Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 7:44 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Lino has looked superb at times and poor at others when I’ve seen him. I always worry about players like Lino, the type of guys who do well as the main man at a smaller club and then the step up is huge going to a Wigan, Leeds etc. Sometimes it isn’t that the club is too big but they go in there and they have guys at that club already who will be running the show and they then get a smaller part and cannot stand out as they have done before.

I wouldn’t be against Lino replacing Tommy in 2024 but it makes most sense that it isn’t for 2023. In an ideal world we get Cooper in, keep Tommy on for that year but maybe play him more as a rotation option, keep French and get a new centre in. Just a couple in and a couple out would be quite settled for us and we’re building nicely.

Keep French and we'd need to find an English centre and I can't think of one who's good quality and potentially available. Jake Bibby has struggled to make an impact this year at centre IMO (played decent at Cas I know) and Iv previously said I wouldn't mind him moving on - however having thought about it I guess it would only be a good move if a potentially better replacement is available.

I think the more likely scenario is French to leave and an overseas centre brought in. Cooper will replace Partington and any money left over from Bibby and Hardaker moving on perhaps spent on contract upgrades. Would leave us short of fullback cover though.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 7:53 pm  

MadDogg wrote:

Keep French and we'd need to find an English centre and I can't think of one who's good quality and potentially available. Jake Bibby has struggled to make an impact this year at centre IMO (played decent at Cas I know) and Iv previously said I wouldn't mind him moving on - however having thought about it I guess it would only be a good move if a potentially better replacement is available.

I think the more likely scenario is French to leave and an overseas centre brought in. Cooper will replace Partington and any money left over from Bibby and Hardaker moving on perhaps spent on contract upgrades. Would leave us short of fullback cover though.

I suppose to add to the ideal scenario you’re looking at moving Isa on and keeping KPP for next season. That way you can get an overseas centre and keep French as well. Who knows how it will plan out but keeping disruption to a minimum, whilst just adding a couple of bits of real quality should be a priority.

If I guessed how it will go though, I think French will leave, we’ll get an overseas centre and guys like Miski and Halsall will move up a spot. If we created an extra spot by Isa going, I wouldn’t be surprised if we went for the guy at Halifax-Lachlan Walmsley. It was apparently close last season and I hear he’s earning rave reviews there this season.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 7:57 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I suppose to add to the ideal scenario you’re looking at moving Isa on and keeping KPP for next season. That way you can get an overseas centre and keep French as well. Who knows how it will plan out but keeping disruption to a minimum, whilst just adding a couple of bits of real quality should be a priority.

If I guessed how it will go though, I think French will leave, we’ll get an overseas centre and guys like Miski and Halsall will move up a spot. If we created an extra spot by Isa going, I wouldn’t be surprised if we went for the guy at Halifax-Lachlan Walmsley. It was apparently close last season and I hear he’s earning rave reviews there this season.

I can’t see us taking up another quota spot on a winger from the Championship.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 8:19 pm  

We've been pretty blessed for English three quarters in recent years allowing us to use quota spots elsewhere but when you consider we may end up losing all five of Manfredi, Gildart, Burgess, Hardaker and Bibby it does start to put pressure on the quota.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 8:37 pm  

CobraCraig wrote:

I can’t see us taking up another quota spot on a winger from the Championship.

It depends who leaves I guess but if they do make room, I wouldn’t be massively surprised if they did go back in for him. If French goes they need fullback cover and the lad does play there as well as on the wing.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 9:09 pm  

Hearing Hull are seriously in the mix for Bevan French. Wigan would like to keep him but not on the marquee deal he is on atm (I wonder if Jai Field is now our 2nd marquee alongside Bateman?).

Would be disappointing if Bevan went to another SL club considering the way Wigan have supported him but its a short career and the players need to make their money. Strange though if Hull are the club to offer him that money given Pearson's comments about their financial difficulties.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 9:13 pm  

Have we got any centre options from the Academy, beyond Halsall?

I'd hate to see French go to another SL club too.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 9:16 pm  

MadDogg wrote:

Keep French and we'd need to find an English centre and I can't think of one who's good quality and potentially available.

Jake Wardle? At Huddersfield until 2023. Still young.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 10:14 pm  

Will Hanley be the FB backup or will he be moved on. A decision will need to be made on him and if he will make it with us at some point soon?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 05, 2022 10:42 pm  

moto748 wrote:

Have we got any centre options from the Academy, beyond Halsall?

I'd hate to see French go to another SL club too.

Zach Eckersley.