Transfer Rumour Mill 22/23

[DoubleD]

11 hours ago, Jughead said:

Halsall could be a smart pick up from the Giants. I’ve liked the look of him when playing at Wigan and he seemed to do relatively well at Newcastle, too. 

Yeah it’s a very interesting swap. Clearly Wardle has fallen out of favour with Watson for whatever reason so probably best for all parties that he moves and he should develop well at Wigan.

Huddersfield have a habit of negotiating well though and ensured they obtained Trout as part of the Leeming transfer, which was shrewd business. Halsall looks a great prospect to me and Jack Bibby is very highly rated so it will be interesting to see who fares best from the deal

[sweaty craiq]

14 hours ago, idrewthehaggis said:

On another point, looking at the last list of off contract players, I wonder where the following could go-

Robbie Mulhern, Luke Gale, Harvey Livett,.Derrell Olpherts, Brad Takairangi, Ben Crooks, Bodene Thompson, David Fifita, James Batchelor, Jack Hughes.

Heavily rumoured Mulhern and Hughes will be announced at Leigh very soon - players and staff on post season extended mad Monday at present in Ibiza.

[Saint Toppy]

15 hours ago, bobbruce said:

Wonder if Saints will try Olpherts to replace Grace. 

What makes you think Saints would be remotely interested in a player like Olpherts. They're better of sticking with Bennison or giving one of their other youngsters like Sambou a chance than waste money on a 2nd rate player like him.

[Saint Toppy]

16 hours ago, WN83 said:

Jake Wardle confirmed on a three year deal with Wigan in a swap deal for Sam Halsall and Jack Bibby (Young prop, no relation to Jake). 
 

Huddersfield must have the deepest squad in Superleague. 

Warrington have been well & truly shafted by Wigan. First they convince them to let them sign King (with Wire thinking they were going to re-sign Wardle), then Wigan go out & sign Wardle too 

Edited October 10, 2022 by Saint Toppy

[arcticchris]

14 hours ago, bobbruce said:

Good pick up so that’s Wardle and King centres next year. That’s a big improvement for me. 

Potentially this is a very rapid and mobile back line now and so good to have full time centres instead of seeing Willie Isa play there half the year.

[WN83]

Just now, Saint Toppy said:

Warrington have been well & truly shafted by Wigan. First they convince them to let them sign King (with Wire thinking they were going to re-sign Wardle), then Wigan go out & sign Wardly too 

I'd love to think that's the case and maybe it is but it sounds like this Wardle deal has been done for a long time and you also hear that King and Powell just can't work together, so they needed to move him on. I wonder if the King deal is linked with Wigan rolling over on allowing Matty Nicholson to move to Wire mid season this year instead of holding him to his deal. I'm still sore from that loss, especially when I can see issues cropping up in Wigan's second row, with exits for KPP and Bateman rumoured over the next year or so. They've pinched a potentially top player there and even these two moves haven't quite healed that wound for me. 

[Gav Wilson]

11 hours ago, OMEGA said:

Personally, I think Fords overrated, he got York out of League 1 with a budget and training facilities that other teams didn’t have  and he’s then been found wanting at Championship level despite having a host of Superleague players in his squad for the last two years. I’ve heard mixed reviews of him from York players too

I've read some nonsense on these boards over the years, but this is right down there with the worst of it.

[Ragingbull]

2 hours ago, Gav Wilson said:

I've read some nonsense on these boards over the years, but this is right down there with the worst of it.

Thats quite a bold statement

[OMEGA]

2 hours ago, Gav Wilson said:

I've read some nonsense on these boards over the years, but this is right down there with the worst of it.

In your opinion of course!

so what do you know that counters what I said?

Im stating something that’s backed up by his record and the opinions of players who have first hand experience working with him, what you got

[Gav Wilson]

10 minutes ago, OMEGA said:

In your opinion of course!

so what do you know that counters what I said?

Im stating something that’s backed up by his record and the opinions of players who have first hand experience working with him, what you got

His record:

2016 made League 1 play offs despite club homeless and ravaged by previous Chairman

2017 put a team together in January, finished 4th in League 1

2018 Betfred League 1 coach of the year, promoted as Champions

2019 Betfred Championship coach of the year, finished 3rd

2020 N/A

2021 1895 Cup finalists, finished 1 win outside the play-offs with no halfbacks

2022 Championship semi finalists

 

I too know plenty of players with first hand experience of working with him, who say he is one of the best coaches they have ever worked with.

 

Thats what I've got.

[Kirmonds pouch]

19 hours ago, idrewthehaggis said:

A signing clearly as a senior pro to work with the batch of props in their early 20s.

Sidlow for Burke, Partington for Luckley. Seems fair. Seems positive.

On another point, looking at the last list of off contract players, I wonder where the following could go-

Robbie Mulhern, Luke Gale, Harvey Livett,.Derrell Olpherts, Brad Takairangi, Ben Crooks, Bodene Thompson, David Fifita, James Batchelor, Jack Hughes.

James Batchelor joined HKR a month ago. David Fifita has retired and his house is up for sale, so unless he's had a massive change of heart he's going back to Australia.

[bobbruce]

4 hours ago, Saint Toppy said:

What makes you think Saints would be remotely interested in a player like Olpherts. They're better of sticking with Bennison or giving one of their other youngsters like Sambou a chance than waste money on a 2nd rate player like him.

