Squad Complete ?

Nathan has not said his squad is complete could there be another overseas player up his sleeve ?

TBH Don't think there will be anymore signings this season

Said he wanted an edge running forward and an outside back. That's one out of two. I expect if the right player becomes avAilable in aus we will go for it. We are still lighter on experienced first teamers than we were last year and some big earners have gone. I reckon by the mid point in the season we will have another new face.

At 36 ours must be the biggest squad in SL, "shirley" there carn,t be room for any more?
Hic,

What the hell is an edge running forward
Hic, a privit or something

I am maybe a bit out of touch as yet, but from the bits i have picked up, I am very impressed by the quality of youngsters that the club have been signing, the signing of these may be a reflection on the number of season tickets sold ( i dont know ) but i'm hopeful some of these are going to prove great signings in the next few years. Having said that i also think that should the right overseas player come on the market mid season, i dont think KD would be backward at coming forward, as it were, he has never been so in the past anyway, For me a far more intriguing question is What has he got in mind for next seasons coach, We need N Brown to stay or someone as good or better to take us on.
I think we will have a season of consolidation rather than greatness myself, with the best of the youngsters pushing themselves to the fore, maybe next season when the franchises have been awarded will be when the real effort goes in, i could be wrong ( probably am ) but i get the feeling KD is saving up a bit.

Sorry Bo carn,t agree with the consolidation bit, we,ve had 2 cup finals 3 playoff seasons
its time we dusted off the trophy cabinet, we have all been very patient, We have a top coach,
top players, a very big squad, plenty of internationals and players of proven ability.Experiance,
youth, quality.
lve already posted my expectations 3rd, Cup winners, playoff semis, anything less for me will be
a big dissapointment, and l would go so far as to say failure.
Consolidation has been done, and done again, lets kick on, and get the job done.

Sorry to say after all your years Boomer old pal youre doing it again
Your expectations are higher than a mountain top

At the moment its a blend of local home grown talent --experience that in some cases has "been" at international level --some promiing youngsters --and present/possible GB players who played well in the 4 nations --but still have some way to go to reach theelite standing of some of the Aussies/ NZ present squad

................but I will acept they are among the best in SL --but on a LEVel ith their England team mates in the domestic comp

Wild may not have been an option has he wanted -at this stage in his career - a longer contract
Brett has headed off - and whilst many have consequently done a U turn and stated he "was getting on" I sincerely believe knew he is still a class apart and would have been delighted if he`d stayed
Ivea feeling that Lunt was selected for his obvious quaities/ enthusiasm -and his role at hooker but Im not sure he will be played there (Faiumu and Robbo before him it seems )
I became confused by (for whatever reasons ) the Cudjoe story

A season on the wing / being groomed for full back???/ then centre and ultimately I believe that HIS confusion was exposed in Aus

Grix -who had relatively little game time in various positions suddenly tipped as Brett`s successor ( and I admit at the moment he`s got the pass to nowhere off to a tee

Lawrence being groomed as a winger - but at the moment there`s DH and McGillvary - and maybe the new fella in his way

I may be "playing safe" but other than new signings its my opinion and always will be that this desire to have players who play anywhere isnt ideal and stubbornly I stick to it

Although the game has quite definitely changed the "understanding " of knowing where yer mate was like Cooper and Dev, Banks and Ramsden. Dean and Kielty - and Gasnier and his mates was sheer beauty

Players move on more quickly nowadays and we dont see the established partnerships that most surely worked Atkinson Shoebottom and Smith etc

Sometimes season after season the players and positions change so that sometimes I think they meet on the bus!!

NB is a good coach and no argument within the new system - but as Wild and Hodgson were leaving - it was the contracts that dictated they be chosen - the "money" thing
We didnt get any silverware --so why didnt we start planning ahead then I question?

The new lads are new to each other - the established pack has more cohesion I think -a nd purely in my opinion and sadly -past experience - thats our Achilles heel

I believe at this stage we are in the middle
For a better chance of what Boomer dreams of --then I believe we need two class acts!
But then that would further delay the progress of the (hopefully) stars of the future that we`re banking on

Its a merry go round
The amazingly successful team we had in the 50`s played together in establihed positions and format for maybe 5 or 6 seasons - then sadly all virtually retired at the same time and for whatever reason we drifted into a "low" and it never came back in any real way

Though the comings and goings are part of todays game where players in most partview it as a "job" and change allegiance with the changing of a shirt, its paramount to introduce the "best" youngsters gradually and carefully into a winning combination
The older ones leave/retire and the middle experience players take their place -the former youngsters take their place -and then theres the opening for fresh promising youngsters to stake a claim

and when one of those COMBINATIONS CLICKS -- bingo --you WILL have something to show for it in my opinion

Although Boomer I want to think Im wrong and youre right - my belief is that if we can maintain a faithful contingent -coaching and playing together it could be true two seasons on
it will depend on player movements - or lack of that determines it -and who can blame a lad whos ambitious wants to play and isnt one bit happy sitting on the sidelines

So I`ll be quietly cautious once again - then its not so hard to take as a lifetime fan

If youre right -as I said - Im happy to buy the Tizer -- but if not -its your turn if the Kleenex comes out
See you at Cardiff!!

penninegiant wrote:

Sorry to say after all your years Boomer old pal youre doing it again
Your expectations are higher than a mountain top

At the moment its a blend of local home grown talent --experience that in some cases has "been" at international level --some promiing youngsters --and present/possible GB players who played well in the 4 nations --but still have some way to go to reach theelite standing of some of the Aussies/ NZ present squad

