Re: Castleford Away : Wed May 22, 2024 6:09 pm  

I understand things are looking up off the field and long term, but I can’t help worry that we really need to start to do something drastic to improve the dire short term situation we are in.

There’s already chatter from people in the game that we shouldn’t be allowed exemption from relegation and that will only get worse the more and more we are hammered every week, especially by the lower sides like Cas. Also there’s the impact on attendances, people are already walking away and more will do the worse we get, they might not come back even if things improve next year.

Looking at the two sides there’s absolutely no chance we can win this game. It should be winnable for any side. It’s another game we’ve just written off, and it’s going to be a hammering and no doubt a big contributor to that will be a player who we paid off to allow him to join a rival. If we’ve got money to pay off players that are better then remain at the club, there must be something in the pot to improve things short term?

Re: Castleford Away : Wed May 22, 2024 6:44 pm  

DSJ1983 wrote:

I understand things are looking up off the field and long term, but I can’t help worry that we really need to start to do something drastic to improve the dire short term situation we are in.

There’s already chatter from people in the game that we shouldn’t be allowed exemption from relegation and that will only get worse the more and more we are hammered every week, especially by the lower sides like Cas. Also there’s the impact on attendances, people are already walking away and more will do the worse we get, they might not come back even if things improve next year.

Looking at the two sides there’s absolutely no chance we can win this game. It should be winnable for any side. It’s another game we’ve just written off, and it’s going to be a hammering and no doubt a big contributor to that will be a player who we paid off to allow him to join a rival. If we’ve got money to pay off players that are better then remain at the club, there must be something in the pot to improve things short term?

There can be as much chatter about relegation as they like but seeing as they all agreed (or at least the majority did) to the IMG grading system rather than straight up promotion and relegation, it's a moot point. Has the club taken advantage a bit of that provisional A licence? Probably. Is that a good look for the game? Not really. But it is what it is and there's no way they will lose that many points that we'll miss the cut. They won't change their minds now and suddenly put straight up relegation back on the table. So as much as things are dire on the pitch, there isn't a need for drastic improvement from that point of view.

From the point of view of attendances, maybe there is a point there about dwindling attendances. But Hull fans are incredibly loyal and although some are fed up now and walking away, there'll still be plenty there regardless. And it won't take many results for fans to return, despite what they might be feeling now.

As for improvements short term, the club have made signings to try and improve things. But they can't just magically click their fingers and get a load of quality players brought in. It's all going to be down to who is on the market and also if they are interested.

Re: Castleford Away : Wed May 22, 2024 7:41 pm  

Never underestimate Rugby League's capacity to hurl a sudden curve ball into the mix! Although to put straight promotion-relegation back on the table in, say July, would be unexpected even by the standards of our game!!

As long as the IMG ratings remain (in some form) we are comfortably one of the top twelve clubs in the sport and hence remain a top-flight outfit. I not entirely sure how we can make any progress to rescue 2024. Any decent player is likely to avoid us with a wide barge-pole given our situation, hence the standard of player we are currently having to deal with at this time.

Think we've no choice but to grit our teeth and somehow stumble onto September with fingers crossed that we don't inflict too much further damage to the club's already somewhat flimsy reputation. We're at the start of a very long road back to even some form of respectability, let alone challenging once more at the top.

Re: Castleford Away : Wed May 22, 2024 10:17 pm  

The talk of NRL buying a stake in our game has surfaced again , Apparently the RFL have made an approach to them with a view of buying a stake in SL .
The Aussies would probably only buy into it with a London team still in SL .

Re: Castleford Away : Wed May 22, 2024 11:31 pm  

bonaire wrote:

every team in S/L has too much pace for us
Easy win for Castleford
We are slow this season but next season looks to be even worse
Briscoe,hardaker and Sutcliffe pace to burn

Have we finished our recruitment?

Re: Castleford Away : Thu May 23, 2024 12:15 am  

Dave K. wrote:

Have we finished our recruitment?

No but unless we tear up Hardakers contract or move Sutcliffe on and bring in an overseas centre then you you can expect Briscoe,Hardaker,Sutcliffe to be our Dynamic backline next season

Re: Castleford Away : Thu May 23, 2024 12:21 am  

bonaire wrote:

No but unless we tear up Hardakers contract or move Sutcliffe on and bring in an overseas centre then you you can expect Briscoe,Hardaker,Sutcliffe to be our Dynamic backline next season

Ah, so you are expecting us to only go with two centres next season?

We won't sign another centre?

So we lose Carlos and Scott and only bring in Hardraker?

Re: Castleford Away : Thu May 23, 2024 4:40 am  

Roam Ranger wrote:

As for improvements short term, the club have made signings to try and improve things. But they can't just magically click their fingers and get a load of quality players brought in. It's all going to be down to who is on the market and also if they are interested.

As will be proven on Friday it seems Castleford have managed to shake things up enough to kick start their season. The club can’t just magically click their fingers and get quality players brought in, but the situation we are in isn’t all just bad luck is it?

Let’s not forget we’ve released Hoy, Brown and Mcintosh from contracts. Mcintosh for Briscoe is debatable but I can see Briscoe as more of the type of player needed so I can get behind that, the other two just seems madness in hindsight now.

I’d assumed at the time we maybe already had quota replacements lined up but looks unlikely now. The Brown situation also wasn’t ideal, but I’m sure there’s been players in similar situations that have dug in at least until we’d have found a suitable replacement, he seemed the type of character willing to do that. Both Brown and Hoy were off contract anyway at the end of the season, so wouldn’t have effected any long term signings or plans. I think it’s a dangerous game just accepting being possibly the worst side that’s ever played in the division, we can’t be far off that territory statistically now.

Re: Castleford Away : Thu May 23, 2024 4:59 am  

DSJ1983 wrote:

As will be proven on Friday it seems Castleford have managed to shake things up enough to kick start their season. The club can’t just magically click their fingers and get quality players brought in, but the situation we are in isn’t all just bad luck is it?

Let’s not forget we’ve released Hoy, Brown and Mcintosh from contracts. Mcintosh for Briscoe is debatable but I can see Briscoe as more of the type of player needed so I can get behind that, the other two just seems madness in hindsight now.

I’d assumed at the time we maybe already had quota replacements lined up but looks unlikely now. The Brown situation also wasn’t ideal, but I’m sure there’s been players in similar situations that have dug in at least until we’d have found a suitable replacement, he seemed the type of character willing to do that. Both Brown and Hoy were off contract anyway at the end of the season, so wouldn’t have effected any long term signings or plans. I think it’s a dangerous game just accepting being possibly the worst side that’s ever played in the division, we can’t be far off that territory statistically now.

The quota players going seem bad timing, I think had Smith been sacked earlier or Myler come in Hoy would have stayed.

Brown wanted to go, maybe he would have stayed though if Smith was not the coach.

The club wanted to bring in a couple of players on short term deals Perham and Drinkwater, neither happened for different reasons. Think a lot of overseas players want more than the 6 months we were offering, would rather the club do this than sign the wrong type of players on a long term deal.

Not Cartwright is onboard, there maybe a chance of an overseas player coming early, one that could be on a long term deal.

Re: Castleford Away : Thu May 23, 2024 6:35 am  

Dave K. wrote:

Ah, so you are expecting us to only go with two centres next season?

We won't sign another centre?

So we lose Carlos and Scott and only bring in Hardraker?

We've signed another centre if what i've been told is correct.