: Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:20 am  

Alan wrote:

I agree! The lad has natural talent, and trains his socks off from what I hear. This is the type of player we should be trying to build our side around. Whatever we get offered, we have to keep him.

Trouble is Alan we could have tied him to a three year deal last year but the coach at the time only offered him a one year one.

[Nat (Rugby_Aholic)]

: Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:30 am  

I hear from a very good source he has already signed for Halifax for next season.

: Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:37 am  

Nat (Rugby_Aholic) wrote:

I hear from a very good source he has already signed for Halifax for next season.

I thought Greenwood was the best full back in the league?

: Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:31 am  

Leyther_Matt wrote:

I thought Greenwood was the best full back in the league?

Or maybe they've given the coaching job to FrankB and he's going to play stand-off

: Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:19 pm  

If Leigh allow such a promising young player to leave then i,m gobsmacked i can honestly say with my hand on my heart
if this happens i will be picking my matches very very carefuly
for next season
MORTY IS LEIGH THRO n THRO WE SHOULD BE BUILDING AROUND PLAYERS LIKE MORT...

reserves : Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:30 pm  

leyther1 wrote:

Or maybe they've given the coaching job to FrankB and he's going to play stand-off

I would refuse cos I,d prefer to continue supporting Leigh and, as much as I want to bring Fax down a peg or two, I don,t think they could afford my beer allowance.

reserves : Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:44 pm  

Nat (Rugby_Aholic) wrote:

I hear from a very good source he has already signed for Halifax for next season.

Good try lad but you,ll have to do better than that.

You are obviously upset about Penky leaving your lot during the close season.

: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:10 pm  

DETROITSOUL wrote:

If Leigh allow such a promising young player to leave then i,m gobsmacked i can honestly say with my hand on my heart
if this happens i will be picking my matches very very carefuly
for next season
MORTY IS LEIGH THRO n THRO WE SHOULD BE BUILDING AROUND PLAYERS LIKE MORT...

And i myself share your view. I can honestly say that i do not know where these rumours are coming from, but if true then i am amazed that Leigh are allowing it to happen.
A certain person, who i respect immensely wrote upon Nanyns arrival " That this could be the end of Ian Mort" or words to that affect. For what it's worth i actually think the same.
Simply put and no disrepect to Stuart, because i rate him highly, Stuart was signed as a full back and as hardly played in that position due to Morts good form. This as now become a problem and i think the pressure as come on P.R to play him in that position. The arrival of Nanyn means that he will take on the role of goal kicker.
This means that Mort could well be phased out.
I,m now also aware that Morts contract is up at the end of the season ( fred parky on previous post) and as such, have Leigh renogotiated? Maybe they have, maybe they have not, maybe the offer is low, or maybe they have told him that he is not required. I do not know.
However if he as signed for another club it would be very nice indeed for the club to confirm this.
Maybe i'm over thinking here. However i wonder if my theory will be further fueled over the next few weeks?

: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:40 pm  

Just wrote something about this on another thread, it WILL be a travesty if he goes its absolutely ridiculous! I for one am not happy at all and like i said on another topic Donlan wont be here forever and Morty is a young enthusiastic GOOD player that this club needs and should keep and if the club are even thinking along the lines of letting him go they should hang their heads in shame!Not happy ,not happy one iota and if you read this Leigh Centurions SHAME ON YOU! , and if you read this Morty DONT GO

: Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:34 pm  

Morty is the most obvious current example of the rewards reaped by our development of young players, just like Chris Hill & Jimmy Taylor a couple of years ago. He is obviously proud to wear the shirt, plays with passion, and shows that rare commodity in a Leigh player - pace. IMHO he's progressed quicker into the first team than I expected, has bags of confidence (which was Greenwood's biggest problem at times when he was with us) and is continuing to improve, even if he isn't the finished article in his position yet. As we said about Hilly & Jimmy a couple of years ago, he's exactly the sort of player we should be continuing to develop, signing on long contracts and aiming to build a team around for years to come. Even if a better player comes through behind him we'll always be showing our commitment to bringing the best young players through.

The debate about Donlan or Morty at FB has divided fans - personally I'm firmly in the Morty camp, but I can see the opposite argument as well. However, where will Donlan be in 2 years? 3? 4? He won't be a player we'll be wanting to pay top whack to and build a team around thats for sure. And we'll find ourselves scrabbling round the lower leagues for a fullback because while we massaged Donlan's SL ego we've let Morty, Dollin & co slip through our fingers like so many others before.

This season was supposed to be about youth (unless we were lied to as an excuse for not making any signings) but now we're favouring ageing SL & even NL players ahead of quality young players coming through. If we want to stick to the youth policy we should go with Morty and tell Donlan he plays where he's picked, not where he wants to play. If we let Morty go, use Nanyn as a kicker and Donlan at FB the fans will ask why the club lied about the so-called youth policy and why our signings were so poor. I wonder which it will be......