................but I will acept they are among the best in SL --but on a LEVel ith their England team mates in the domestic comp

Wild may not have been an option has he wanted -at this stage in his career - a longer contract
Brett has headed off - and whilst many have consequently done a U turn and stated he "was getting on" I sincerely believe knew he is still a class apart and would have been delighted if he`d stayed
Ivea feeling that Lunt was selected for his obvious quaities/ enthusiasm -and his role at hooker but Im not sure he will be played there (Faiumu and Robbo before him it seems )
I became confused by (for whatever reasons ) the Cudjoe story

A season on the wing / being groomed for full back???/ then centre and ultimately I believe that HIS confusion was exposed in Aus

Grix -who had relatively little game time in various positions suddenly tipped as Brett`s successor ( and I admit at the moment he`s got the pass to nowhere off to a tee

Lawrence being groomed as a winger - but at the moment there`s DH and McGillvary - and maybe the new fella in his way

I may be "playing safe" but other than new signings its my opinion and always will be that this desire to have players who play anywhere isnt ideal and stubbornly I stick to it

Although the game has quite definitely changed the "understanding " of knowing where yer mate was like Cooper and Dev, Banks and Ramsden. Dean and Kielty - and Gasnier and his mates was sheer beauty

Players move on more quickly nowadays and we dont see the established partnerships that most surely worked Atkinson Shoebottom and Smith etc

Sometimes season after season the players and positions change so that sometimes I think they meet on the bus!!

NB is a good coach and no argument within the new system - but as Wild and Hodgson were leaving - it was the contracts that dictated they be chosen - the "money" thing
We didnt get any silverware --so why didnt we start planning ahead then I question?

The new lads are new to each other - the established pack has more cohesion I think -a nd purely in my opinion and sadly -past experience - thats our Achilles heel

I believe at this stage we are in the middle
For a better chance of what Boomer dreams of --then I believe we need two class acts!
But then that would further delay the progress of the (hopefully) stars of the future that we`re banking on

Its a merry go round
The amazingly successful team we had in the 50`s played together in establihed positions and format for maybe 5 or 6 seasons - then sadly all virtually retired at the same time and for whatever reason we drifted into a "low" and it never came back in any real way

Though the comings and goings are part of todays game where players in most partview it as a "job" and change allegiance with the changing of a shirt, its paramount to introduce the "best" youngsters gradually and carefully into a winning combination
The older ones leave/retire and the middle experience players take their place -the former youngsters take their place -and then theres the opening for fresh promising youngsters to stake a claim

and when one of those COMBINATIONS CLICKS -- bingo --you WILL have something to show for it in my opinion

Although Boomer I want to think Im wrong and youre right - my belief is that if we can maintain a faithful contingent -coaching and playing together it could be true two seasons on
it will depend on player movements - or lack of that determines it -and who can blame a lad whos ambitious wants to play and isnt one bit happy sitting on the sidelines

So I`ll be quietly cautious once again - then its not so hard to take as a lifetime fan

If youre right -as I said - Im happy to buy the Tizer -- but if not -its your turn if the Kleenex comes out
See you at Cardiff!!

I find it very hard to argue with most of that, I also would be very happy if Boomer is proven right, but i truly believe we need to up our crowds 2 or 3 ,000 to be able to afford the level of players that PG is talking about, I know there is a cap in place ,but I'd be very suprised if we are at the limit this coming season, hence my comment about KD saving up a bit, PG also makes a very good point about players needing to know what their positions are, I have never been one for players who can supposedly play anywhere, I'ts ok being able to make a really good job of filling in a possition, and some players really do exell at it , but by and large i am very much in favor of specialists.

Pennine me owld mate, we are not miles apart, we do have quality players, but as said on previous posts it will go down to how many of the second string can step up to the plate.Patrick was a revelation last year. look at Tomkins, an unknown 2 seasons ago, now talked about as a superstar, we have 6 or 7 highley rated youngsters, Baloo is imprest, they will get a chance, have we a Tomkins or 3 in there, we will certainly have enthusiasm, and that counts for a lot, there will be massive competition for places, this club will be no place for slackers, this could give us the impitous to get in the top 3 and challange for trophies.
OK l,m pushing my boat out, but we have to push on.

You look at all sides expect Wigan and I think we are as strong as them. My only issue is we don't have an out and out world class player like Brett now. So for that reason Wigan are favourites for the spoils and Wire are second, but after that we are in a group of us, Saints, Leeds, Bradford, Hull and Hull KR.

I'm not convinced, I dont think Brett has been replaced for a start and I think our signings are mediocre at best. It doesnbt strike me that we have shot for the moon, rather settled for what there is.

That said, the fact we are nurturing home grown youngsters is a great thing. I dont care too much how well we do this season, some one at the Giants is clearly looking to the future of the club and also that of the game as a whole. That is sufficient enough for me to quell my outlandish expectations and to simply sit back and enjoy the game, one full of local home grown talent.

Too behonest I if we were to win a majpr trophy I wouldn't careless if we had 1 to 2 or 17 overseas players.

Stop it with this doom and gloom right now. We have a world class player in Robbo and Brough on his day is not far behind. Our pack is best in SL and we now have alot of the best of young British talent and 6 who made the GB squad. Let's forget Brett cos he gone and here's to the Giants of 2011 and finally some silverware.

Alright I give in !!

..............but my wishbones broken --so if I could just borrow yours fora aseason ........................

Squad Ccmplete,no its not.

Old School wrote:

Squad Ccmplete,no its not.

Someone else on the way?