Re: Salford v Leigh : Tue Apr 27, 2021 1:43 pm  

There is the need to spend money on transfer fees to sign players of sufficient quality to be competitive, and to offload those that are not, but that depends on how important survival in Super League is to those who have the power to make a difference.
If the operational Board has already been advised of no relegation then we still need further signings to make the season more enjoyable for the loyal fan base.

Re: Salford v Leigh : Tue Apr 27, 2021 3:09 pm  

Harry Stottle wrote:

What would you suggest Atomic, how would you start?

I’m still waiting for the answer to the question I asked you Harry. Then I will possibly give my opinion.

Go for it.

Re: Salford v Leigh : Tue Apr 27, 2021 3:35 pm  

J7P1 wrote:

There is the need to spend money on transfer fees to sign players of sufficient quality to be competitive, and to offload those that are not, but that depends on how important survival in Super League is to those who have the power to make a difference.
If the operational Board has already been advised of no relegation then we still need further signings to make the season more enjoyable for the loyal fan base.

The whole scenario changes if, relegation is binned. That’s also a major opportunity to create a restructure also. Both within the Club and also the league structures.

Re: Salford v Leigh : Tue Apr 27, 2021 10:39 pm  

I have defended Ben Reynolds for years now but this time around I just can't.
What is it about Leigh Centurions that the club have to re-sign ex Leigh players over & over again ?

I really can't get my head around Ryan Brierley & to actually pay a fee for Ben Reynolds is bordering on insanity !!!
Ellis I can kind of understand, he's decent without being a world beater.

Just why ?

Re: Salford v Leigh : Tue Apr 27, 2021 11:29 pm  

Ste100Centurions wrote:

I have defended Ben Reynolds for years now but this time around I just can't.
What is it about Leigh Centurions that the club have to re-sign ex Leigh players over & over again ?

I really can't get my head around Ryan Brierley & to actually pay a fee for Ben Reynolds is bordering on insanity !!!
Ellis I can kind of understand, he's decent without being a world beater.

Just why ?

Upon return, Mickey Higham wasn't too shoddy for us in his twilight years, Ste and (going back), since you mention ex-players, bringing back Murphy saw him take a hand in bringing us the other piece of meaningful silverware in my lifetime after the winker had previously seen us to lifting the C-Cup.

Sometimes it's better the devil you know.

Hope you are keeping well

Re: Salford v Leigh : Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:24 am  

I understand what you are saying Ste and in an ideal scenario maybe Ben would not have been signed for a fee, but it hasn’t been an ideal world from day one, and the club was facing an extended time period without a first choice halfback at the time he was signed. We still are again now with Ellis still weeks away and Mellor now also 4 weeks out at least.
Say what you like about anyone signed, but they were likely the best available at the time and were willing to come to us knowing they were in an uphill battle.
The club has clearly stated that they were/still are actively looking for players. In the meantime we have the players we have, and the injuries that have happened. I have been disappointed in performances, especially in the Salford game, but for me, it is a team issue, not an individual(s) issue.

Re: Salford v Leigh : Wed Apr 28, 2021 8:44 am  

Bent&Bongser wrote:

Upon return, Mickey Higham wasn't too shoddy for us in his twilight years, Ste and (going back), since you mention ex-players, bringing back Murphy saw him take a hand in bringing us the other piece of meaningful silverware in my lifetime after the winker had previously seen us to lifting the C-Cup.

Sometimes it's better the devil you know.

Hope you are keeping well

I'm fairly good thanks the pandemic has had positives to offset the negatives.

As I say, I can understand Ellis to a degree, I didn't see the pre season games but believe he went well & Mickey Higham & Murphy are legendary & were a big success on return.

Ryan was fantastic for Leigh at Championship level where the overall quality of the Leigh squad vs the lack of quality throughout the rest of the Championship gave him lot's of space & time, but this is his 3rd go at Leigh & he just isn't Super League standard (nice lad, does lot's off the pitch, a favourite with the kids) but not Super League.

Ben is someone I always believed in, always championed & defended. I always saw something in him where I believed he would kick on & achieve good things just as I did with Jamie Acton, but it's been so long now & it just isn't happening !

I do think the team will get better, after all it couldn't be a worse start with 3 tough teams to start & a very thin squad decimated by injuries.
I thought Wallace would go well & Mellor used to tie us up in knots but both have been very disappointing, so now we have 4 halves, 2 are injured & one is being played at Full Back (Ryan will never make a full back) & of the 4 only Ellis is up to SL standard (so far).

On a positive end, It's not long before we get to sit in the Library Stand & turn the volume up a bit ..... Happy Days !!!

Re: Salford v Leigh : Wed Apr 28, 2021 10:41 am  

Ste100Centurions wrote:

I have defended Ben Reynolds for years now but this time around I just can't.
What is it about Leigh Centurions that the club have to re-sign ex Leigh players over & over again ?

I really can't get my head around Ryan Brierley & to actually pay a fee for Ben Reynolds is bordering on insanity !!!
Ellis I can kind of understand, he's decent without being a world beater.

Just why ?

At last a realisation about Reynolds. I only wish the club had heeded what happened when he went to Wakefield and after a bright start he was hardly ever used. The tactical kicking has never improved over the years especially the up and unders which do just that and never hang in the air long enough to put the full back under pressure. In open play he isn’t quick enough to glide through the gaps (oh what would we give for Woody of long ago!!).His goal kicking was always reliable, but going off Friday, that now seems debatable. So that just leaves tackling, that can still be relied on. Is that enough?
This all could have been avoided of course. That is the unbelievable decision in a meaningless friendly when already losing by over 20 points with ten minutes to go to send back on our most influential half back Jamie Ellis who promptly gets injured immediately and is still not available. Criminal!!!

Re: Salford v Leigh : Wed Apr 28, 2021 2:02 pm  

It was a crazy idea to play the two friendlies against Saints and Warrington. I can see the point in getting up to the pace of Super League but with such a shallow squad it was complacent to say the least, to think that injuries may not be picked up.

Now we are having to deal with the consequences. We have already lost one of our four or five must win games, survival is probably out of our hands unless we can pick up a couple of home wins against the likes of Huddersfield, Leeds or Hull.

Re: Salford v Leigh : Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:26 am  

J7P1 wrote:

There is the need to spend money on transfer fees to sign players of sufficient quality to be competitive, and to offload those that are not, but that depends on how important survival in Super League is to those who have the power to make a difference.
If the operational Board has already been advised of no relegation then we still need further signings to make the season more enjoyable for the loyal fan base.

I think what is highlighted is a very fair comment, but it is a double edged sword as there is little to nobody available to improve the squad.

We have heard the snippets of one league of 14, two of 10 etc...., but only the league of 14 can commence next season as two leagues of 10 would demote 2 teams and would this be fair with loop fixtures and a good handful of games through the season ?

so its 14 in 2022, or 10 in 2023, but I will go with the former with Degsy playing his cards close to his chest.

This years squad have absolutely nothing to lose, but you would not think that the way they are playing. Last weeks performance was shocking. Friday cannot be any worse as Saints didnt crack any pots against Huddersfield last week either (and we play well against Saints normally).

Degsy gone for a sabbatical from twitter for a few weeks. Reasons behind this perhaps ?