The point is, we're not. What "new" players of this calibre have come in the SLE in the last 24months

The standard is being lowered because of the calibre/age of the players that are now "affordable and available".

Bringing in new young blood QC players is sensible as long as we don't flood the field with them, hence my agreement with your point in lowering the quota numbers

I don't really agree with either point.
Lowering the quota won't give us better quality imports, nor will it increase the quality of home grown players.

Neither will limiting or increasing the player pool.

I'm happy they are letting us bring more in. The sad fact is many players playing in these leagues are good enough for Super League.

I've never bought into 'holding back a young players development'
If they can't shift an average aussie, they aren't good enough......yet

The issue is still with the short term view of the clubs. You shouldn't have to put restrictions in place to get a club to develop their youth. They should be doing that anyway.
But that's why we now need IMG.

I'd rather incentivise development than restrict the imports if we are going to do something.

Jayden Nikorima, Bailey Sironen, Tom Deakin, Jack Murchie, Adam Clune, Herman Ese’ese, Jayden Okunbor, Franklin Pele, Manu Brown, Peta Hiku, Tyrone May, Lackie Miller, Matt Frawley, Paul Momirovski, Lachlan Fitzgibbon, Rodrick Tai, Zane Musgrove.

All lads who are coming over due to bring fringe NRL players.

I think most of them will have more NRL pedigree under their belt than most of the lads I mentioned in the original post (most not all as Croft had a few years as a starting half).

There are plenty of others too who have been on the cusp on NRL but not quite made the step up.

My issue/concern is bringing over lads who are not even in the conversation for NRL but they will get fast tracked over our own developing players.

The last point is my point too.

Sadly though history has proven that clubs will not incentivise youth development if they have other options. This move for me increases clubs options.

As of this point in time, none of these have performed to the level and influence of the previous mentioned players and to a degree, some of those are fringe NRL players that only just qualify for a Visa under the current playing criteria

Fifita, French, Field were all fringe NRL players with less than 20 games in first grade.

Hastings was just breaking his way in but had disciplinary issues.

Croft was the only one who was a regular but he couldn’t get a gig.

Most of the lads mentioned have way more first grade experience.

They obviously haven’t played to the same level in SL, because 95% have not yet played a game in SL.

Circulating in the press we are targeting McMeeken for 2025.

That really would be a statement signing.

He was really good against Tonga and seems to be playing really well in the middle. Johnstone and mcmeekin would be amazing additions

I agree would be two cracking signings that.

I’m sure both deals are a long long way off with many hurdles to jump however just seeing us linked with 2 English international players in the press given we have just been relegated shows how far this club has come in the last few months.

It certainly would.

The Kasiano rumour isn't going away too.

One player elsewhere, that could be surplus to requirenents is Jordan Abdul, who is heading to France on a season long loan deal

I’m not sure on Kasiano but in the championship off the bench could give some punch. Would be a decent but very short term signing for 2024 only.

Wasn’t he carrying an injury and isn’t that the reason he was released? Sure I read that somewhere.

Not much real news coming out of the club following that initial saturation honeymoon period so I guess the hacks are happy to latch onto any rumour no matter how flimsy. That second half at Headingley didn't help.

I was told earlier, that there is currently no press officer at the club, that could be the reason why, or maybe they just want to focus on the 2024 squad, and either no suitable player is available at the moment or no deals have been reached.

Going back to Johnstone and McMeeken for 2025, I wonder how many other clubs are looking at 2025 squads. I dont recall us ever doing that before

Friendly or not it was a very poor second half , You can say there was changes, but it looked like a team with no structure , and no penetration in the spine Lot of work to do Saw the same as last year

We had neither of our halves playing. Of course there was no penetration.

Did we win anything the year we battered them by 40 on Boxing Day?

Friendlies mean nothing.

Defo lots of work to do, but that's a constant.

I was thinking more that there wasn't many highlights to put out. Each of the tries have been shown but nothing much to string together. The full game is available for any masochists out there.

The structure was outstanding in the first half.

We didn’t play out starting halves.

Odd post.

Strange post indeed.

Second half was a fully changed back line before the tries, positions swapped and some costly errors in attack by inexperience.

Jowitt off, Walmsley to FB, Franco to FB, Croft to wing, Law to wing. Griffin to centre, with Cozza off too in the middle we just fell victim to changes that wouldn’t occur in a league game ordinarily.

The first 40 was closer to the team we expect and it was well drilled.

Just been reported that we have rejected an offer from Hull KR for Gale.

Surprised you haven't taken it, you will be in SL no matter what 2025, is he needed?

Quote ="Dave K."Surprised you haven't taken it, you will be in SL no matter what 2025, is he needed?'" Nice to them off for once though. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/r ... le-4469500

Quote ="Dave K."Surprised you haven't taken it, you will be in SL no matter what 2025, is he needed?'" Nice to them off for once though. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/r ... le-4469500

I think it's more a principle thing. And can see Gale being on coaching team in 2025 too

Gale may not be the player he was but he is our chief organising half.

We have struggled to fill that role since Liam Finn and Sam Williams departed the club.

We have tried and failed for various reasons with Brough and also Lino.

I think he’s very important both on and off the field to our rebuild and it would be a poor move by us to let him leave so close to the start of the season even if we did have a ready made replacement, which we don’t.

In a years time they’ll try and sign Lawford as well.