We learnt last year that Bennison isn’t physically strong enough to defend on the wing. It’s why Woolf Pushed Percival and then Hopoate to be back for the Playoffs. It’s a salary capped sport if someone like Olpherts is cheap enough it maybe worth it to spend the money elsewhere. 

[bobbruce]

4 hours ago, arcticchris said:

Potentially this is a very rapid and mobile back line now and so good to have full time centres instead of seeing Willie Isa play there half the year.

It looks like the best 1-5 in the league to me know. Question is can the pack and the half backs get them the space. 

[Gav Wilson]

5 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

We learnt last year that Bennison isn’t physically strong enough to defend on the wing. It’s why Woolf Pushed Percival and then Hopoate to be back for the Playoffs. It’s a salary capped sport if someone like Olpherts is cheap enough it maybe worth it to spend the money elsewhere. 

I thought Olpherts signed for Leeds a while back?

[bobbruce]

Just now, Gav Wilson said:

I thought Olpherts signed for Leeds a while back?

Don’t know someone had posted he was off contract. 

[Saint Toppy]

49 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

We learnt last year that Bennison isn’t physically strong enough to defend on the wing. 

The lads only 19 and this year was his first full season training full time. Now he's in that environment permanently it won't take long for him improve his strength & physique.

If Saints do sign a winger then it needs to be someone who's going to add to the team, not just a squad filler just because they're available. Had young winger Sambou not picked up a season ending injury in the summer i'm sure he would have played a lot more games in the 1st team this year, possibly keeping Bennison out as a winger.

[Davo5]

1 hour ago, Saint Toppy said:

The lads only 19 and this year was his first full season training full time. 

I seem to recall you writing a winger off at 17 yrs old,but then again he didn’t play for Saints.

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, bobbruce said:

It looks like the best 1-5 in the league to me know. Question is can the pack and the half backs get them the space. 

The halfbacks should be fine,the pack especially our middle forwards continue to be a big problem.

[DEANO]

3 hours ago, Gav Wilson said:

His record:

2016 made League 1 play offs despite club homeless and ravaged by previous Chairman

2017 put a team together in January, finished 4th in League 1

2018 Betfred League 1 coach of the year, promoted as Champions

2019 Betfred Championship coach of the year, finished 3rd

2020 N/A

2021 1895 Cup finalists, finished 1 win outside the play-offs with no halfbacks

2022 Championship semi finalists

 

I too know plenty of players with first hand experience of working with him, who say he is one of the best coaches they have ever worked with.

 

Thats what I've got.

Not a lot then

[The Phantom Horseman]

Double Championship half back news...Widnes have just announced the long-rumoured signing of Tom Gilmore (I quite liked their Twitter announcement of this even if it is a bit of a hackneyed video now), and Whitehaven have announced the signing of ex-Workington Jamie Doran.

[Red Willow]

23 hours ago, idrewthehaggis said:

A signing clearly as a senior pro to work with the batch of props in their early 20s.

Sidlow for Burke, Partington for Luckley. Seems fair. Seems positive.

On another point, looking at the last list of off contract players, I wonder where the following could go-

Robbie Mulhern, Luke Gale, Harvey Livett,.Derrell Olpherts, Brad Takairangi, Ben Crooks, Bodene Thompson, David Fifita, James Batchelor, Jack Hughes.

Harvey is off to Huddersfield to join the rest of the ex Salford players.

Sidlow signing is underwhelming to say the least, didn't rate him in his last time with the club and now so much older.

Worried the team is too old

[Agbrigg]

On 09/10/2022 at 19:27, idrewthehaggis said:

 

On another point, looking at the last list of off contract players, I wonder where the following could go-

..................Luke Gale, ..................etc

Thats the one that really worries me. Its like the old second WW doogle bug. When you hear it comming you hope it flys by, the last thing you want is for its engine to stop and it lands on your pitch

[DG70]

13 hours ago, Red Willow said:

Harvey is off to Huddersfield to join the rest of the ex Salford players.

Sidlow signing is underwhelming to say the least, didn't rate him in his last time with the club and now so much older.

Worried the team is too old

Think Salford are in good hands with Rowley, Blease etc, they get most decisions right and I think they will be looking to further strengthen Salford in the off season.

Edited October 11, 2022 by DG70

[Saint Toppy]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

Yet you use a Saints players age (19) to defend any shortcomings in his game,yet write another non Saints player off at 17,maybe the fact you use panty creaming in your opening sentence sort of sums you up.

As opposed to you who tries to twist everything. If you even bothered to read my original post on this is was in response to Saints signing Olpherts. Never once have I said Bennison doesn't have shortcomings in his game (unlike your fawning over Young just because he plays in the NRL), just that Bennison is 19 and only had 1 season of full time training, and i'd rather Saints gave him time to develop than waste cap space signing a 2nd rate winger like Olpherts.

[Trojan Horse]

Trinity confirm the changes to back room staff. 
 
On the face of it it seems like some good and knowledgeable people have been brought in with previous links to education environments. 

As a trinity fan I’m pleased with this. 

Good detail in the link below.

https://wakefieldtrinity.com/blog/2022/10/11/ford-appointed-assistant-coach-as-full-backroom-team-announced/