Lets get this forum kicking again.

Realistically

Who's been your most improved player from last year?
Who's been your best new signing?
Worst new signing?
Who to ditch for next year?
How many new signings and what areas?

1) dave Allen ( hands down been great this year)
2) hep Cahill ( guys a machine)
3) Clarke - for me has some decent games but nothing compared to mcshane or either Lloyd white in that sense
4) Jon Clarke - must be on a hell of a wage and I don't think we would miss him too much
Thomas Coyle - not featured this year so a bit unfair but I never rated him in the championship
McGraff leulaui - not big enough to hack it IMO
Kite - manages 15 minutes stints before getting injured or exhausted
Dean/isa - not been our worst players and I wouldn't mind keeping one of them, possibly isa but I'd prefer a stronger starting centre/winger

5) I'd sign 4 more on top of brown
New prop
Utility forward (back row)
New centre
Utility back

We can definitely build a decent team around the likes of

Brown
Hanbury
Phelps
Briscoe
Cahill
Cross
Allen
Marsh

Clarke and Kite both too lazy. Clarke's got another year so if we can't get McShane keep him.

Leu isn't going to be on much and might benefit from a dual reg, same for Kurt. Dean hasn't done anything to deserve being dropped and Isa has found a place on the wing and would benefit from a winger who actually passes to him. Dean has a hand in most of PAV's tries.

[uOut[/u

Finnegan
Kite
Leuluai
Mullally (already agreed with Huddersfield for 2013)
Haggerty (tough decision)

[uIn[/u

Brown
Tickle
Prop x2
Centre/winger of good quality

Marsh and Mellor signed, it would be great if we could get Mcshane but i doubt that would happen.

Player of the year = Cahill

Biggest let down = Watts, massive potential but injuries and the fact his head is all over the place done us in.

Tickle has signed.

I'd like to see us keep most of the squad together.

I would ditch the following though:

Dean
Kite
Coyle
Leuluai
Finnigan

In:

Brown
Tickle
Prop (maybe 2)
Centre

Team:

Briscoe
Isa
New signing
Marsh
Ah Van
Mellor
Hanbury
Cross
Clarke
Pickersgill
Cahill
Tickle
Brown

Winterstein
McShane / White (would love to see us break the bank for McShane)
O'Carroll
Davies

Allen (hope he isn't going as rumoured. Developed brilliantly)
Phelps
Haggerty
Kavanagh
Craven
Owens
Gerrard
New forward if we can't keep McShane.

Youth lads making up the 26+ squad numbers.

I'd definitely have phelps in the 17 at least. One of our most consistent this year.

in all honesty, i dont think we need that many signings. the team has improved greatly in the second half of the season, of course we need to drop a few and bring in the likes of tickle, brown and another big forward would be good. but with briscoe fit we have phelps back in the centres doing a job for Isa, whom i agree, has found his place on the wing. I wouldnt get rid of dean of marsh. both have the hearst of lions.
Lately we have been dissapointed with close defeats to teams who battered us earlier in the year, we were relatively rubbish against KR and SLE Bulls and didnt exactly get destroyed in either case. of course, we are back to the massive injury crisis now but if a few decisions had gone our way this year and a few bounces of the ball gone our way we would be comfortably in 11th-10th position. I really dont think we need to strengthn the team that much, we just need to keep improving what we have. many hard lessons will have been learned this season and will continue to be assimilated in the off season. we also MUST SIGN MCSHANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all of this considered we willl be much better next season.

If we played with the belief that we did during our brief purple patch we'd have been nowhere near the bottom. Alas, we took time to gel and now injuries are taking their toll.

Tickle,Phelps,Briscoe, at least they will be comfortable in black and white.

are you actually getting Tickle??

www.thisishullandeastriding.co.u ... story.html

www.thisishullandeastriding.co.u ... story.html