Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 6:42 am  

I've avoided the 'Lolohea question' as I don't want to restart the whole Jack Walker discussion, but he's really a playmaking fullback rather than an out-and-out halfback. I'm really not sure he and Myler would be a great halfback pairing - plenty of speed etc but neither of them are game managers. Maybe next year will be a competition between McClelland and Walker to get the other spine spot?

Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 6:57 am  

BrisbaneRhino wrote:

I've avoided the 'Lolohea question' as I don't want to restart the whole Jack Walker discussion, but he's really a playmaking fullback rather than an out-and-out halfback. I'm really not sure he and Myler would be a great halfback pairing - plenty of speed etc but neither of them are game managers. Maybe next year will be a competition between McClelland and Walker to get the other spine spot?

Time will tell - one thing is for sure Lolohea has some serious work to do on his conditioning - how can a professional athlete let himself get into that shape. To think a half back who has never played a game of open age rugby could suddenly be a starting half in a team with top 4 ambitions seems a stretch to me.

I would also ask why if he was so good has he left RU where the half back position is a key role and the earning potential so much more?

Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:04 am  

Juan Cornetto wrote:

The only logic in releasing Parcell and Golding would be if there is a new hooker coming in. Dwyer played some effective minutes at the back end of the season against some pretty crap opposition. In several games Golding played out of position as a hooker and made a better fist of it than Dwyer had previously done. So to consider Dwyer as a first choice hooker would be a big error.

Also to keep Sutcliffe over Golding is another mistake as the latter is a much better utility player.

I think McLelland looks to have the class and may well claim a first team spot with perhaps Lolohea spending some time at fullback.

Yes. Dwyer was at one point getting shipped out to Bradford now it looks like he`s starting hooker .Unless there is another one coming in

Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:29 am  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Time will tell - one thing is for sure Lolohea has some serious work to do on his conditioning - how can a professional athlete let himself get into that shape. To think a half back who has never played a game of open age rugby could suddenly be a starting half in a team with top 4 ambitions seems a stretch to me.

I would also ask why if he was so good has he left RU where the half back position is a key role and the earning potential so much more?

McClelland is a project signing lets face it, hope it proved to be fruitful, but a best he will be a fringe player and dual reg at Fev next year, be surprised if he is anything more. I still think Drinkwater for a year or two

Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:52 am  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Time will tell - one thing is for sure Lolohea has some serious work to do on his conditioning - how can a professional athlete let himself get into that shape. To think a half back who has never played a game of open age rugby could suddenly be a starting half in a team with top 4 ambitions seems a stretch to me.

I would also ask why if he was so good has he left RU where the half back position is a key role and the earning potential so much more?

He was even playing international for Scotland, was doing really well. His agent didn’t want him to leave as the money was so good and he was doing so well. But the player himself said he was bored and didn’t enjoy union. And even though for less money, wanted to be back in league. He met with lots of clubs, but Sinfield himself made it clear he wanted him as his first signing at Leeds. Callum sounded pretty confident he’d be breaking through this year. Also worth pointing out, he’s very much an organising 7 and not just a support running 6.

As many have said, still an unknown. But I’d say an exciting unknown. Be interesting where we are this time next year.

Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:53 am  

Mclellend is far from being a "project" he was one of the best HB's around in his age group before joining the Scottish RU.
He may be young & "untested" at SL level but he has/had huge potential & still only 20.

Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:56 am  

Unlikely that all our problems can be resolved in one off season IMO. I suspect there'll be a few problems that remain unresolved next year and that the half back pairing might well be one. Hopefully we won't be saddled with a "no go-forward and no effective halves" scenario because if we are there'll be no combination of other signings capable of dragging us out of the s***. That said, I am encouraged by the club's apparent raising of the bar signing-wise.

Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:09 pm  

RHINO-MARK wrote:

Mclellend is far from being a "project" he was one of the best HB's around in his age group before joining the Scottish RU.
He may be young & "untested" at SL level but he has/had huge potential & still only 20.

Yup. A quick look at a well-known video sharing site confirms that the guy is a class act, however unproven. I'd be surprised if he isn't featuring regularly by the mid-late part of next season. It is pretty obvious there's a gulf in class between him and Cory Aston, who he's been unfavourably compared with by some posters.

Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 2:00 pm  

rollin thunder wrote:

McClelland is a project signing lets face it, hope it proved to be fruitful, but a best he will be a fringe player and dual reg at Fev next year, be surprised if he is anything more. I still think Drinkwater for a year or two

Drinkwater wants £170k according to Phil Caplan & co

Re: 2019 | Squad : Tue Oct 23, 2018 2:03 pm  

Exeter Rhino wrote:

Yup. A quick look at a well-known video sharing site confirms that the guy is a class act, however unproven. I'd be surprised if he isn't featuring regularly by the mid-late part of next season. It is pretty obvious there's a gulf in class between him and Cory Aston, who he's been unfavourably compared with by some posters.

hey , i hope he turned out to be a cracker, hope you are right, but at this moment in time he has not even player open age Rl never mind super league, untried untested, so he must be seen as a project player at least for next year anyway. he may well get some first team game time, it it will take him 12 months to settle back into RL and playing open age at fev for at least first half of season will help him, if he is that good then sure he will be playing in super league before end of season.