Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 10:38 am  

Phuzzy wrote:

You're right, we don't need 2 quality fullbacks in the side in principle but it's good to have 2 who can play to such a high standard in such a pivotal position to cover injury, loss of form and, in the present climate, suspensions.

We do, however, need 2 quality players in the side (well, more than 2 obviously, but you get the point I'm making). The question is not should we have one or the other but where do we fit both in the side. Both players can play multiple positions. Field 1 and 6 (and possibly wing) and French fullback and wing without question. I would argue that neither half nor wing are settled in our team so there is more than enough scope to fit them both in.

Tommy/Field halves with Cust at 9 or Cust/Field halves with Tommy spelling hooker both look potentially better than we currently have. We already know that French has the ability to be among the best in the league from fullback.

If you don't want to move Field then French and Marshall on the wings gives us pace to burn. There is no substitute for pace as we've seen from Field already this year.

In both instances we have a top quality 1 to cover injuries etc. I'm not sure what the downside is to be honest.

I think the only downside is what their salary does to the cap and what that means for other positions.

If we spend £300k (both marquee) on Field and French then can we manage to fit quality players into the side in the other key positions like 6,7,8,9,10 etc and still manage to get a strong squad or do we end up like Warrington who have a good 1-17 on paper but crumble after that?

One thing I will say about our recruitment/squad is that when we have been missing 7 and 8 players at a time we are still able to put out a team that in most cases is able to compete and has even won a run of games. Not every club can do that and TBH I don't actually think any can and I include Saints in that as shown pretty much every time they play a weak team. How many sides were unable to field a team last year and forfeited? We played three games missing 11 players and won 2 of them.

We aren't going to have a squad of world beaters, nobody is in a salary capped sport, so you have to balance the money as best you can and throwing massive money at two players that both play the same position doesn't seem the right way to do it. If we lose one of French/Field and bring in a big forward to replace them then that is better than having both of them playing behind a crap pack.

Of course, if we manage to keep both of them and spend marquee money elsewhere then it's a piece of absolute brilliance.

Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 10:45 am  

Egg Chasing wrote:

I think the only downside is what their salary does to the cap and what that means for other positions.

If we spend £300k (both marquee) on Field and French then can we manage to fit quality players into the side in the other key positions like 6,7,8,9,10 etc and still manage to get a strong squad or do we end up like Warrington who have a good 1-17 on paper but crumble after that?

One thing I will say about our recruitment/squad is that when we have been missing 7 and 8 players at a time we are still able to put out a team that in most cases is able to compete and has even won a run of games. Not every club can do that and TBH I don't actually think any can and I include Saints in that as shown pretty much every time they play a weak team. How many sides were unable to field a team last year and forfeited? We played three games missing 11 players and won 2 of them.

We aren't going to have a squad of world beaters, nobody is in a salary capped sport, so you have to balance the money as best you can and throwing massive money at two players that both play the same position doesn't seem the right way to do it. If we lose one of French/Field and bring in a big forward to replace them then that is better than having both of them playing behind a crap pack.

Of course, if we manage to keep both of them and spend marquee money elsewhere then it's a piece of absolute brilliance.

I don't know the finances or what those 2 players are on so I can't really comment other than to say neither are marquee at the moment (?) and couldn't be next year either as Bateman has a marquee contract. If we can't afford both then that's another matter, of course but, as a principal, we should be looking to get as many top players in as possible and both certainly fall into that category.

Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 10:48 am  

Phuzzy wrote:

I don't know the finances or what those 2 players are on so I can't really comment other than to say neither are marquee at the moment (?) and couldn't be next year either as Bateman has a marquee contract. If we can't afford both then that's another matter, of course but, as a principal, we should be looking to get as many top players in as possible and both certainly fall into that category.

Agree, but you would think if the NRL are sniffing around them that we would need to pay big bucks to keep them because they currently hold the advantage when it comes to wages. If the marquee spots are gone then we need to count their full salaries on the cap which creates another problem.

It isn't as simple as keeping a player because he's quality otherwise we'd be signing world class players like it's 1992.

Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 10:58 am  

Egg Chasing wrote:

Agree, but you would think if the NRL are sniffing around them that we would need to pay big bucks to keep them because they currently hold the advantage when it comes to wages. If the marquee spots are gone then we need to count their full salaries on the cap which creates another problem.

It isn't as simple as keeping a player because he's quality otherwise we'd be signing world class players like it's 1992.

Of course I understand we work to a salary cap but then so does everyone else and they seem to be able to do it. Catalans, Saints and Warrington all have plenty players who will be on big money. How much do you reckon it took to keep Walmsley, Lomax, Roby, Coote etc at the club last year? And don't even get me started on Warrington!

Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 11:14 am  

French and Field are worth marquee money at FB. There's been nothing to say they'd be worth that playing at 6. Surely it's a better option to get an out and out HB and pay them?

Again, like Saints, why would they have kept Coote and paid Welsby FB money to sit on the wing. It makes no sense.

[Sadfish]

Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 11:15 am  

Phuzzy wrote:

Of course I understand we work to a salary cap but then so does everyone else and they seem to be able to do it. Catalans, Saints and Warrington all have plenty players who will be on big money. How much do you reckon it took to keep Walmsley, Lomax, Roby, Coote etc at the club last year? And don't even get me started on Warrington!

Lomax/Roby/Walmsley all joined low and home grown rarely are top earners.

Coote was released for the very reason that we could not afford his wage request.

Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 11:26 am  

Sadfish wrote:

Lomax/Roby/Walmsley all joined low and home grown rarely are top earners.

Coote was released for the very reason that we could not afford his wage request.

And as pointed out, Wire don't have a good squad because they can't afford one. Few injuries and they're playing props on the wing.

[Sadfish]

Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 11:28 am  

Egg Chasing wrote:

And as pointed out, Wire don't have a good squad because they can't afford one. Few injuries and they're playing props on the wing.

Not sure what you mean by "Can't afford one".

They are as rich as any club in the UK, I don't think the money is the issue, just the injuries and perhaps type of player in positions they have brought in, Inglis probably the first problem issue.

Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 11:34 am  

Sadfish wrote:

Lomax/Roby/Walmsley all joined low and home grown rarely are top earners.

Coote was released for the very reason that we could not afford his wage request.

Give over mate. You're telling me that you have Lomax and, particularly, Walmsley on low money? Roby would have been a top earner for most of his career too. Coote came on decent money. You couldn't afford his increased wage demand this year. You still had to pay him good money last year along with all the others.

Leeds stars all played for peanuts too, don't you know.

Re: Fans Forum : Fri Mar 18, 2022 11:38 am  

Egg Chasing wrote:

And as pointed out, Wire don't have a good squad because they can't afford one. Few injuries and they're playing props on the wing.

But you can't equate the money Warrington are paying their first 17 to an increase for French and Field. The increase for those is not all extras .. we're already paying a good proportion of what we'd need to pay to keep them. It would be covered several times over by Tommy and Zak's wages.

And that's before we get into the difference in Academies when discussing squad depth