Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:04 am  

Bulls Boy 2011 wrote:

If Purtell is not cleared to play in December then we are fecked !

Not necessarily. It would be very late for recruitment, but we'd have a full quota spot and his wage available to source a replacement. Pretty certain we'd be able to find someone to recruit, doesn't necessarily have to be a back either given Blythe,walker,platt and one if young lads are all capable of playing centre.
Don't really see point in making too much of a judgement on our recruitment until its complete TBH. I'm sure coaching staff can see the weak areas in squad and are trying to fill them. Think at this stage we just need to be patient and see who else we bring in.

[Bulliac]

Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:32 am  

mat wrote:

Not necessarily. It would be very late for recruitment, but we'd have a full quota spot and his wage available to source a replacement. Pretty certain we'd be able to find someone to recruit, doesn't necessarily have to be a back either given Blythe,walker,platt and one if young lads are all capable of playing centre.
Don't really see point in making too much of a judgement on our recruitment until its complete TBH. I'm sure coaching staff can see the weak areas in squad and are trying to fill them. Think at this stage we just need to be patient and see who else we bring in.

That's spot on imo. Individual ins and outs aren't that important, particularly for a club in our position, it's the overall makeup and balance of the squad which is important. I hope very much that Purts recovers fully and can come back to play though, but his health is far more important than our squad.

Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:35 am  

The RFL could be partly responsible for Ainscough moving to Ozz with them cutting out sky cash...well done RFL NOT

Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:44 am  

zapperbull wrote:

The RFL could be partly responsible for Ainscough moving to Ozz with them cutting out sky cash...well done RFL NOT

I doubt it. It's more likely a case of us having to use more of the cap to keep hold of Nas, Gale, Bateman etc. and players like Ainscough are deemed surplus to requirements. I know it sounds harsh, but wingers like Shaun are easily replaced.
That being said I wish him all the best, and it's unfortunate that he has found himself in this position because I certainly think he is good enough for SL, and way too good for some amateur side over in Aus.

Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:43 pm  

He's not the only player looking for security in oz and hardly surprising given the rumours about various clubs.

We can see in terms of numbers where there are holes in the squad, what we cannot read is FCs mind as to how he wants to play the game and therefore the players he wants. so as mat says simply knowing we are several props and however many wings etc short isnt enough, the picture becomes clearer as the announcements are made. Doesn't stop the speculation though!

Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:46 pm  

Nothus wrote:

I doubt it. It's more likely a case of us having to use more of the cap to keep hold of Nas, Gale, Bateman etc. and players like Ainscough are deemed surplus to requirements. I know it sounds harsh, but wingers like Shaun are easily replaced.
That being said I wish him all the best, and it's unfortunate that he has found himself in this position because I certainly think he is good enough for SL, and way too good for some amateur side over in Aus.

I agree that we are probably paying Gale, Bateman, Nas a little more that last year, but i can't imagine we are close to the cap spend. This is what is concerning me the most. Shaun will not be after a large wage (assuming) and as we are not prepared to retain this player, just makes me feel that the money is not there (not really a surprise).

It's just confusing that OK has previously stated that the Bulls will spend up to the cap this year, but based on current recruitment and playing roster, we must be way, way short of the cap limit.

Jefferies, KP, Joseph, Hargreaves, Donno, Addy, Crookes, Ainy + more - we can't have swallowed that cash up already, surely?

Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 2:00 pm  

If your 8 best palyers average £100k p/a that only leaves £800k bewtween the remaining 17. I wouldn't put Ainscough in top 15 players, never mind top 8, so there's not much left to reward him for his enthusiasm.

Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 2:02 pm  

Write an adequate cheque but give it to him well and with a boyish smile.

Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 2:33 pm  

...or drop it just short of him.

Re: Preview of 2013 squad - who's left plus rumours : Wed Oct 24, 2012 3:10 pm  

It's all very well everyone wanting us to "spend up to the cap", but we got into a real fine mess doing that when we didn't have the money.

People need to get used to the idea that what we are able to spend will - must - be curtailed by what money we get coming in. Taking into account modest season ticket sales, and especially taking into account that we are starting £500,000 down on income as opposed to every other SL club.

OK and GS have saved our skin, but they're not Penn and Teller, and I don't believe we have an alchemist on the books, so where is the money everyone wants to spend going to come from?