and everbody is saying that we need a new scrum half for next year or we need a top class centre or whatever other position.
people get cheesed off because they still go and pay and watch but they have to wait for new players for next year and this season isn't even half way through yet and theres still everything to play for in the league,
other clubs do it so why can't we go out and look for these players now and kickstart our season off again? we have the cap space, quota space and a very successful commercial side of things that other clubs don't have the luxury of.

We only have the cap space if one/both of Crocker and Lauaki don't get visas. Also, which scrum half do you suggest we sign?

Don't be silly. A club of our stature only has to whistle and legions of top quality scrum halves will come running, tearing up their current contracts in an eyeblink. Failing that, we can just spend all the cash that is currently tied up in existing players. Never mind the cap or contracts - just splash the cash, baby.

Defeatist.

My bad!

its the fact that it gets missed every season thats the problem Kosh

last season we needed one for 2009, as it was noticeable quite early that Dykes was ready for his bus pass...so they go and get Crocker.

and whilst we are obviously constrained by the salary cap: Wigan needed a centre so went and spend 125k+Mathers on Gleeson...could you imagine HullFC spending money on anyone? and with Whelan gone from Wigan they won't have vastly bigger resources than we do.

One more game and it'll only be rovers fans that can still count how many games they've played on their fingers

I agree. But that's not what the OP was on about.


As I understand it, the full seriousness of Dyke's injuries was not clear until quite late on. The club then had to make sure that they could negotiate a release that didn't cripple us financially.

The Crocker deal was agreed before Dykes was known to be leaving.

It keeps being rumoured that we've got a scrum half for next season, hence Thorman being signed for one season only. I certainly hope it's true, as that HAS to be our top priority if we're going to have a chance of a decent season next year.


If we don't have cap space, our willingness to spend money is irrelevant. I'm far more infuriated by our unwillingness to spend money on the coaching setup TBH - there's no cap restraint and we should not have taken the cheap option when Sharpe was sacked.

i think you have done a brilliant start to your season.

We did,its gone a bit Pete Tong since.

I hope so, I just have so little faith in the current board/coaching set up that they'd go to Aus and buy something we don't need, like another 2nd rower.

and I think everybody is in agreement about the last point, they could have hired a new coach, let him finish off 2008 sorting his side out before 2009, now we are suggesting we need to spend 2009 sorting 2010 out...and that process is going to continue until they hire a decent coach.

Don't let people on here fool you, we have done ok. But brilliant is stretching it to say the least.

Based on what people would have said at the start of the season.

Games that we expected to win and won:
Celtic

Games expected to win and lost:
Cas
Wakefield

Games expected to lose and won:
Wigan
Catalans
Bradford
Huddersfield

Games expected to lose and lost:
Harlequins
Saints

Rovers was 50 50 imo.

So it's a mixed bag really, and with the way we have supposedley played we have competed in every game (even against Saints we scored more than anyone else has). We have three must wins coming up in Salford, Castleford and Warrington and we are more than capable of winning all of them and looking at the league and at the upcoming fixtures for other teams I think that if we do win them we will be 4th, 5th at worst. Keep the faith.

I'd disagree about those, we should expect to be beating every team at home IMO

and on the 2nd point have you actually seen us recently

Salford and Cas have both beaten us just a few weeks ago as well

So at the start of the season eveyone came on here and said I fully expect us to beat Wigan, Catalans and Rovers at home? No.

Yes I have seen us recently, and I've seen a team that are trying but are low on confidence and aren't far away from stringing some wins together. I don't let my negetivity and hatred cloud my judgement. We were the better team in both of the games you mentioned and the fact that we did lose makes me more confident that we will win the second time around. It's an added incentive, especially when you consider Salford knocked us out of the cup.

In a nutshell when it comes to Hull. Morgan wasnt a marquee coach but we were in NL1 at the time. He still isnt perfect but the board has given him a long lead and so far he hasnt run off in the wrong direction.

You need to pick up 4 points to go 5th, and the teams above to lose all 3, but congratulations on your optimism

Thats why I said we need to win the next 3, hence 6 points, not 4.

Rovers play Catalans, Warrington and Wigan. I've got that down as 1 win and 2 defeats (possibly 3 but i'll give you benifit of the doubt). 15 points

Wakefield play Wigan, Bradford and Quins. I reckon 3 losses. 14 points.

Quins have Leeds, Salford and Wakey. Two wins and 1 defeat. 14 points

Cas have Celtic, Hull and Leeds. One win. 14 points

Hudderfield have Warrington, Celtic and Salford. 3 wins. 20 points

Leeds have Quins, Catalans and Cas. 3 wins. 20 points.

That is my prediction. Whether we go 4th or not we will be in a decent position if we win our next 3 because the sides above us all play each other a few times and will drop points.