Quote:DrV'sHairyCraic
He still has a bit to offer but yet another player at the @#$%& end of his career.
Quote:Gazzle
Beeb just announced he's leaving wasps. I'd prefer to spend a large salary on someone else (or a few others).
Quote:aah Bisto
6/7 isn't a position that's of concern for next year whichever league we're in unless Coman is off or moving to lock full time. Plenty of strength in depth there.
Quote:aah Bisto
6/7 isn't a position that's of concern for next year whichever league we're in unless Coman is off or moving to lock full time. Plenty of strength in depth there.
Quote:GHAQuote:aah Bisto
6/7 isn't a position that's of concern for next year whichever league we're in unless Coman is off or moving to lock full time. Plenty of strength in depth there.
Pretty sure that's been said about almost every position there is
Quote:GHA
He's spent time across the back row, as well as in Super Rugby, internationally, and with the Lions, as well as winning things. He is towards the end of his career and I don't really like him but he'd be a better signing than the usual
Quote:Ozzy3213
Not sure we need to spend big to replace Lewi, that for me would be a waste of our limited financial resources. Joe is coming good, Nalaga should be over his injury and available and Loader looks as exciting a prospect as Joe. We’d be better served in my opinion ploughing our money into the pack in order to sign players who are capable of giving those lads a platform to play off of.
Quote:jimbo800
In regards to wingers, we still have ransom and Ojo under contract next year don’t we? That’s five when you include joe, Nalaga, and loader. If we need extra, we can also use Parton and Collins (just checked on hassel Collins, he’s six ft four and weighs nearly 100kgs according to the club info). It’s also pretty common to use centres and 9’s as emergency wingers. If I’d invest in a back, it would be a 13. Is still rather firing some money at a ball carrier. Not having one has made life a lot harder this season.
Quote:Shawshank
I doubt he would come cheap, and would want at least a 2 yr contract.
With Botha looking exactly the type of belligerent ball-carrier we have lacked for so long, I think The Hask would be surplus to requirements.
With any free cash we will clearly need to spend big to replace Lewi...
Quote:Narbia
Someone else with just a year left to play? ... Wrong headed thinking.![]()
Is Botha going back to SA? Rather keep him instead.
Quote:Florida
A year left to play? On what basis?
Quote:Florida
Let's just assume you're right there, why is it the wrong move?
Quote:TSW22
You are all morons. We are about to get relegated & we are linked to a player who is in the current England squad but wouldn't get into a LI team? You dont want him? This is silly. Leaving the forum.
Quote:TSW22
You are all morons. We are about to get relegated & we are linked to a player who is in the current England squad but wouldn't get into a LI team? You dont want him? This is silly. Leaving the forum.
Quote:GHA
There are also people who say 'we shouldn't be spending money there, we should be spending it elsewhere' but a) we don't know how much money there is and b) if Kendo et al think money should be spent on Haskell (for example) then who are we to argue?
Quote:SirBurger
Coming from someone who seems to enjoy nothing more than criticising the coaches/selection/recruitment, it seems a bit rich to say 'who are we to argue'!
Quote:GHAQuote:SirBurger
Coming from someone who seems to enjoy nothing more than criticising the coaches/selection/recruitment, it seems a bit rich to say 'who are we to argue'!
I think the coaching staff at the moment aren't up to scratch, and think the results show that. I would like change because whatever we are doing at the moment isn't working, and we are almost out of time. Fingers crossed for the next month of games though. I also think recruitment needs an overhaul because it's been poor for a while now. I've never criticised selection.
When I say 'who are we to argue' it's not me that's arguing with the idea of bringing Haskell in...
Quote:GHAQuote:SirBurger
Coming from someone who seems to enjoy nothing more than criticising the coaches/selection/recruitment, it seems a bit rich to say 'who are we to argue'!
I think the coaching staff at the moment aren't up to scratch, and think the results show that. I would like change because whatever we are doing at the moment isn't working, and we are almost out of time. Fingers crossed for the next month of games though. I also think recruitment needs an overhaul because it's been poor for a while now. I've never criticised selection.
