I know that fans are getting irate about the lack of information forthcoming from the club about signings for next year, but I for one will be on the terraces come what may and I shall reserve judgement until the squad is complete, whenever that may be.

Ditto, but i'm still nervous looking at our paper thin squad.

With the squad looking very thin I suggest the following signings.

Riddell (Wigan)
Feka (Wigan)
Cunningham (Saints)

Just a shame we let Solomona go TBH.

It's a good job we may be rebuilding the ground, as the pitch will be knackered if that lot are on the same side.

We could use them to flatten the surrounds and thus save some money on construction vehicles. We could therefore kill two birds with one (million) stone.

He's claiming it was someone else on his computer now

so you're a stalker with a split personality? interesting.

Sorry if I've completed missed some earlier news, couldn't find anything on a search, but does Matt Utai have a club announced for 2010? He's leaving Canterbury for England next month but the club was unspecified in the article... www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=34734 Surely a classy wing signing for whoever gets him?

Sorry if I've completed missed some earlier news, couldn't find anything on a search, but does Matt Utai have a club announced for 2010? He's leaving Canterbury for England next month but the club was unspecified in the article... www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=34734 Surely a classy wing signing for whoever gets him?

In good company on here then

Quote ="Raybull"Sorry if I've completed missed some earlier news, couldn't find anything on a search, but does Matt Utai have a club announced for 2010? He's leaving Canterbury for England next month but the club was unspecified in the article... www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=34734 Surely a classy wing signing for whoever gets him?'" Was wondering that myself when I read the article. Doesn't seem to have played much at the top level recently, though - just 5 games this season.

Quote ="Raybull"Sorry if I've completed missed some earlier news, couldn't find anything on a search, but does Matt Utai have a club announced for 2010? He's leaving Canterbury for England next month but the club was unspecified in the article... www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=34734 Surely a classy wing signing for whoever gets him?'" Was wondering that myself when I read the article. Doesn't seem to have played much at the top level recently, though - just 5 games this season.

NZ international, history of knee injuries, maybe Bradford's type? Also, sometimes players coming back after a low season has worked quite well for the club (Brad Meyers, Shontayne Hape)

age would maybe count against him but otherwise wouldnt be a bad buy. wouldnt address our weakness in though. think I'd prefer walker getting the last quota spot and playing with reardon on wing. If we could gain a quota spot ( maybe by getting nero onto fed trained register a year early) then utai and walker would certainly be an improvement to the squad.

However, I bet Utai wouldn't anywhere near as much on the salary bill.

He's only 28 which is three years and a couple of months younger than Semi, if that's who we were looking at in terms of a replacement.

Quote ="Raybull"Sorry if I've completed missed some earlier news, couldn't find anything on a search, but does Matt Utai have a club announced for 2010? He's leaving Canterbury for England next month but the club was unspecified in the article... www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=34734 Surely a classy wing signing for whoever gets him?'"

Quote ="Raybull"Sorry if I've completed missed some earlier news, couldn't find anything on a search, but does Matt Utai have a club announced for 2010? He's leaving Canterbury for England next month but the club was unspecified in the article... www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=34734 Surely a classy wing signing for whoever gets him?'"

So, we've signed Kearney to play 6, L'Estrange for 9, Hall for the pack. We're going to use Donalson, Whitehead, and Olibison a lot more this year with I suspect Donaldson and Whitehead being in the 17 most weeks.

We still need at least one winger, ideally one specialised winger to replace semi and another utility back to replace Platt if he goes and who could also play wing. Walker and Reardon are the two rumours, who I think could both do a good job for us injuries and form permitting, anyone got any other ideas on that? Any of the academy ready to step up at some point this year in the backs?

We also by my reckoning need at least another prop. Who will have to be fed trained, available and of decent quality, anyone got any names for this one? Does anyone know which props are OOC or released? I can think of a couple but they dont meet my own requirements above, and another for the academy watchers, is Crossley ready to step up this year at prop?

think it was mentioned in one of newspaper reports that we've already identified a british prop.
I preict sykes taking the utility back role with walker playing alongside ricki and reardon alongside nero. Still think we need at least 1 more back as were light if injuries strike with only sykes and crookes and maybe olbison as backup.

Agreed. As far as I know we don't have any backs in the academy or reserves who are ready yet.

As for Crossley he seemed to go a bit backwards last season. A lot depends on how hard he trains in pre season. He needs to lose some excess lard I reckon and then maybe he'll be an option. We are seriously lacking a decent impact prop. Burgess fulfilled that role well and was a big factor in our run in to the end of the season. I just don't see Koppy making the same impact off the bench.

Another prob is we've lost four good ball handling forwards in Newton, Morrison, Burgess and Solomona. I'm not sure those coming in have the same skill set so we could be lacking some guile.

We definitely do have ample space under the cap given the departures and the money left over last year for the Bird signing. The question is are there players available to sign and do we have the cashflow to afford them?

What about Kieron Hyde? Is he ready to dip his toes in the first team? Maybe he could be used as an occasional winger like Saints do when their blooding new players eg: Lomax, Wheeler, Eastmond. Is his best position stand off or fullback?

He's looked good in both positions when i've seen him, but i'm still not sure he's ready for first team.



Atm our backline looks like this :

Halley
Sheriffe
Sykes
Nero
?
Kearney
Deacon

If Sykes is going to be our utility back, and a 1 year deal is hardly suggesting we're going to build a team around him, I'd be happier to start with Crookes. While he's inexperienced we've already seen Sykes and Sheriffe defending and it's not a pretty sight.

I agree we need an impact prop and Burgess made a real differnece in that role late in the season. I cant think of anyone available in that role except the likes of Thackray which I would not want. Kopczak is a good prop with potential still but I agree hes not a gamechanger from the bench.

Ball handling forwards will be a problem for us next year, Donaldson looked like he fit that bill but he's still very young and its too much to ask him to play the season at 13, but defo one for the furture in this respect I feel. I dont know enough about L'Estrange and Hall's ball handling skills but I suspect its not the main part of thier game. Menzies is our one stand out in this respect. One available prop who likes to offload (not sure its overly skilled though) is Sculthorpe, but I wouldnt be keen on that option either.

The bit in bold could be the key bit I feel, at this stage and with no quota spots left (assuming Walker taking the last one) our choice of impact/ball playing props/forwards who are available and fed trained is very very limited I suspect.

Hall's a very good ball handling back rower, but he doesnt use that part of his game much.

Which does not look any better than it was this season where it was identified as a problem area.

I know. I suppose we'll have to see who fills the wing spot and who else we get in (hopefully a centre)