Big day tomorrow.........

[colinb]

1st September is here tomorrow.  Who will go....Who will stay......where will they go.....Who will arrive.  It will start officially tomorrow. Silly season is officially here. Players playing for teams they will be leaving...against teams they will be joining. How can that be right???? For my money the date should be 1st November which ties in with many clubs financial /contractual arrangements . That leaves space for most of the clubs to sort out the deals.  Simples.

 

 

[Piggy's mate]

Smeaton and Ward signed for next year.. tbh I prefer Crookes to Smeaton but I like Ward a very good forward 

[distantdog]

1 hour ago, Piggy's mate said:

Smeaton and Ward signed for next year.. tbh I prefer Crookes to Smeaton but I like Ward a very good forward 

At least there is the semblance of a team taking shape. Personally, l think that Cowling has the potential to be the best centre at the club but not sure what the future holds for him, particularly as his playing style seems to attract injury. 

[9' oller]

"Lots of changes" personnel offered terms but still in talks or finding deals elsewhere. Worrying times or exciting times.

We need some grunt in middles but also some similar back row flair like manning/ brev/ crouthers/ John gallagher

[DOGFATHER]

5 minutes ago, distantdog said:

At least there is the semblance of a team taking shape. Personally, l think that Cowling has the potential to be the best centre at the club but not sure what the future holds for him, particularly as his playing style seems to attract injury. 

I agree with that, certainly defensively. I hope he signs on again, but he has quite a good job I hear, so he may decide to call it a day due to the number of injuries.  

I feel a bit for the lad, because he hits like a freight train. I'll never forget that tackle on George Tyson, it was worth the entrance money alone.  

 

[RogerT]

Ok I have added Ward, Smeaton to my ongoing list.

[phildog]

A fit Danny Cowling is a must, as everybody says he's the best defensive centre and has a bit of nip about him as well. Trouble is, the whole time he's been here, he's spent more time on the injured list than the playing list, can we afford the luxury of carrying injury-prone players who may or may not recover. Same goes for Bravo, 2 seasons injured. If we don't retain DC and Crookes is off that leaves us with only 2 centres, everybody saying how far down the pecking order Farrell is in the 2nd row, but now we're losing Day and Harrison that opinion fades. There are many questions around other squad members who have barely featured, we have signatures for 9 out of 29 players, 6 at least are rumoured to be shipping out, that leaves a lot of holes to be filled. Despise DR, but it pays off for every other club except us, some, like Eagles and Featherstone and to a lesser extent Halifax, have played it like an expert angler landing a big catch. Is that because we don't know how to use it or try to remain as faithful as possible to our own? Which system is right? Do we stick with our own and settle for mid-table or do we use it and go for more wins, more success, higher finishes, higher cash incentives and hopefully a few hundred more on the gate?

[distantdog]

7 minutes ago, phildog said:

Which system is right? Do we stick with our own and settle for mid-table or do we use it and go for more wins, more success, higher finishes, higher cash incentives and hopefully a few hundred more on the gate?

You write as if going with DR would be a guarantee of the benefits mentioned. It isn't. Far from it. Personally l would avoid it as l think it only benefits one team and undermines both our club and the integrity of our competition. I think we should be relying on the quality of our own rather than rely on the players of other clubs. Sheffield, despite their last victory against us, will finish below us. DR has certainly not benefitted Swinton or Rochdale either. 

[redditchbulldog]

and its not benefited Fev this season as finished out of the top 4 and could only field 14 players today

[phildog]

....but it has benefitted Featherstone! As today showed, they hadn't the depth of their own, so how did they almost pull off a top 4 finish? By having 3 or 4 Leeds players week in week out, that's how. So how really lucky were we in 2016 to make 3rd basically on our own merit!! No, DD, DR doesn't cure all ills, but it's forcing some clubs, like us, to be more ill than others.  If we ever want to be better than 5th or 6th then there are 2 options; 1) go out and make offers we can't afford to attract the best or 2) get into a proper beneficial arrangement to borrow the best. Like most, I don't care for the system, but it seems stupid not to do what others are doing when they are getting something out of it, i.e finishing higher in the league, thus receiving more central funding, and players earning more win bonusses.

[phildog]

Oh, and DDay has passed without any great earth- shattering....

[distantdog]

39 minutes ago, phildog said:

....but it has benefitted Featherstone! As today showed, they hadn't the depth of their own, so how did they almost pull off a top 4 finish? By having 3 or 4 Leeds players week in week out, that's how. So how really lucky were we in 2016 to make 3rd basically on our own merit!! No, DD, DR doesn't cure all ills, but it's forcing some clubs, like us, to be more ill than others.  If we ever want to be better than 5th or 6th then there are 2 options; 1) go out and make offers we can't afford to attract the best or 2) get into a proper beneficial arrangement to borrow the best. Like most, I don't care for the system, but it seems stupid not to do what others are doing when they are getting something out of it, i.e finishing higher in the league, thus receiving more central funding, and players earning more win bonusses.

