Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Mon May 29, 2023 3:44 pm  

It’s a pretty tight league except for Fev. It’s not immediately obvious who is going to be relegated and look at Batley in 3rd. They have a minus points difference and have lost a third of their games. With TO being short on players, second place is up for grabs. Sadly it is unlikely to be us but we could sneak into the playoffs. More likely 8/9th place with a view to pushing on next year. Makes pretty uninspiring reading but it is what it is. Fly in the ointment for onward development is that all players are off contract and are we or aren’t we moving grounds again. Then there is the (non?) engagement with local area conundrum and sponsors/corporate void. I’m confident we’re good enough to stay up and it’s an improved season for sure so that will have to suffice. It would be nice to get a few more home wins and a trip to Wembley in the 1895 would be a real bonus.

Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Mon May 29, 2023 5:11 pm  

BigTime wrote:

It’s a pretty tight league except for Fev. It’s not immediately obvious who is going to be relegated and look at Batley in 3rd. They have a minus points difference and have lost a third of their games. With TO being short on players, second place is up for grabs. Sadly it is unlikely to be us but we could sneak into the playoffs. More likely 8/9th place with a view to pushing on next year. Makes pretty uninspiring reading but it is what it is. Fly in the ointment for onward development is that all players are off contract and are we or aren’t we moving grounds again. Then there is the (non?) engagement with local area conundrum and sponsors/corporate void. I’m confident we’re good enough to stay up and it’s an improved season for sure so that will have to suffice. It would be nice to get a few more home wins and a trip to Wembley in the 1895 would be a real bonus.

I get the feeling Hughes is waiting to see what IMG are going to do

Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Tue May 30, 2023 5:58 pm  

Corey Norman joins us from France. 32yr old SoO player who can play in the halves or full back......depending who much of the Grench Good life he's had I reckon that's our best bit of business in a while

Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Wed May 31, 2023 5:43 pm  

Club finally confirm the Norman signing but he won't be available until end of June (i.e. 5 months after the season started) due to suspension.

Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Thu Jun 01, 2023 8:36 am  

FFS https://twitter.com/TOXIII/status/16641 ... 0jXVA&s=19

FFS https://twitter.com/TOXIII/status/16641 ... 0jXVA&s=19

Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Thu Jun 01, 2023 8:51 am  

Knocker_White wrote: FFS https://twitter.com/TOXIII/status/16641 ... 0jXVA&s=19 As an outsider looking in that seems pretty dubious behaviour from Wigan. A guy who learned his RL at junior level in the SE, came up through the Broncos academy, and has played 11 times on loan for London this year, helps them beat Toulouse - and is then switched to Toulouse on loan a few days later? Of course there may be much more to this than meets the eye, perhaps it's the full-time training that appeals to Wigan, but it does seem very harsh on the Broncos.

Knocker_White wrote: FFS https://twitter.com/TOXIII/status/16641 ... 0jXVA&s=19 As an outsider looking in that seems pretty dubious behaviour from Wigan. A guy who learned his RL at junior level in the SE, came up through the Broncos academy, and has played 11 times on loan for London this year, helps them beat Toulouse - and is then switched to Toulouse on loan a few days later? Of course there may be much more to this than meets the eye, perhaps it's the full-time training that appeals to Wigan, but it does seem very harsh on the Broncos.

Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Thu Jun 01, 2023 9:11 am  

The Phantom Horseman wrote:

Of course there may be much more to this than meets the eye, perhaps it's the full-time training that appeals to Wigan, but it does seem very harsh on the Broncos.

Wigan's announcement suggests the full time environment is a factor. Can't blame them for wanting to maximise his development.

Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Thu Jun 01, 2023 9:20 am  

jbuzza wrote:

Wigan's announcement suggests the full time environment is a factor. Can't blame them for wanting to maximise his development.

Surely Wigan would have considered that before sending him on loan here in the first place. Do we have a DR with them or just loan the occasional player who might want a night out in London before heading on loan elsewhere?

Loans should always be full season & no call back.

Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Thu Jun 01, 2023 11:15 am  

If he’s not going to get a game at Wigan then they’ll want him to develop elsewhere and a loan to a FT side would take his salary off their wage bill as opposed to a DR to a PT time which may not. From his perspective he’ll want to stay FT so that’s probably what’s going on here. More broadly I’m not wedded to year long loans but 2/3 week Dr/loan whatever’s smell of panic and poor recruitment as per last year although the Sam Hall loan worked well. The DR arrangement with Wigan may bear fruit in time. As is,it’s very curious. One minute a player plays for us for a couple of weeks, then for a competitor. Not really sure it’s a sign of a strong league.

Re: Off Season Recruitment - By The Month : Thu Jun 01, 2023 9:33 pm  

Wowzer! You've signed the Rolf Harris of the RL world!

Will the 1895 Cup Final now be played over three legs?