Re: Matchday Thread: Huddersfield (H) pre-season : Thu Jan 21, 2016 6:59 am  

Seventies red wrote:

Heard the rumours too. I thought the rumours were Rovers were trying to get Mantellato on an Italian passport?

Unless its changed this year he would still be non fed and we would still be over, who would we off-load?

Re: Matchday Thread: Huddersfield (H) pre-season : Thu Jan 21, 2016 10:20 am  

eastul105 wrote:

Unless its changed this year he would still be non fed and we would still be over, who would we off-load?

You mistakenly, just quoted me instead of Hessle rover there (previous page), but never mind.
Regarding your question.....who would we offload?. I really have no idea, but over on the Rovers Facebook page there is some chatter about the possibility of Sio going back to Australia.
Other than that the only other possibility would perhaps be releasing Dane Tilse, the latter would be my personal preference.

[Mild Rover]

Re: Matchday Thread: Huddersfield (H) pre-season : Thu Jan 21, 2016 1:25 pm  

fc-eaststander wrote:

I have got to say purely from a neutral where your teams concerned, I was expecting you to add some real strength to your squad with experienced NRL players to replace the likes of Weyman, and the other big Aussy who's name escapes me Justin something,

Tbf, we brought in Allgood for Justin Poore and he even managed a few more games than Poore had. Eventually Tilse came in for Weyman, but he had a spell out injured too. The jury still has to be out on them (they have decent NRL pedigrees fwiw), but we desperately need more from them in 2016.

fc-eaststander wrote:

you have to think if Leeds thought these lads where good enough to make the grade at the top of super league they would have tried a lot harder to keep them.

The 'if they were any good, why would they sign for you?' argument can be used for almost any signing made by a bottom-half club - and there's some truth to it, which is why the same teams dominate year in year out. Another, no more palatable, scenario is that Leeds seem happy to use the rest of RL as their farm system - they were monitoring (not just watching, but bringing in for tests etc.) Hunslet and Featherstone players last year (including Minns) who'd previously been on their books. The RFL fined them £2000 (half suspended) - that'll show 'em, eh?

That's the challenge the less wealthy and successful clubs have to overcome if they want to displace the top teams and have their own turn doing the same thing.

Even though it hasn't happened yet, and Hull FC could finally start to shake off their sleeping bridesmaid tag, there is already a sad poignancy to the optimism surrounding your club's latest golden generation. Law of averages is that some won't make it at SL level, and then the best of those that do will be creamed off by more successful teams over here, or perhaps richer ones in the NRL. Better having them than not, of course, to have taken that first step - but the obstacles remain dispiritingly large.

Still there's more to following a team than silverware - enjoy the wins as they come and keep hoping that one year, just maybe...

Re: Matchday Thread: Huddersfield (H) pre-season : Thu Jan 21, 2016 1:49 pm  

Mild Rover wrote:

Tbf, we brought in Allgood for Justin Poore and he even managed a few more games than Poore had. Eventually Tilse came in for Weyman, but he had a spell out injured too. The jury still has to be out on them (they have decent NRL pedigrees fwiw), but we desperately need more from them in 2016.

The 'if they were any good, why would they sign for you?' argument can be used for almost any signing made by a bottom-half club - and there's some truth to it, which is why the same teams dominate year in year out. Another, no more palatable, scenario is that Leeds seem happy to use the rest of RL as their farm system - they were monitoring (not just watching, but bringing in for tests etc.) Hunslet and Featherstone players last year (including Minns) who'd previously been on their books. The RFL fined them £2000 (half suspended) - that'll show 'em, eh?

That's the challenge the less wealthy and successful clubs have to overcome if they want to displace the top teams and have their own turn doing the same thing.

Even though it hasn't happened yet, and Hull FC could finally start to shake off their sleeping bridesmaid tag, there is already a sad poignancy to the optimism surrounding your club's latest golden generation. Law of averages is that some won't make it at SL level, and then the best of those that do will be creamed off by more successful teams over here, or perhaps richer ones in the NRL. Better having them than not, of course, to have taken that first step - but the obstacles remain dispiritingly large.

Still there's more to following a team than silverware - enjoy the wins as they come and keep hoping that one year, just maybe...

Your one year just maybe I used to think like that back in the 60s and then it all came good we won just about ever thing that was going and all the cups you had to win in the league, then so yes it will happen again i just hope i live to see it I hope it is swings and roundabouts

Re: Matchday Thread: Huddersfield (H) pre-season : Thu Jan 21, 2016 4:01 pm  

Mild Rover wrote:

Tbf, we brought in Allgood for Justin Poore and he even managed a few more games than Poore had. Eventually Tilse came in for Weyman, but he had a spell out injured too. The jury still has to be out on them (they have decent NRL pedigrees fwiw), but we desperately need more from them in 2016.

The 'if they were any good, why would they sign for you?' argument can be used for almost any signing made by a bottom-half club - and there's some truth to it, which is why the same teams dominate year in year out. Another, no more palatable, scenario is that Leeds seem happy to use the rest of RL as their farm system - they were monitoring (not just watching, but bringing in for tests etc.) Hunslet and Featherstone players last year (including Minns) who'd previously been on their books. The RFL fined them £2000 (half suspended) - that'll show 'em, eh?

That's the challenge the less wealthy and successful clubs have to overcome if they want to displace the top teams and have their own turn doing the same thing.

Even though it hasn't happened yet, and Hull FC could finally start to shake off their sleeping bridesmaid tag, there is already a sad poignancy to the optimism surrounding your club's latest golden generation. Law of averages is that some won't make it at SL level, and then the best of those that do will be creamed off by more successful teams over here, or perhaps richer ones in the NRL. Better having them than not, of course, to have taken that first step - but the obstacles remain dispiritingly large.

Still there's more to following a team than silverware - enjoy the wins as they come and keep hoping that one year, just maybe...

All good points you make I hope this U23s takes off and grows that will be our youngsters best chance to break into the first team that's why Leeds don't want to take part they have there finger in too many pies , if it does not take off then we both may have to look at a joint u23 team and enter the lower league's it pains me to say that but we have to find a pathway for kids to devolve expecting the majority to come straight from the 19s set up is quite unrealistic for the vast majority good luck with injuries this season no one wants to see teams best players on the side lines and if your going sunday have a great afternoon but not to great

[Mild Rover]

Re: Matchday Thread: Huddersfield (H) pre-season : Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:31 pm  

fc-eaststander wrote:

All good points you make I hope this U23s takes off and grows that will be our youngsters best chance to break into the first team that's why Leeds don't want to take part they have there finger in too many pies , if it does not take off then we both may have to look at a joint u23 team and enter the lower league's it pains me to say that but we have to find a pathway for kids to devolve expecting the majority to come straight from the 19s set up is quite unrealistic for the vast majority good luck with injuries this season no one wants to see teams best players on the side lines and if your going sunday have a great afternoon but not to great

I saw somebody on the Hull board suggest that it'd have made more sense to have a joint under-23s rather than merging the academy. And in one sense they're right, but that'd represent extra spending rather than a saving and I doubt it'd be very cost effective unless you could persuade decent numbers of people to pay a decent amount to watch the 23s.

For me the best solution i can suggest is more bottom up. Scrap the 16s and put the money saved into grassroots clubs, have RFL-run regional 19s, then players can enter the pro game at whatever level they are ready for. those that mature and improve will move up the leagues, again when they're ready.

Re: Matchday Thread: Huddersfield (H) pre-season : Sun Jan 24, 2016 1:14 am  

Apparently Mitch's ancestors loved haggis!