Championship squads

[Barley Mow]

17 minutes ago, Bull Mania said:

To be fair I don't think ANY championship squad has deep depth. Even Wakey, a couple of injuries in certain positions and they look very light. That being said they look the most equipped to strengthen as the season goes on. 

Injuries will play a big part this year. 

From what I've seen York seem to be the exception to this. They've signed a squad of 30.

Of the player's they've lost, Clarkson and Kirmond's retirements and Marsh's move to Sheffield seem to have been planned for and replacements brought in. It looks as though only Pauli's move has come as a shock and there's no replacement lined up.

[The Blues Ox]

Its going to be similar in one sense to last season where one team runs away with it, just this year it will be Wakey who look far stronger than Fev did last season but for me next season you could have maybe 8 or so teams in the running for the rest of the playoff spots. Bradford look strong and will be the 2nd biggest spenders by some distance and then you will still have teams like Fev, Fax, Batley hanging around who can put out really strong starting 17's but just won't have the strength in depth and will be relying on luck with injuries and DR. Its a shame each year we seem to have a run away team but hopefully get this season out of the way and there will be less incentive for clubs to spend on players and hopefully we just get Wakey swapping for London which would make the 2025 season pretty exciting.

[PREPOSTEROUS]

I don't see the runaway team, to me it looks a pretty competitive league, I'm certainly not taking it for granted that Trinity will finish top, let alone winning the competition. 

[The Blues Ox]

3 hours ago, PREPOSTEROUS said:

I don't see the runaway team, to me it looks a pretty competitive league, I'm certainly not taking it for granted that Trinity will finish top, let alone winning the competition. 

Thats because you have become acustomed to been poor every year at Wakefield, they will top the league at a canter and you will be in for a pleasent surprise.

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

On 06/12/2023 at 11:42, Barley Mow said:

From what I've seen York seem to be the exception to this. They've signed a squad of 30.

Of the player's they've lost, Clarkson and Kirmond's retirements and Marsh's move to Sheffield seem to have been planned for and replacements brought in. It looks as though only Pauli's move has come as a shock and there's no replacement lined up.

I think Oli Pratt is a big loss for York and obviously a big gain for Wakefield.

[Cam varley]

4 hours ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

I think Oli Pratt is a big loss for York and obviously a big gain for Wakefield.

Very good player but if Levi edwards can stay fully fit he won’t be much of a miss 

[georgeb1]

5 hours ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

I think Oli Pratt is a big loss for York and obviously a big gain for Wakefield.

But oli was a wakey player anyway

[Simon Hall]

23 minutes ago, georgeb1 said:

But oli was a wakey player anyway

It would have been nice to have another York lad on the books but I don’t think we’ll miss him as such, he’s definitely going to be a top class player in a few years but Kienhorst and Levi would be my first choices at centre next year. 

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

54 minutes ago, georgeb1 said:

But oli was a wakey player anyway

Yeah, I know.  I just thought he played a big part in York's good run at the end of the season and looked "at home" and highly likely to stay there.

[Simon Hall]

19 minutes ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

Yeah, I know.  I just thought he played a big part in York's good run at the end of the season and looked "at home" and highly likely to stay there.

In my opinion, the biggest part in our end of season run was Brenden Santi, other forwards upped their game once he arrived. Delighted he’s signed for another year. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by Simon Hall

[Kirmonds pouch]

17 hours ago, Simon Hall said:

It would have been nice to have another York lad on the books but I don’t think we’ll miss him as such, he’s definitely going to be a top class player in a few years but Kienhorst and Levi would be my first choices at centre next year. 

I'm not sure how you can say that, especially with your dislike of DR and your alleged desire to bring through local talent. There are very few young players as clearly ready for top flight rugby than Pratt, so if York have any genuine ambition then players like him are an absolute must. So imo he is a big loss to York, as he would have been to us, and I have no doubt your BOD's did their utmost to tempt him.

He's the kind of player you simply must sign.

[Simon Hall]

34 minutes ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

I'm not sure how you can say that, especially with your dislike of DR and your alleged desire to bring through local talent. There are very few young players as clearly ready for top flight rugby than Pratt, so if York have any genuine ambition then players like him are an absolute must. So imo he is a big loss to York, as he would have been to us, and I have no doubt your BOD's did their utmost to tempt him.

He's the kind of player you simply must sign.

I agree, the lad wanted to sign for York but we couldn't offer him full-time rugby yet.

He'll be a key player for us one day.

 

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

2 hours ago, Simon Hall said:

I agree, the lad wanted to sign for York but we couldn't offer him full-time rugby yet.

He'll be a key player for us one day.

 

You did entice Will Dagger away though which was a pretty good bit of business.