I understand your points but respectfully disagree. I Just think there is a bigger picture involved. 

[Keep The Faith]

Fev don't lose holmes and ridyard at the same time of the season they make the top 4 on merit... It was like us with Dom & patch we have them fit all year,  we would of won more than we have lost... But sometimes as folk in the game say you get what you deserve at times Halifax didn't have much injuries to key players in 2017-18 murrell Johnson and Kaye have all stayed for fit for majority of the season again 

[DOGFATHER]

44 minutes ago, phildog said:

....but it has benefitted Featherstone! As today showed, they hadn't the depth of their own, so how did they almost pull off a top 4 finish? By having 3 or 4 Leeds players week in week out, that's how. So how really lucky were we in 2016 to make 3rd basically on our own merit!! No, DD, DR doesn't cure all ills, but it's forcing some clubs, like us, to be more ill than others.  If we ever want to be better than 5th or 6th then there are 2 options; 1) go out and make offers we can't afford to attract the best or 2) get into a proper beneficial arrangement to borrow the best. Like most, I don't care for the system, but it seems stupid not to do what others are doing when they are getting something out of it, i.e finishing higher in the league, thus receiving more central funding, and players earning more win bonusses.

Was Greg Minikin on DR or loan when he played for us in 2016?

When DR was introduced I didn't mind it too much, because it seemed to be mutually beneficial and the players used were young fringe players to give them experience.

I felt the deal we had with Huddersfield was excellent. Unlike most of the current DR deals, where players (lots of them very experienced established first team players), are used and seemingly recalled on a whim, messing both clubs and the players around, whilst also making a mockery of the CH. We tended to have players all season. I don't remember McGillvary ever getting recalled. We had quite a few players over the years from the Giants and the only player I can remember being recalled, was Griffin in the NR Cup final. The rest were more like season long loans.

 

 

[Batley Bob]

DR

[DOGFATHER]

2 minutes ago, Batley Bob said:

DR

THanks for that BB, I thought it was 

[Bill H]

Ainscough and Cowling were injured hence Minikin was invaluable to us.  Mariano also played at centre, against Dewsbury, when Minikin was not available, as well as a few games in the pack.

 

[silverback]

i really hope we aint going DR route for 2019. its a farce and when sheffield rocked up to our place with a few st helens players including swift that were it for me, take them out and we have a closer game playing sheffield.

  lads train all week for a game and then you have a read during the season at fevs threds were they are picking who they want from rhinos to fill a vital role, so week after does that bloke who missed out put 100% in, look at the fantastic result with the 14 this weekend as players not looking over there shoulder played a blinding game, play with what you have makes sense.

  should be season long loans if required and only for max 3 bodys. second team would be great to give some locals a run out, them thursday night games had some decent crowds too and had lads chomping at the bit for a first team game or two.  UP THE DOGS.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

15 hours ago, phildog said:

....but it has benefitted Featherstone! As today showed, they hadn't the depth of their own, so how did they almost pull off a top 4 finish? By having 3 or 4 Leeds players week in week out, that's how. So how really lucky were we in 2016 to make 3rd basically on our own merit!! No, DD, DR doesn't cure all ills, but it's forcing some clubs, like us, to be more ill than others.  If we ever want to be better than 5th or 6th then there are 2 options; 1) go out and make offers we can't afford to attract the best or 2) get into a proper beneficial arrangement to borrow the best. Like most, I don't care for the system, but it seems stupid not to do what others are doing when they are getting something out of it, i.e finishing higher in the league, thus receiving more central funding, and players earning more win bonusses.

Of course we did......

[Bill H]

12 hours ago, silverback said:

i really hope we aint going DR route for 2019. its a farce and when sheffield rocked up to our place with a few st helens players including swift that were it for me, take them out and we have a closer game playing sheffield.

  lads train all week for a game and then you have a read during the season at fevs threds were they are picking who they want from rhinos to fill a vital role, so week after does that bloke who missed out put 100% in, look at the fantastic result with the 14 this weekend as players not looking over there shoulder played a blinding game, play with what you have makes sense.

  should be season long loans if required and only for max 3 bodys. second team would be great to give some locals a run out, them thursday night games had some decent crowds too and had lads chomping at the bit for a first team game or two.  UP THE DOGS.

I have mixed feelings because it's good to see quality players playing in our division and I am glad to have seen players like MaGilvary  and Minikin turning out for us.  You make some decent points though and loans seem to be a better option than DR albeit that I wouldn't restrict them to just season long loans.

[Blind side johnny]

1 hour ago, Bi11 said:

I have mixed feelings because it's good to see quality players playing in our division and I am glad to have seen players like MaGilvary  and Minikin turning out for us.  You make some decent points though and loans seem to be a better option than DR albeit that I wouldn't restrict them to just season long loans.

It is worth noting that a season long loan can cost as much as, if not more, than a regular contract for a similar quality player, so will still impact upon the playing budget. Nothing comes for free in this game.