Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 7:36 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I’m not slating him in terms of his feelings. If it’s an issue the commute from Ponte and the it’s an issue living over here, then he has my sympathy to a point. Unfortunately I wouldn’t say that point includes being understanding of the club rolling over. I’d hold him to his contract, even if that means him having a tough 12 months of traffic jams. If the club just cave in and release him without compensation of some sort, it’s another president set, much like the one they set with the extended breaks for the two Aussie lads.

He’s an important player for us. I’d probably disagree that he’s been superb tbh. I think he’s been very good but has never quite hit is absolute best, other than the first month of this season but that’s more of a nod to how good he actually can be because he’s still played very well for us at times. My main issue is how do you replace him? We’ve no quota spots, so they’ll need to be homegrown and realistic options are very thin on the ground.

Oh absolutely. The club shouldn’t just fold and let him go, the mess that leaves behind with Thornley, Hank and Bibby as our centres is frightening. He must be held to his deal come what may. Whilst we are sympathetic that can only go so far and it gets nowhere near releasing him from his deal.

Chances are he goes at the end of 2022 which gives us a full season to source and recruit 2 new centres. Wardle for me should be a target but he’s under contract until the end of 2023 so a transfer fee would be involved and I’m not so sure we’d be up for that. If he goes now we’re in trouble, if he leaves end of 2023 we’ve ample time to sort it out and in that respect (and likelihood) I’m not too concerned at the minute

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Sep 10, 2021 7:46 pm  

100% Warrior wrote:

Oh absolutely. The club shouldn’t just fold and let him go, the mess that leaves behind with Thornley, Hank and Bibby as our centres is frightening. He must be held to his deal come what may. Whilst we are sympathetic that can only go so far and it gets nowhere near releasing him from his deal.

Chances are he goes at the end of 2022 which gives us a full season to source and recruit 2 new centres. Wardle for me should be a target but he’s under contract until the end of 2023 so a transfer fee would be involved and I’m not so sure we’d be up for that. If he goes now we’re in trouble, if he leaves end of 2023 we’ve ample time to sort it out and in that respect (and likelihood) I’m not too concerned at the minute

I’d be amazed if we paid a transfer fee for anyone within the next couple of years tbh. It looks clear the money just isn’t there to compete for players other big teams want and that seems to be from here and overseas. We need to keep Hardaker and push the problem 12 months down the road as to how we replace him (and more than likely French). We just can’t seem to keep a settled squad together.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 11, 2021 6:58 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

I’d be amazed if we paid a transfer fee for anyone within the next couple of years tbh. It looks clear the money just isn’t there to compete for players other big teams want and that seems to be from here and overseas. We need to keep Hardaker and push the problem 12 months down the road as to how we replace him (and more than likely French). We just can’t seem to keep a settled squad together.

But the money was there to offer Williams the clubs biggest ever contract?

Field likely off as well, I know he has had injury issues but it’s clear the club plan to run him at 6. For next year then he’s off?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 11, 2021 8:29 am  

nathan_rugby wrote:

But the money was there to offer Williams the clubs biggest ever contract?

Field likely off as well, I know he has had injury issues but it’s clear the club plan to run him at 6. For next year then he’s off?

Being honest I can’t see Field being here post 2022. It looks like he’s not fancied at all which begs the question as to why he was signed at all. I personally think a good pre season training as a 6 will do the world of good but obviously I’m not privy to how he runs at 6 in training (if he does at all) so pure hope there more than anything.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 11, 2021 9:13 am  

nathan_rugby wrote:

But the money was there to offer Williams the clubs biggest ever contract?

Field likely off as well, I know he has had injury issues but it’s clear the club plan to run him at 6. For next year then he’s off?

And it still wasn’t enough. If there’s an opportunity like the Williams one maybe they will try and in the main it all feels like we’re cutting our cloth. That’s fair enough. I sat here and said during lockdown I just wanted a club to watch and we have that. There’s nothing saying we can’t do something with next years squad but it will be tough.

On Field, it’s still as hard to make a judgement on him now as it was when he signed. He’s been injured for 95% of the year and seems to still be struggling now. Hopefully he can have an injury free pre season and we’ll get to see what he’s got next year.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 11, 2021 9:53 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

On Field, it’s still as hard to make a judgement on him now as it was when he signed. He’s been injured for 95% of the year and seems to still be struggling now. Hopefully he can have an injury free pre season and we’ll get to see what he’s got next year.

Agreed. I can't see how people can make a judgement call, or write the lad off so soon? He didn't have a pre season, he had 5 months off with injury and then has been injured again.

That's even before you throw in the Lam factor. A coach, like you said earlier in the week, that's even made John Bateman look bad.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:01 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Agreed. I can't see how people can make a judgement call, or write the lad off so soon? He didn't have a pre season, he had 5 months off with injury and then has been injured again.

That's even before you throw in the Lam factor. A coach, like you said earlier in the week, that's even made John Bateman look bad.

I read a thread on the other board with many calling him too slight, weak etc and basically writing him off. I’d like to know where they’ve been able to see him in action enough to make those judgements because it’s certainly not here. He’s started two games, lasting 10 mins in one against Leigh and then the one at fullback against Leeds. He’s probably played about another hour combined in his other couple of appearances. All that coming back off a 5 month lay off, in a struggling team and playing under a coach who can’t get his side scoring more than a try a game most weeks.

Hopefully he’s fit going in to the start of the 2022 pre season and then the season and I’ll treat him as a new signing along with guys like Mago and Ellis. I still feel like I know as little about Field as I do those two.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:08 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

I read a thread on the other board with many calling him too slight, weak etc and basically writing him off. I’d like to know where they’ve been able to see him in action enough to make those judgements because it’s certainly not here. He’s started two games, lasting 10 mins in one against Leigh and then the one at fullback against Leeds. He’s probably played about another hour combined in his other couple of appearances. All that coming back off a 5 month lay off, in a struggling team and playing under a coach who can’t get his side scoring more than a try a game most weeks.

Hopefully he’s fit going in to the start of the 2022 pre season and then the season and I’ll treat him as a new signing along with guys like Mago and Ellis. I still feel like I know as little about Field as I do those two.

Exactly.

It's one thing I don't understand about some of our fans. I don't understand how they come to some of the decisions that they do. There's no reason, or logic to it.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 11, 2021 11:38 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Agreed. I can't see how people can make a judgement call, or write the lad off so soon? He didn't have a pre season, he had 5 months off with injury and then has been injured again.

That's even before you throw in the Lam factor. A coach, like you said earlier in the week, that's even made John Bateman look bad.

I’m not writing him. I think he would and could be an asset to us right now (and next season) if he was given some game time but as you rightly touched on it looks to be the Lam factor holding him back. I just wonder given our coaching set up is essentially the same in 2022, just minus Lam, whether the view of him would change all that much. I mean it’s not hard to see our HB issues with Smith not firing and to a certain extent you could include JH in that, do our back room and assistant coaches really have that much say or are they just not fighting a corner for Field because they don’t rate him? That’s all I’m getting at rather than writing him off

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 11, 2021 11:56 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Exactly.

It's one thing I don't understand about some of our fans. I don't understand how they come to some of the decisions that they do. There's no reason, or logic to it.

'Strong opinions' are often not founded on much solid data. Field is pretty slight, but then again so are plenty of players. I wasn't overwhelmed by his signing, but as said, he deserves a fair shot and a fresh start after that lengthy injury lay-off.