Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 1:06 pm  

Marcus's Bicycle wrote:

Exactly this. Have we moved too slowly or is it a case of simply not having enough cash.

Like most I am underwhelmed by our recruitment so far but I'll reserve judgement until it's complete.

Still can't understand why Tindall and Ainsworth have yet to be announced. Everyone knows they have signed so why delay.

It's not like the fans are going to giddy with excitement when it happens or the difference between renewing or not.

I think the club had a eye on it and was going to be ok but Covid came along and the government loan and that’s knocked us back…Some posters need to realise that before Covid we was ok cash wise then that came and all cash revenue dried up hence the loan and repayment.Sure it’s going to affect us but TS is slowly sorting it out and AP has found the money like he always does

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 1:11 pm  

Chris71 wrote:

Huddersfield announced earlier today that Ashworth would be leaving as he's signed a deal with another club.

They mentioned it a while ago and Watson got all salty about it..I’d have announced it just to cheese him off and listen to him whinge…mind you,after losing £2.5million with the best ever squad assembled,I’d be whinging

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 1:26 pm  

The games afoot wrote:

I think the club had a eye on it and was going to be ok but Covid came along and the government loan and that’s knocked us back…Some posters need to realise that before Covid we was ok cash wise then that came and all cash revenue dried up hence the loan and repayment.Sure it’s going to affect us but TS is slowly sorting it out and AP has found the money like he always does

I was pleased when Smith was appointed but there's no excuses, 10th is a miserable failure.

I didn't have high expectations for this season but I expected better.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 1:30 pm  

Gaz Ellis confirms in his book that Simon Grix is coming in next season. Says that Smith is stepping back a little from hands on coaching and that he wanted someone with more experience to plan and deliver the sessions.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 1:33 pm  

Marcus's Bicycle wrote:

I was pleased when Smith was appointed but there's no excuses, 10th is a miserable failure.

I didn't have high expectations for this season but I expected better.

Doubt any coach in the world would have improved us with this squad and the fact we made the squad weaker as the season went on.

I'd love to have seen what Smith could do with the backing Radford and Hodgson had.

Unfortunately I think Smith is being set up to fail.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 1:34 pm  

RockNRolla wrote:

Gaz Ellis confirms in his book that Simon Grix is coming in next season. Says that Smith is stepping back a little from hands on coaching and that he wanted someone with more experience to plan and deliver the sessions.

This is what he did with Agar at Wire.

Unless things continue to go tits up, I'd imagine Grix will be our head coach in the next few seasons

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 4:58 pm  

Dave K. wrote:

You can't just get rid of players, it costs money, we don't have money and if we did I'd rather we use it to sign players, rather than pay players off, also what message does that send, come to Hull, underperform and get a nice little payoff to travel Europe.

So far I think our recruitment has been OK, got some size and power, added depth to fullback and halfback, the big issue is, I'm not sure if would be enough to move us onto the next level and we are losing (or lost) some quality in Swift, Griffin, Savelio (lesser that the others) and Clifford.
Satae has been replaced, maybe Savelio, but not the other three. If we brought in McMeeken, Mcgilvary and Volkman plus the others, I don't think we would be in too bad a position.

Agree on the recruitment. Don't think its as bad as some are making it out to be.

Ese Ese and Okunbor have both been regular's in the NRL and Phil Gould is tipping Okunbor to go really well over here.
Pele sounds like he is coming over with a real point to prove.
Smith is an upgrade on Dwyer and Lovodua.
Jack Walker (if he can keep injury free) is a really good signing.
Ashworth- If we can get him back to his saints form will bring some much needed aggression.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:21 pm  

RockNRolla wrote:

Agree on the recruitment. Don't think its as bad as some are making it out to be.

Ese Ese and Okunbor have both been regular's in the NRL and Phil Gould is tipping Okunbor to go really well over here.
Pele sounds like he is coming over with a real point to prove.
Smith is an upgrade on Dwyer and Lovodua.
Jack Walker (if he can keep injury free) is a really good signing.
Ashworth- If we can get him back to his saints form will bring some much needed aggression.

Add a decent NRL playmaking half back and at least one quality SL back rower will improve us but not enough to make the play-offs in my opinion but at least it's a start.

The problem seems to be we have missed out on our targets and are desperately searching for alternatives.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:49 pm  

The games afoot wrote:

I think the club had a eye on it and was going to be ok but Covid came along and the government loan and that’s knocked us back…Some posters need to realise that before Covid we was ok cash wise then that came and all cash revenue dried up hence the loan and repayment.Sure it’s going to affect us but TS is slowly sorting it out and AP has found the money like he always does

Id imagine a big factor with us and Covid was we were making a lot of money from Merchendise. People generally buy new stuff to wear to games so that income would have dipped massively during lockdown and the behind closed doors games. As we dont make much if anything from bar takings, or renting the stadium out for events its pretty much passsales, merchendise and sponsors as revenue streams.

I bet the club are glad they havent been paying the stadiums energy bill these last 2 years, there are some benefits to renting even as much as id love our own ground again.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Sep 19, 2023 7:58 pm  

The games afoot wrote:

I think the club had a eye on it and was going to be ok but Covid came along and the government loan and that’s knocked us back…Some posters need to realise that before Covid we was ok cash wise then that came and all cash revenue dried up hence the loan and repayment.Sure it’s going to affect us but TS is slowly sorting it out and AP has found the money like he always does

We’ve gone backward under Tony Smith. What’s your evidence for him slowly sorting things out?

I’ll concede the revenue dry up is relevant, but the same challenge applies to the 9 clubs above us.