyway, a bit over spec for the Championship IMHO. That doesn't mean I'm certain he's joining us but if he does I doubt it will cost, but again who knows.

[PopTart]

Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 1:33 pm  

I thought contracts were for Super League anyway unless stipulated. So relegation usually means you can look elsewhere and get a new contract.

Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 2:07 pm  

PopTart wrote:

I thought contracts were for Super League anyway unless stipulated. So relegation usually means you can look elsewhere and get a new contract.

I think that is correct, a bells ringing saying there may be some compensation for under 21's but for the senior players and overseas you are effectively redundant if your team is relegated and thus a free agent. This is as much to protect the clubs as the players.

Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 2:23 pm  

Wildcat26 wrote:

He`s contracted to Leigh for next season, you would imagine we would be paying a fee unless he has a release clause? Seems strange for them to bring him over to play 4 games, knowing they would be relegated anyway if they hadn`t planned to have him there next year?

When we (Leigh) signed Jai Whitbread & Sam Stone from the Gold Coast Titans the press release stated that Stone was signed up till the end of the 2022 season, but there was no mention of how long Whitbread had signed up for. Neither player stood out for us in the short time they've been here, but either might look like a better player in a decent team. To be fair I don't know why we bothered, unless the club will get a fee if either of them depart.

Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 5:25 pm  

We do seem to have the greatest number of utility players in super league - whitbread prop second row or loose ? Tanginoa prop or sr, Kaye wing or 9, crowther second row or loose ? Pitt’s prop or. Sr , arona prop or loose ? Abi second row or prop Gaskell any of backs if he signs Hampshire same , personally think to use our one remaining quota sport for a development player seems a bit odd ,

Re: Whitbread - we have our forward? : Wed Nov 03, 2021 6:21 pm  

Kirmudgeonlyisback wrote:

We do seem to have the greatest number of utility players in super league - whitbread prop second row or loose ? Tanginoa prop or sr, Kaye wing or 9, crowther second row or loose ? Pitt’s prop or. Sr , arona prop or loose ? Abi second row or prop Gaskell any of backs if he signs Hampshire same , personally think to use our one remaining quota sport for a development player seems a bit odd ,

Why is he a development players! Why is he a utility player, he’s clearly a prop who has dabbled.

I agree about the utility but we’ve always done that but to call Pitts a prop is pushing it, absolute emergencies only. Kay was a fluke discovery. The rest I agree.

The fact is SL is not an attractive option for NRL players anymore and the few with any known quality are snapped up by clubs with deeper pockets than ours. Truth is there is very little out there in our price range and fans need to accept that.

This lad looks like one of the best of the rest and is available and most importantly as someone else noted is already here and acclimatised. He should be a useful addition, he may be a Korky, he may not.

It’s worse noting that Korkidas when he arrived with us had just been voted by Roosters fans as the worst rookie ever. You just don’t know with these players.