[Kirmonds pouch]

2 hours ago, Simon Hall said:

I agree, the lad wanted to sign for York but we couldn't offer him full-time rugby yet.

He'll be a key player for us one day.

 

Yeah of course he did, and no he won't. Ollie has always been happy at the Trin, bad luck.

[Stirlin]

3 hours ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

You did entice Will Dagger away though which was a pretty good bit of business.

Valkyrie sealed that deal.

Edited December 8, 2023 by Stirlin

[Rene_Artois]

6 minutes ago, Stirlin said:

Valkyrie sealed that deal.

1st thing that came to my mind. Either way. Good full back

[TrueBull]

On 06/12/2023 at 13:44, PREPOSTEROUS said:

I don't see the runaway team, to me it looks a pretty competitive league, I'm certainly not taking it for granted that Trinity will finish top, let alone winning the competition. 

Full time is a massive advantage. Basically Toulouse and Wakefield are in a head to head for 1st and 2nd. All the part- time teams are fighting for 3rd

[Kirmonds pouch]

1 hour ago, TrueBull said:

Full time is a massive advantage. Basically Toulouse and Wakefield are in a head to head for 1st and 2nd. All the part- time teams are fighting for 3rd

Toulouse are not full time, despite the insistence on here that they are.

Toulouse only have one advantage, it’s the one they always have, home advantage.

[TrueBull]

16 minutes ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

Toulouse are not full time, despite the insistence on here that they are.

Toulouse only have one advantage, it’s the one they always have, home advantage.

I just assumed that they stayed full time from last year. That makes it easier for Wakey then, they’re in a competition of 1 for finishing first, not even a 2 horse race for them :-(.

Does open up 2nd place for the 13 part time clubs though

[Gav Wilson]

On 08/12/2023 at 16:33, Kirmonds pouch said:

Yeah of course he did, and no he won't. Ollie has always been happy at the Trin, bad luck.

This is a really weird thing to start peacocking over.

[Kirmonds pouch]

On 09/12/2023 at 09:35, TrueBull said:

I just assumed that they stayed full time from last year. That makes it easier for Wakey then, they’re in a competition of 1 for finishing first, not even a 2 horse race for them :-(.

Does open up 2nd place for the 13 part time clubs though

There are two separate interpretation going on at the moment.

There are a number of teams in the Championship who have a core of FT players, on a good day some could put out a full team of them. But none are full time clubs as per the SL, and that is the difference. A number of players and coaching staff are part time, and they don't train as a full squad five days a week and so on.

Wakefield are different, Wakefield operate on exactly the same model as a SL club. On relegation we didn't just retain out SL structure, we actually enhanced it. Other than player quality throughout the squad, we are operating as a SL club. We actually have a slightly larger Coaching/Support staff than some SL clubs. We also run a Reserve team, and unlike some SL clubs we also have an Elite Academy. It all counts.

The FT environment will also help us in the transfer market during the season, it will make us more attractive, especially to NRL recruits. This is important because the transfer market is far more active in the championship, and can make a huge difference at the business end of the season.

If the training is good and the tactics correct, we have a definite advantage. I do think that Trinity's squad is the strongest on paper, but not earth shatteringly so, but that squad should start the season far better prepared than any of the rest. That imho is what makes us the only FT team in the Championship.

If we fall flat on are ar***, then we only have ourselves to blame, we are definitely a very fortunate club at present.

HTH

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by Kirmonds pouch

[Kirmonds pouch]

On 09/12/2023 at 09:35, TrueBull said:

I just assumed that they stayed full time from last year. That makes it easier for Wakey then, they’re in a competition of 1 for finishing first, not even a 2 horse race for them :-(.

Does open up 2nd place for the 13 part time clubs though

It's still wide open if we turn out to be bottlers, then it goes down to IMG criteria and god knows where that will be in 12 month time. I'd much rather win the GF as belt and braces, and one off deciders by nature are not always certainties.

[bigbaldnmad]

28 minutes ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

It's still wide open if we turn out to be bottlers, then it goes down to IMG criteria and god knows where that will be in 12 month time. I'd much rather win the GF as belt and braces, and one off deciders by nature are not always certainties.

Winning the championship GF means nothing.... all down to IMG points.

[Kirmonds pouch]

6 hours ago, bigbaldnmad said:

Winning the championship GF means nothing.... all down to IMG points.

I thought I’d made that point! Yes it is at present, but I’ll say it again, that’s how it is now but knowing RL for what it is, that could easily change in ten months time. It’s not like we have a great record at sticking at things.

[ATLANTISMAN]

In reality it's all down to one match Toulouse v Wakefield Trinity i think

Will still be a great league though