[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Wed Jun 07, 2023 12:41 pm  

Douglas Black wrote:

He wasn't very good last year.

He was very good this year.

He can't get in the Titans side.

He is no longer our player.

but is he proof of good recruitment, or bad recruitment by the board?
signed from the nrl

he wasn't good, then he was good, but he left, because of family issues

these are the key points being debated/disputed

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:24 pm  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

ah, but was the signing of mikaele a good signing, or a bad signing by the board? as is being criticised this week.

Fair point - although with the homesickness how can you spot that? - you can even get that with English players - Hardaker was homesick at Wigan - so had to move all the way to Leigh to cure it.

A very ordinary 2nd row - Griffin - exposed our right edge on Sunday. Harrison/Minikin was not the answer that day. McGuire is banned. Nicholson is out for a while.

Might Matautia as edge back row with Wrench centre shore things up? I don't know.

If not, are there candidates in the reserves/academy waiting for their chance? For a while we had a few people like Ellis Robson, Ellis Longstaff etc who might have been ready to step up - but they all seem to have been moved on. I saw Tom Whitehead at KR this year and I thought he didn't look ready.

So absent of any obvious solutions - you're looking at recruitment - and whoever you go with you're taking a punt.

Of course you could always keep things the same and expect a different result, and we all know what that's another name for...

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:35 pm  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

but is he proof of good recruitment, or bad recruitment by the board?
signed from the nrl

he wasn't good, then he was good, but he left, because of family issues

these are the key points being debated/disputed

Quite. It's a fool's game trying to say whether a signing will be good or not. Some work out, some don't.

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Wed Jun 07, 2023 2:20 pm  

We need to recruit now. Not perfect but has to be done. Might be a bit over the top, but from what I have seen ... I don't think our reserves will help us out of our mini-crisis. Thank God we have started so well. Not really a proper crisis but ... we might have to alter our expectations. Wakefield is a crisis & we were near there last year.

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Wed Jun 07, 2023 2:36 pm  

Smiffy27 wrote:

we might have to alter our expectations.

My expectations were always competing for top 6 and a half decent show in the play-offs (compared to our feeble exits under Price).

Even with the great start with regards to results, the actual displays meant those expectations haven't, and won't, ever change.

Ultimately, it's a very competitive league and I'd say right now, we have as much chance of finishing 9th or 10th, as we have 1st or 2nd and, the way the league is levelling out and with each side's squad strengths and weaknesses, I don't think it would necessarily be an underachievement if we did finish outside the top 6.

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Wed Jun 07, 2023 10:28 pm  

Hearing we plan on bringing King back into the fold next season. Don't know if anyone else has mentioned it.

[Wanderer]

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Thu Jun 08, 2023 1:55 pm  

Snowy wrote:

Niall Evalds would be a great capture for Warrington for next year but you will have some competition to sign him.
Believed to be leaving Cas at the end of the season.

Hull KR reported to be in for him.

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Thu Jun 08, 2023 1:58 pm  

Bit odd that HKR are interested as they've promised Hiku the starting FB spot, not sure how that is going to work.

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Thu Jun 08, 2023 2:34 pm  

Their plan is to play him on the wing, if he signs for them.

Re: Recruitment and Retention. : Thu Jun 08, 2023 7:22 pm  

Potentially interesting one in the fallout over McGuire is that Warrington have apparently gone 'very big' with a marquee offer for Luke Thompson. This would explain Wigan's reduced interest as they've blown them out of the water with an offer that is higher by a six figure sum per year. They have also gone very big on offers for two outside backs from the NRL, one of which is coming this season along with a forward to replace Mikeale and McGuire. Source, lad in work's mate who's mates with Danny Walker. Not the most verifiable, but would fit the profile for Warrington.

Just found this over on Redvee, anyone else heard anything about this.