Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 9:35 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

Hankinson, Thornley and Bibby are all players I’d consider good options as a third centre but there’s a very realistic possibility two will be starting next year.

Couldn’t agree more.
Hankinson is solid at best. Offers vey little to the attack.
Thornley for such a big lad is so disappointing. Always seems to lack confidence and at 30 it’s unlikely he will suddenly find it. He can only have been signed before SW came back because he doesn’t rate him one iota.
Bibby is difficult not to like. Quietly goes about his work and on the most part does it quite diligently however, lacks that bit of sparkle. An excellent clubman but at this point a questionable starting centre but hopefully can and will develop further.

Halsall could be one possible answer but at the moment physically he lacks the size of a modern centre.

Probably our worst position in terms of centres for a couple of decades.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:30 am  

100% Warrior wrote:

To be fair I’d take Bibby. He’s dependable, tough and has proven himself IMO to be a real asset. Out of Thornley and Hank I’m not sure.

He’s a lad I really like and he certainly won’t let us down. If Hardaker goes though he’ll probably be our number one centre and that’s pushing it. I’m struggling to see how we could sort the centre position out properly after Hardakers exit. No quota spots and no realistic English options available.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:33 am  

I agree it would make sense to use Bibby at centre given our options, but does anyone else think he's actually better on the wing? I think if he was an islander playing exactly the same way we would be calling him the 'Tank on the flank'. He may be slower than most wingers but having a bigger guy out there can be really effective, as we saw early in the season.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:43 am  

Grimmy wrote:

I agree it would make sense to use Bibby at centre given our options, but does anyone else think he's actually better on the wing? I think if he was an islander playing exactly the same way we would be calling him the 'Tank on the flank'. He may be slower than most wingers but having a bigger guy out there can be really effective, as we saw early in the season.

You’d imagine he will be starting right winger if Hardaker stays, with those two on the right and Thornley/Marshall on the left side. He’s unfashionable Bibby because he came from Salford and wasn’t on our books as a kid, so there’s a perception that he’s not all that but he’s been a really good signing for us. We’re desperate for that one extra strike player though alongside French and Marshall. The type of guy who could break the line and score from range. Hardaker can be that man and then you have Bibby and Thornley as two solid options but if Hardaker goes, we’re short on strike/threat from distance IMO.

Rads really needs to play hardball with Hardaker. It clearly looks like he wouldn’t extend his deal but if he has to put up with the M62 for a season, then so be it.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:56 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

You’d imagine he will be starting right winger if Hardaker stays, with those two on the right and Thornley/Marshall on the left side. He’s unfashionable Bibby because he came from Salford and wasn’t on our books as a kid, so there’s a perception that he’s not all that but he’s been a really good signing for us. We’re desperate for that one extra strike player though alongside French and Marshall. The type of guy who could break the line and score from range. Hardaker can be that man and then you have Bibby and Thornley as two solid options but if Hardaker goes, we’re short on strike/threat from distance IMO.

Rads really needs to play hardball with Hardaker. It clearly looks like he wouldn’t extend his deal but if he has to put up with the M62 for a season, then so be it.

I wasn't sure whether it would be Miski on the wing with Bibby at centre and Thornley missing out. Obviously we'll see a few combinations anyway if recent years are anything to go by. Agree about Hardaker. It's really not that hard to put up with traffic or rent closer for one season, especially after the club went out on a limb for him (twice).

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 11:09 am  

Grimmy wrote:

. It's really not that hard to put up with traffic or rent closer for one season, especially after the club went out on a limb for him (twice).

This is a perfect example of what I spoke about in the thread about the fans forum/GW.

Plenty of fans came out with lines like "players don't owe the club anything", "family come 1st" or "it's a short career" but now ZH wants to leave, all of those are out of the window.

It's either one or the other isn't it?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 11:10 am  

It's a shame Hankinson hasn't got close to Gildart's pace, to me he looks like a proper winger's centre, been watching the London highlights when they appear on the rfl's fb page and he's got a load of assists, would solve our goal kicking issues at a stroke as well.
Don't know if it's been through necessity at London but he's been at FB for a couple of weeks now

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 11:34 am  

Grimmy wrote:

I wasn't sure whether it would be Miski on the wing with Bibby at centre and Thornley missing out. Obviously we'll see a few combinations anyway if recent years are anything to go by. Agree about Hardaker. It's really not that hard to put up with traffic or rent closer for one season, especially after the club went out on a limb for him (twice).

It’s as simple as ‘your under contract, get your backside here on time or you’ll be fined’ for me. How he does that is his business, as is signing a new contract. I work in Manchester City centre and can sit in traffic for an age both there and back each day. I have mates who work in Manchester but travel to York, London and various other places. My dad took a job in the Prison service when he was about 40 and we were kids and we didn’t want to move house/school, so he did two years commuting to Wolverhampton and back each day just to get a start in that job. I have very little sympathy for his situation tbh and I hope the club feel the same. It is not Monte Carlo he’s from, it’s Ponte Carlo.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:27 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

This is a perfect example of what I spoke about in the thread about the fans forum/GW.

Plenty of fans came out with lines like "players don't owe the club anything", "family come 1st" or "it's a short career" but now ZH wants to leave, all of those are out of the window.

It's either one or the other isn't it?

The club has gone over and above what was required of them to support Hardaker, and the reason for wanting to leave is a bit weak, that's why I'm saying he should feel obliged to honour his final year. This isn't a guy who's family is on the other side of the world, or who would earn a lot more money by leaving as far as I can see.

The club has never had to go beyond the call of duty for Williams as far as I know, and his reason for not signing for us is better - he is maximising his earnings in a short career. It's disappointing but I'm more bothered about the club not getting a transfer fee or being able to match Wire's bid to be honest. I did lose a bit of respect for him goading our fans in the last game though. Pantomime stuff but his grateful comments about the club not challenging him legally do seem hollow now.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:30 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

It’s as simple as ‘your under contract, get your backside here on time or you’ll be fined’ for me. How he does that is his business, as is signing a new contract. I work in Manchester City centre and can sit in traffic for an age both there and back each day. I have mates who work in Manchester but travel to York, London and various other places. My dad took a job in the Prison service when he was about 40 and we were kids and we didn’t want to move house/school, so he did two years commuting to Wolverhampton and back each day just to get a start in that job. I have very little sympathy for his situation tbh and I hope the club feel the same. It is not Monte Carlo he’s from, it’s Ponte Carlo.

Oh for sure, I suppose its what happens if he doesn't turn up though. They might mot legally be able to fine him, and even if they can it still leaves us without a player we are using a fair chunk of cap space on. It could come down to a choice between either letting him go and having the cap space back, or packing him out on loan to Widnes as we did when Hock started playing silly buggers.