Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Jan 09, 2024 7:17 pm  

Seventies red wrote:

Really? He scored 23 tries in 54 Red Devils games in 2023, which was only 3 behind super league top scorer,Tom Johnston.
With a good centre inside of him, he will certainly get plenty of chances to show his ability.

You genuinely can not be that thick. I just don't believe it.
In Super League last year he scored 2 trys (not sure about the CC) and made more errors than any other player.

Anyway, he's nothing to do with Hull FC so that's the last I'll say on the guy.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Jan 09, 2024 7:58 pm  

We have to start playing our homegrown players at some point.
Otherwise what’s the point in devoting resources to it?
If we’d signed him to the detriment of Lewis Martin, I’d have been gutted.
Losing Abdul and signing Burgess unbalances their squad, but I don’t care about them.
Looking forward to watching the continued development of Martin, Moy, Armstrong, Charles, Medforth , etc, etc.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Tue Jan 09, 2024 9:34 pm  

Think the 'development' of our young guns unlikely to be in SL just yet. Sadly we are talking about talent & potential - I REALLY REALLY hope some come through to be SL regulars, but lets face it, the last ones are Brad Fash & Cam Scott - the physicality required is a major step up.

Hopefully Balmforth will come through this year - but that is on the back of a full year in the championship, plus he is built like a rock !! Expect the young guns to be largely in reserves or loan ? Was impressed by Laidlaw & Gardner, hopefully they are closer to making the step up ?

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Wed Jan 10, 2024 1:21 am  

al283 wrote:

Think the 'development' of our young guns unlikely to be in SL just yet. Sadly we are talking about talent & potential - I REALLY REALLY hope some come through to be SL regulars, but lets face it, the last ones are Brad Fash & Cam Scott - the physicality required is a major step up.

Hopefully Balmforth will come through this year - but that is on the back of a full year in the championship, plus he is built like a rock !! Expect the young guns to be largely in reserves or loan ? Was impressed by Laidlaw & Gardner, hopefully they are closer to making the step up ?

Balmforth also has pace and should help his development into a S/L player next season

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Wed Jan 10, 2024 3:52 pm  

Irregular Hoops wrote:

We have to start playing our homegrown players at some point.
Otherwise what’s the point in devoting resources to it?
If we’d signed him to the detriment of Lewis Martin, I’d have been gutted.
Losing Abdul and signing Burgess unbalances their squad, but I don’t care about them.
Looking forward to watching the continued development of Martin, Moy, Armstrong, Charles, Medforth , etc, etc.

I'd agree and they have such depth in the backs, particularly the three quarters that I can see some being very unhappy. Behind what is a pretty ordinary pack, they may wish they'd signed a couple of tackle busting props or second rowers, instead. Tanginoa is a good player, but hardly fit and the rest fit the workman like tag , for me anyway. I think it has been a case of I have got it, so I will spend it when you think of Gildart,Opacic, Evalds, Hiku, Corey Hall all battling for just three spots, given that R Hall is a shoe in, so their youth policy is obviously of low priority. I think we will see a few standouts from our emerging talent. I really like the look of Tindall, Staveley and Balmforth of the young guns vying for a place in the starting 17, all of which gives hope to the rest, who may not quite be ready for the physicality of SL, just yet, but see us as a better pathway to that end goal.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Wed Jan 10, 2024 4:09 pm  

Irregular Hoops wrote:

We have to start playing our homegrown players at some point.
Otherwise what’s the point in devoting resources to it?
If we’d signed him to the detriment of Lewis Martin, I’d have been gutted.
Losing Abdul and signing Burgess unbalances their squad, but I don’t care about them.
Looking forward to watching the continued development of Martin, Moy, Armstrong, Charles, Medforth , etc, etc.

Why do we "have to" start playing homegrown players ?

They should only play if they're good enough

Don't wanna fall In to trap of giving average homegrown players Jobs for life just cause they're "hull born and bred"

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Wed Jan 10, 2024 7:14 pm  

Thetalentboy wrote:

Why do we "have to" start playing homegrown players ?

They should only play if they're good enough

Don't wanna fall In to trap of giving average homegrown players Jobs for life just cause they're "hull born and bred"

My view is that you don't fully know if they're good enough until they get a few chances. It takes more than 1 or 2 games.
Nobody is asking for Jebson (as an example) in the 17 every week, its just a case of if Okunbor gets injured, then let's not just shoehorn Fash or Sao into the second row. Let's try Jebson who is an out and out second rower. We've had a philosophy for too long of playing safe and going with more experienced players even in the wrong position, 'Square pegs in round holes' and I understand why in certain situations. But we've heard a lot the last year about how good our youngsters coming through are but we need to start seeing some evidence of this paying off sooner or later. It's time to start throwing some of them in at the deep end when the chance comes up.

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Wed Jan 10, 2024 9:58 pm  

We need to get to the point where we have a culture at the club and systems in place similar to St Helens and Wigan so that youngsters know what is expected of them when they're in the first team what their role is. I agree we shouldn't just play players solely because they come through the academy, we've tried "club hull" before, it failed and just seemed to create a clique in the club, Hull born players need to be in the team because they're the best in their position, not just because they were born here

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:25 am  

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/20 ... dical.html Unlucky for Volkman but looks like another bullet dodged by us

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/20 ... dical.html Unlucky for Volkman but looks like another bullet dodged by us

Re: Shopping list for 2024 : Thu Jan 11, 2024 8:38 am  

I've said it before, the only way to complete is t start producing your own players, mix that with some good overeas players in the areas of weakness. I remember when Saints released Coote and Fages, two very good SL players, but they were able to replace them with Welsby and Dodds, that we what we need to do.

Since SL started there has been only 4 teams able to dominate, all 4 where off the back of very strong academies.

The only exception could be Catlans, but they have the a few advantages in being able to bring players in. But they haven't managed it yet.