I think George was hard done by after the Featherstone debarcle,I think he got fed up of travelling for the reserves,in which through Mickys videos he looked a class above,hope we dont regret it,i fear we will.

The club are paying his wage.
If he is not in the coaches plans then let him go.

Save the money or spend it on a player the coach wants.

I'd like to thank George for his efforts for the club.

Good, reliable full back, can never recall him having a particularly bad game for us.

When huge changes were made after the Featherstone game, his was the omission I found surpising.

He was far too good to be playing reserve team Rugby

I know he's highly regarded at Hunslet and he'll do well again there. All the best George.

Didnt do much wrong for me though Jim,my opinion,thats all,just seems a shame to loose a player of his undoubted ability.

That's him. From what I saw of him he was excellent and I was backing him to break into the first team.

Whilst its sad to see George go I think we have a more than capable replacement in Craig Moss his form is what has kept George out.

What!!Cant recall George gifting any tries can you?

He did at Dewsbury last season Steve.

He was returning a kick when he knocked on straight in to a Dewsbury player's hands on the goal line.

Would like to see Belcher get a run in the first team. He looked really good in pre season until he got injured.

I thought George was awesome when he first came, but seems to have lost his edge of late.

We are not a rich club and someone has to have common sense and balance the accounts - especially considering we had three fullbacks. From what I've read, George seems happy with the deal, he commented that the travelling was getting to him and he believes he is "returning home". Good luck to him.

It was interesting that at the previous fans forum with the directors Barry commented that we have three "communicators" in the squad - Buster, Danny Jones and Craig Moss. He obviously believes that the full back should be a communicator.

George was a good full-back, but like all players they have bad spells, some come out of them and some don't,
We have a great full back for the future in Dan Belcher, and Craig Moss has proved he is a good full back, But i do believe Dan to be the better full back.
Anyway with George going to Hunslet, they now have a player capable of pushing Neil Lowe out of the doors of pizza hut, when he gets wedged in.

George was more than capable from 1 to 5 in my opinion,ill say it again,we could regret this big style,especially when he gets in to the team(which he will breeze) at Hunslet and starts racking up the tries,i understand the financial restraints at the club and we have to work within our budget but surely there were fringe players on a similar pay structure who have lots less ability then george? i dont know,but like I say,too good a player was George to let go for me,and I stress this is only my opinion guys.

Andrew, get a grip. If Cougars have let him go its because he is not good enough. Let the manager do his job and you get on with supporting the team. Simple.

That's it Rbear, hide behind a forum to talk like that to me, I did state quite clearly that this was only my opinion and I'm entitled to it, anyway I'll be inbrhe bar Sunday at about 2-10 if you wish to continue this conversation, if not then I suggest you try not to be so nasty.

We all know your entitled to it and you have give it. If he is not in the team its because the manager doesn't think he is good enough so thats it. Yes he might be well liked but its all about winning games. If he is not playing its simple players move on.

ps don't take this too serious

I don't. As for your offer about the bar.... did you say your buying me a pint?

Certainly I'll buy you a pint, just very disaapointed, hate the thought of losing good players, especially when the squad isn't the strongest to start with, I suspect it wasn't his playing ability that has seen him leave though, just a hunch.

Are you in a roundabout way saying he shouldn't criticise (and I might add he's done it constructively unlike others on here) the club?

Is AA less of a fan because he doesn't consider the word and actions of the club gospel? I don't reckon.

He pays in every fortnight and has done for many, many years through good times and bad. I think he's more than entitled to his opinion.

Just bear in mind that his hard earned cash goes towards paying the wages for everyone at the club.

As for them letting him go because he's not good enough are you sure?

He was more than good enough for the last few seasons. Does somebody all of a sudden become useless in the first half dozen games of this season, and in one of those he got very badly knocked out. He's apparently good enough for the strongest team in Ch1.

There's a whole multitude of reasons he could have been let go for. George himself might have wanted out, it's documented he found it hard to travel to Keighley. Being semi-pros, where players work can have a bearing on it. Has there been a swap deal for Sheldrake, mutually benefitting both clubs? Is it because the club couldn't justify the pay a player of his quality would receive playing reserves rugby?

cheers stealth.

Andy we are not short of fullbacks.
We have the best one at the club coming back from injury.
If he stays fit and keeps improving. People will be talking about him ,being as good as the best one i have ever seen at Cougar Park. The Stoop master himself.

The money saved on him. Has more than likely, gone to pay for the new winger we have signed.

I would say we need a winger more than another fullback.

In my opinion I don't think there is any doubt about George being good enough.

It is more a simple case of others being better.

In the 1st team games at the start of the season, Dan Belcher was not only strong as an ox going forward, he was very good defensively I remember him taking on Casey Mayberry at Blackpool head on when Casey was in full flow.

Dan's problem is Craig Moss has also made a good crack of the full back job.
What Craig does, that neither other full back do, is communicate and control the other backs.
Between him, Danny Jones and Buster the machine works as a team.

I am very disappointed with this also, and like others have said think that we may come to regret this. To me George always stood out as one of our classier players and is definately a player of Championship quality. Dan Belcher is a very promising player, but he has spent a lot of the time injured so if Craig Moss is injured we could be short of a full back. Are we starting to down grade the team in preparation for Championship 1?

It isn't the first time, nor the last that we have let good players go.

Remember the side full of internationals that we had to let go?

Remember Latham Tawhai? He came back to haunt us on many occasions.

If new players come in then old players will go, its simple economics. We either accept it or risk another -9 points. We might not like it, but as fans we have to accept that this is the harsh reality of survival for a small club.

George was too good to spend an extended period in the reserves so if the club can do a swap deal that suits all parties then we have to accept it's the best solution for all. From the hunslet board:
[i"I am over the moon to return to what I class as home, the travelling to Keighley was getting me down and I have hankered over a return to the Hawks for a while now as the club has shown huge improvements since my previous spell at the club. My short term goal is to help the club achieve automatic promotion and then earn myself a contract with the club for 2011, I know I will have to work extremely hard to get into the side and I cannot wait to get started."[/i

I wish George well, but will put my support firmly behind Craig Moss and Dan Belcher.

We may come to regret it, but we would regret -9 more.

Stop that now..............................................you know you cant talk like that on here

That could well cross people's minds but we have let one go and brought two (younger) players in. If George's statement on the Hunslet board that he was hankering for a return to his "home" is true then we would be foolish to keep him.

Didn't Sheldrake spend some time at fullback for the Rhino's youth setup?



I don't think anyone objects to realism, but at this stage of the season defeatism aint good. IF we get relegated then I would sooner it be on the back of fighting tooth and nail to stay up than just rolling over. The side will need a positive attitude next year, whatever division we are in.

One thing we all have to remember, is this is Barrys choice.

I cant fault him so far. So i cant fault him for this.