New players

[Rambo]

There has been a fair bit of recruitment of players going on at other teams.

Does anyone know if we will be signing any new players given how light our squad is?

Davies at hooker is playing the full 80 almost every week. Surely another hooker is a must.

[Crown Flatter]

Hookem wears no.9, so I assume he is the alternative to Davies, but at the moment is on half back duty until either 6 and/or 7 is/are sorted. 

[Rambo]

8 minutes ago, Crown Flatter said:

Hookem wears no.9, so I assume he is the alternative to Davies, but at the moment is on half back duty until either 6 and/or 7 is/are sorted. 

Hookem is playing pretty well in the halves. Once O'Connor is back fit it will be interesting to see where he plays. 

[RogerT]

Not at Batley.

[Hugh Jarce]

1 hour ago, RogerT said:

Not at Batley.

Since we lost the magic money tree, I don't expect any at Dewsbury either. 

[graham fisher]

O'Connor is nearing a return, Ronan Dixon should be back for the Fev game along with Dale Ferguson. All three players will strengthen the team. 

[Therein73]

Begs the question........ Who's out there that could drastically improve the team AND that we could afford ??

A clean(er) bill of health ( as per GF's post) is our best bet I think...... maybe we could talk Sam day in to coming back again

[coolie]

We need Huddersfield to step up with some quality. 

We seem to be getting the 

S.hi..t end of the stick in D/R

Nevermind their reserves coming first above us

[graham fisher]

1 hour ago, coolie said:

We need Huddersfield to step up with some quality. 

We seem to be getting the 

S.hi..t end of the stick in D/R

Nevermind their reserves coming first above us

Unfortunately certain giants player’s come with quite a hefty loan fee.

McGowan,Rodgers and Carr to name just the three,and guess what,surprise surprise they are at Bradford Bulls.

[Blind side johnny]

3 hours ago, coolie said:

We need Huddersfield to step up with some quality. 

We seem to be getting the 

S.hi..t end of the stick in D/R

Nevermind their reserves coming first above us

Read the forums of other Championship clubs and you will see the same message - DR isn't run for our benefit.

Add to this the impact of HIA protocols whereby players may be missing from SL squads due to having failed a test and they are reluctant to ship out any that might be close to making their squads.

And just to be clear, why shouldn't their reserves take precedence over a DR club?

[Sir Jekyll Stocking]

On 08/05/2024 at 19:55, Blind side johnny said:

And just to be clear, why shouldn't their reserves take precedence over a DR club?

Ultimately, it's a decision for the parent club and the player concerned, but I'd like to think the standard of rugby in the Championship is better than Superdooper League Reserves. Surely the player would therefore gain better experience with Dewsbury rather than Huddersfield Reserves?

[STEVE P]

To me DR is a bad idea. 

Far from making closer links between Super League and Championship clubs it widens the gap in quality by helping to allow Super League clubs to vacuum up all the young talent and, if they aren't yet making the grade, they can let a Championship club pay their wages for a while to see how they develop. 

Mick Stephenson came to see us last week. The chances these days of a talent like that getting as far as even making his professional debut at a club like Dewsbury are zero. The same goes for most of those who played alongside Mick in the Championship side.

In recent years clubs like ours have been put firmly in their place, and it is hard to see how most of them can ever keep a good side together for long enough to move up the ranks.

[Blind side johnny]

40 minutes ago, STEVE P said:

To me DR is a bad idea. 

Far from making closer links between Super League and Championship clubs it widens the gap in quality by helping to allow Super League clubs to vacuum up all the young talent and, if they aren't yet making the grade, they can let a Championship club pay their wages for a while to see how they develop. 

Mick Stephenson came to see us last week. The chances these days of a talent like that getting as far as even making his professional debut at a club like Dewsbury are zero. The same goes for most of those who played alongside Mick in the Championship side.

In recent years clubs like ours have been put firmly in their place, and it is hard to see how most of them can ever keep a good side together for long enough to move up the ranks.

"Recent years" = 30 years+

All sports have changed, there is no going back.

[STEVE P]

19 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

"Recent years" = 30 years+

All sports have changed, there is no going back.

Agreed.

[Rambo]

What widens the gap further is the fact that the wealthier Championship clubs (Bradford) in the case of Aidan McGowan are prepared to pay a loan fee to Huddersfield for him to play for them for the season.

Whereas preumably we don't pay a loan fee for Jack Billington just win / lose payments?

 

 

[RugbyPowelly]

I have a couple of friends reliably in the know at Featherstone and they are telling me Cal Turner is signing for them.

They’re talking to Beckett and O’Connor as well but Halifax are also interested in them so that’s ongoing for now. 

[Blind side johnny]

13 hours ago, RugbyPowelly said:

I have a couple of friends reliably in the know at Featherstone and they are telling me Cal Turner is signing for them.

They’re talking to Beckett and O’Connor as well but Halifax are also interested in them so that’s ongoing for now. 

It's that time of year. Plenty of clubs are talking to players, including ours, presumably.

As with the comments re Bradford, money talks and always has done. The days of Dewsbury paying a record fee for Lance Todd are now far behind us.

[NickD]

20 hours ago, RugbyPowelly said:

I have a couple of friends reliably in the know at Featherstone and they are telling me Cal Turner is signing for them.

They’re talking to Beckett and O’Connor as well but Halifax are also interested in them so that’s ongoing for now. 

Crikey...if we lose those three we will struggle in League 1

[Blind side johnny]

On 10/05/2024 at 22:19, RugbyPowelly said:

I have a couple of friends reliably in the know at Featherstone and they are telling me Cal Turner is signing for them.

They’re talking to Beckett and O’Connor as well but Halifax are also interested in them so that’s ongoing for now. 

Halifax hmmm!

Rent arrears of £53k+ on their ground up to April might make them less attractive to players.
 

 

Edited May 12 by Blind side johnny

[RugbyPowelly]

On 10/05/2024 at 22:19, RugbyPowelly said:

I have a couple of friends reliably in the know at Featherstone and they are telling me Cal Turner is signing for them.

They’re talking to Beckett and O’Connor as well but Halifax are also interested in them so that’s ongoing for now. 

Turner and Beckett at Fev next year

[coolie]

On 10/05/2024 at 22:19, RugbyPowelly said:

I have a couple of friends reliably in the know at Featherstone and they are telling me Cal Turner is signing for them.

They’re talking to Beckett and O’Connor as well but Halifax are also interested in them so that’s ongoing for now. 

Realistically we will lose players when we go down, losing players to Featherstone won't exactly be a novelty will it.. Few seasons back it was a yearly occurrence, we're bound to lose our quality players.. Just accept it your life will be far less stressful. 

As quoted I expect us bottom, no over hype, no day dreaming of the dizzy heights of top 6 as it currently stands there is 13 better teams than us in the division, it's now up to the coaching staff, the players & the fans to get behind the team win or lose... And see where we end up

[coolie]

On 12/05/2024 at 11:08, Blind side johnny said:

Halifax hmmm!

Rent arrears of £53k+ on their ground up to April might make them less attractive to players.
 

 

They'll be touting a fee for Greg Eden.... 

To pay the bills

[Blind side johnny]

11 hours ago, coolie said:

They'll be touting a fee for Greg Eden.... 

To pay the bills

He has been released.

[POR]

On 08/05/2024 at 19:55, Blind side johnny said:

And just to be clear, why shouldn't their reserves take precedence over a DR club?

Funny thing B tuther week we FEV had three DR from HKR playing while three of our  young players  played for Hull reserves