They've certainly not announced the signing and did have him as a trialist on the squad list for the game. Could be that he was just wearing a random unallocated number, could be that it's the number he'll get if his trial is successful. I certainly wouldn't count it as nailed on, but looks likely if he's signed.

What position did King play and how did he do?

Alex Brown is 32.

So 14, 20, 21, 22 & 23 are all free, but they gave him 32?

Even if there's a couple of signings lined up for a couple of those numbers, that doesn't feel like a vote of confidence to Alex.

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There's still a couple of players to be announced, who I suspect will take those numbers.

He came on as sub and seemed to play in the backrow. He's a very tall lad. Looks like he could do with a bit more muscle but he went ok without standing out. Needs another few chances I think.

I've put them into number order for you, minus the Twitter and YouTube links cause I couldn't be pd finding them all, copy and pasting etc.

Seems we have 5/6 players missing from the squad. Let's hope Kear can bring them in.

(1) Lee Smith - 2018
(2) Ethan Ryan - 2019
(3) Ashley Gibson - 2018
(4) Ross Oakes – 2019
(5) Dalton Grant - 2018
(6) Joe Keyes - 2019
(7) Dane Chisholm – 2019
(icon_cool.gif Liam Kirk – 2019
(9) Sam Hallas - 2019
(10) Steve Crossley - 2019
(11) Matt Garside - 2019
(12) Elliott Minchella - 2019
(13) George Milton - 2019
(14)
(15) Callum Bustin - 2018 LOANEE - May be recalled
(16
(17) Ross Peltier - 2019
(1icon_cool.gif Liam Johnson - 2018 LOANEE - May be recalled
(19) Mikey Wood - 2018 LOANEE - May be recalled
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23)
(24) Brandon Pickersgill - 2019
(25) Josh Rickett - 2019
(26) Vila Halafihi - 2019
(27) Reiss Butterworth – 2020
(2icon_cool.gif James Davies - 2018
(29) Evan Hodgson – 2020
(30) Jamel Goodall - 2018
(31) Oliver Wilson – 2020
(32) Alex Brown - 2018
(33) Rowan Milnes - 2020

Are the players already signed or have we still to sign em?

Are you sure? John Keats interview in today's T & A does not give that impression.

To be fair, I'd be surprised if he said any different. "The kids are our future, and played incredibly in the friendly, but let's see who else we can sign...". Any player we sign will be "too good to pass up".

Bullnorthern is right though. Kear makes out like nobody else is signed and unannounced, which is in contrast to what Mick said.

All I know is that in the Friday forum aaron bower does say they should sign a couple more as he knows Kear does have a few irons in the fire.

It's also pretty much what the T&A were saying earlier on, though to be fair when there are squad numbers not filled, you have to assume there is a plan to fill them. Maybe the plan is to promote some of the young guns into starters after the 'friendlies' have sorted them out a bit?

To be fair, I would normally worry about putting too much pressure on the kids but I feel safe with the current management.

Yes, me too Bulliac, have done since they said the academy is the future and then put money into it, not just paying lip service to it because it was a requirement of getting RL membership. That implies a long term plan for the kids in that academy/squad. But it requires sufficient experienced players to ensure that they do not need to be called on too often, have we got enough of them across the positions?

It will be interesting to see if Kear does get anyone in, what I am not sure about as the squad numbers above 13 don't necessarily indicate, is how many out and out props do we have, not "utility" props ie could be LF or second row (or wing) . Anybody got any idea? Peltier of course, is Bustin a prop etc etc?

Interesting comment from Beattie on coaching the team last season, about it being a bit difficult when you only have 8 players available for training. might just explain a few performances that looked a bit less committed than usual, you can hardly put a "crocked rating" against each player in the squad announcement can you, an invitation to run at them and increase that rating from kick off.

On 30/12/17 Frank Whitcombe said “ New player coming in this week, not a loan I’m told” - see Strongest 17 thread. Looks as though both he and Mick could be in error.

We assumed there was a plan to fill those empty squad numbers last year, and yet some weren't filled until half way through the season and the number 12 was never filled.

True enough Hamster, though I think we all realised that last season, for all the many reasons, was always going to be just a 'one-off'. I think this season is a bit more 'steady as we go' and not driven by the season long grabbing of loanees which killed all plans in 2017, so to be honest I'd expect the gaps to be filled. It really suggests things I don't really want to contemplate if we don't fill the gaps (ie, the owners don't have a clue..).

You would certainly hope the differing situation means those free numbers will be filled, but I struggle to have hope these days when we're inevitably let down so many times! Here's hoping the numbers are filled, and preferably with a couple of quality experienced front rowers!

I notice Kieren Moss was given a shirt number by Hull KR in their squad number announcement last night. Hopefully people will stop unrealistically speculating on that one now.

I don't think they will fill the numbers.

Frank has been trying to rebuild his name after last years predictions and he is trying very hard and some are back to believing him.
It will take a long time with me and quite a few of his predictions coming true.
I am sure his heart is in the right place but I still have a large bowl of salt by the computer when I read what Frank says is about to happen.
Please prove me wrong Frank.

There's always the odd problem for those who like to be 'in the know'.

Firstly, they may be spot on with their assertion that the club is hoping "to sign A.N. Other", but that attempt to sign a player may well fall through, for various reasons. Also, depending on the actual relationship our resident 'in the knows' have with the club ( I'm assuming Mr Chalmers isn't one of them..), the person feeding them the news may well, in the club's interest, take the opportunity to put misleading info into the public domain. Either way round it leads to the informant looking a bit of a pillock.

Watched some of the video player highlights this morning....time to get up to speed with our squad !!

Can we have the lost in numerical order please. It will be good to see then.

Plus McNally was wearing 14 last night so looks like his number

mentioned by Chalmers in a couple of interviews that we have a 30 man squad. I can only see 27 on squad list. So that suggests the three trialists on show on Friday have signed up. King was already likely and Andrade looked useful on Friday. How's Burnett gone? can't say I've noticed him. Chalmers also mentioned possibility of maybe one more incoming.

John Kear will make a decision on the trialists this week mate.