Transfer deadline day is this Friday. So far, the RFL list of deals includes two new signings for Oxford - James Cryer and Sam Druce. Cryer played 8 games for Oxford last season, mostly as wing or full back. Druce is a hooker who played for London Skolars last season, but just recently has been in Australia for the Student World Cup.

This is in addition to other recent signings Fran Welsh, a forward who joined a few weeks ago after being released from Keighley, and hooker Brad Moules who converted his previous dual registration from Wakefield into a signing.

Dual registration rules are unchanged until week 2 of the League 1 Shield. From that round onwards, we could only use anyone who had played for us 3 times already this year (and if they did play for us they would become ineligible for the first team of their parent club). Based on previous news, it appears that Wakefield will allow us to play Judah Mazive.

The league table means that Oxford are in the League 1 Shield. It's still not absolutely clear, but from what I have seen it looks as if we will get 3 home games and 4 away because we finished in the bottom four. Fixtures due to be released on Wednesday, with the first game being the weekend of Sunday 30 July.

Confirmed now - 3 home games, 4 away. Here are the clubs concerned. Fixture details released 9am on Wednesday.



As far as I can see it's only in the last week that the RFL have released the methoology for fixtures after the split. It would be interesting to know if clubs have known about it all season, or if they're just making it up as they go along.

Just a heads up re Skolars away on August 12th. Waterloo is all but closed and the rail company are basically advising people not to travel that way. Probably won't impact anyone else but just incase.

Apparently Nathan Kitson is another new signing. Released from Keighley a couple of months ago because he couldn't make their training sessions due to his new job. Part of the deal was reported as that he couldn't sign for another League 1 club, but I guess they were OK with a League 1 Shield team after the split.

There must have been a fight during the Barrow game because Jordan Siddons, Casey Canterbury and Tommy Newbould all have bans after pleading guilty to punching. The first two are for one game, Newbould is for two.

We'll be needing Nathan at Hemel then.... Good to get him back.

You see this is one of the problems with splitting the season into two. Had Network Rail known the fixtures in advance they could have rescheduled the work at Waterloo to avoid this type of clash.

Transfer deadline obviously now passed, and it's a bit odd (as always).

On the RFL official list, the only new signings for Oxford are:
Sam Druce (Free Agent)
James Cryer (Free Agent)
Matthew Davis (London Broncos loan)

According to the club's Twitter, new signings are:
James Cryer
Nathan Kitson
Jack Harbidge
Tommy Chipchase
Matthew Davies (loan)

I am desperate for Tommy Chipchase to be a stand-off playing in the style of Gary Schofield.... (the ability level would be nice as well, of course).