It's the same every off season. The annual 'Slag Rich Whiting Off' thread is anticipated as excitedly by some as the 'Cheerleaders' thread is by others.

I just don't really get it! 26 games this season!

Well average or utility or slow, one things for sure Rich Whiting is probably our most consistent performer & has been for a while.
Constantly moved about yet is still the player that often turns a game & leads by example even when our so called better players have been found wanting.

Would definatley like to see 2 more forwards signed if possible as we are looking a bit lightweight in the pack now IMO

Id have 13 Rich Whitings in the team...100% commitment every week no matter where he plays.Personally i see him as a 13 but wouldnt mind him having a go at 2nd row as we have another back who can cover the centres in Turner.Still think we need another big nasty B'stard of a prop and a centre.....if we go with Turner,we are asking for trouble...ok against lesser sies but found wanting against the big boys.

It is rather confusing, I must concur.

I think we could cope with 1 more new prop, and let a youngster have a chance as back-up if needed.

Centre concerns me just as much. On one side of the backs we have a potential England Centre/Wing partnership, the other side will be drawn out of a hat as things stand.

Whiting is one of our best players. Invaluable. The fact he has played in almost 10 positions in his time here and not disgraced himself in any says it all. Not his fault we have asked him to do this, and do it he has. Better than most, and admirably.

The Club seem to be drawing a few blanks .
Is Adam about to get his cheque book out again I wonder?

It is predictable and mental, it does my head in!!.....Thankfully although it is an annual event on here clearly the majority of the faithful appreciate his worth after all he was voted fans player of the year

So Fitz not replaced, Gleeson not replaced and Radford now need replacing.

Need to hear some transfer activity soon!

I would like to see a bid for Burgess at Bradford. I have just been reading on their board that they feel Lynch was basically pushed out for the money, added to the fact he has only a year left on his deal and has openly stated his desire to make a name for himself in SL. Then surely he's ripe for a cash bid.

He is going to have to !!!

If we are serious about challenging at the very top of SL, we need two quality forwards and a real top centre !! They're not going to come cheap !

Would be more than happy with that signing, but I doubt that Bradford would let him go willingly. However, if you're reading this Adam, let's have the chequebook out for Tom Burgess

It's certainly true that, in terms of him being able to realise his full potential, he's made something of a rod for his own back with his ability to do a job in so many positions.

I wouldn't object to see him getting given a run in the back row, but I think his problem would be that unless he was setting the world alight there every week, as soon as we get an injury or two in other positions he's always going get moved to fill in there, because it minimises the disruption to the rest of the team.

I fully agree, but since RL these days is a squad game where the utility role very much exists, your remark is rendered irrelevant.

Besides, I fail to see what any of that has to do with your original comment that 'the only way forward for Whiting is to nail down a position', which suggests that you think he has no future performing his current role for us. I was curious to know why you felt like that and I'm still waiting for an answer.

By the way, since you asked, I've had a look at your spelling and there are a few mistakes in there. I can't be doing this for you every time though, maybe you could get your lad to proof-read your posts for you in future

If the club don't believe Jack Briscoe, Lyne, Turner and Crooks are up to it he'll stay as a utility.

I like whiting, but surely the reason he's seen as a utility player is because we have better 1st choice players in all the positions he plays? Very good squad member though

I think that's the point, rather than the fact that he's not good enough to hold down one spot.

Well you know, I thought I should write in Swahili to make myself understood to you, glad you could interpret.


Also, don't be too quick to think I were making suggestions, quite presumptious really and nothing of the sort. But glad you get it that utility is a 'role' not a position.
As for Whiting, which was the original topic here, I do feel that he certainly has a future here however, in order for him to progress as a player he needs to find a position which is more nailed-on such as S/R or L/F. Incidentally, Whiting himself said that not too long ago.
Also, who the hell are you to say that my remarks are not relevant?
On the patronising side more like.

There must be one big signing to come. The fact that we have got Radford off the cap and are trying to release Obst must mean a decent signing.

Can't see why we would want to release these 2 average players to sign Tony Martin plus 1 other average signing.

I expect(actually I'm praying) that Tony Martin is the pre-arranged downer that will make the next signing appear gargantuan and make fans run in droves for their passes

I think the timing of the radford retirement and the martin signing probably mean we had to do the first before we could do the 2nd, meaning that cap space is tight. mcrae says he will be happy to make his other signing in december or january so maybe he needs obst off the cap to do it?

If we do have one more major signing left to do what do people think we should use it on ? I did think s/r before we let radders go . Wonder if it's the other half of the 2 signings a lot of people were saying we were signing . Gareth Ellis ? Can't see it myself .

We need a replacement for Fitz which isn't easy to do. We really need to have two forwards coming in.

We did need a quality replacement for Gleeson but never mind