When I say 'who are we to argue' it's not me that's arguing with the idea of bringing Haskell in...
Quote:LLL
Yep Haskell is talking to us. And Cristiano Rinaldo is taking to Sheffield Wednesday. I do love this site. Keep it going, my Craic Head friends!
Quote:Bazzo
You've never criticised selection? You always say that recruitment has been poor, but I never see any solutions to your argument? Who should we have signed that we did not? it is so easy to criticise the recruitment because of our league position (and the coaches) but I never see any positive contribution. I always think that our recruitment is ok, in the financial world that we obviously operate in. We are after bargain basement as well as bringing through our academy lads. I think that Kendo has done a great job bringing the young players through, TBC, Joe, Johnny, Fowlie, Atkins, Parton, Cooke etc and signings like Hoskins, Franco Van DM, Coman, McNally, Seb De C, Max NG, are all good players as well as the more experienced Franks, Marshall, Tonks etc etc. We got badly hit by Topsy's injury and Nalaga especially, but you can't predict injury.
To criticise recruitment, you would have to know the budget and none of us know that. I think that you criticise only because we are bottom (which you and lots are entitled to do) but truth is we are shopping in a different league money wise, we are too good for the Championship budget wise but not good enough for the Premiership.
Quote:GHAQuote:Bazzo
You've never criticised selection? You always say that recruitment has been poor, but I never see any solutions to your argument? Who should we have signed that we did not? it is so easy to criticise the recruitment because of our league position (and the coaches) but I never see any positive contribution. I always think that our recruitment is ok, in the financial world that we obviously operate in. We are after bargain basement as well as bringing through our academy lads. I think that Kendo has done a great job bringing the young players through, TBC, Joe, Johnny, Fowlie, Atkins, Parton, Cooke etc and signings like Hoskins, Franco Van DM, Coman, McNally, Seb De C, Max NG, are all good players as well as the more experienced Franks, Marshall, Tonks etc etc. We got badly hit by Topsy's injury and Nalaga especially, but you can't predict injury.
To criticise recruitment, you would have to know the budget and none of us know that. I think that you criticise only because we are bottom (which you and lots are entitled to do) but truth is we are shopping in a different league money wise, we are too good for the Championship budget wise but not good enough for the Premiership.
I've never criticised selection, no. I also feel some of what apparently little money we have has been spent poorly through the seasons on players like Franze, Warwick (?), Sa, Van der Linde, Waldouck, Ben Robinson's brother, maybe Jack Schatz, and hopefully not Nalaga, among others. Obviously one or two is unlucky, but 7 or 8 is just careless. This is assuming we don't have money to burn, which we all believe to be the case on here despite finding funds for James O'Connor for a short while (God that was fun), or two-time World Cup-winning prop Ben Franks, or Premiership-winning prop Petrus Du Plessis, or ITM Cup-winning, two-time Super Rugby-winning coach and Samoa Co-Head Coach Tom Coventry. Maybe there's more money down the sofas at Hazelwood than we think.
It isn't just because we are bottom that I'm suggesting that we aren't great on recruitment, or we only seem to get other teams' cast-offs, as I've said it for a good few seasons. It is almost always met with a 'well who else is there?' which in my opinion is an easy and dismissive reply. There's a massive pool of players we can go after - everyone is available for the right price. But season after season we seem to come back with players who are no longer wanted by their own teams - teams that are usually of a better league standing than us. At the same time we lose the Armitages or JJ or Anthony Watson or Marland Yarde or Jamie Gibson or Matt Garvey or Alex Lewington. Is that because we are a million miles off everyone else in terms of finances? Or we aren't efficient with our incomings? Or a little from column A, a little from column B? Perhaps the review we had after our previous relegation could shed some light on it. I wonder if we'll be having a similar one at the end of this season.
This also ignores the idea that we as a collective rate our squad higher than it actually is due to watching them week in week out. In your message, Bazzo, you say that Kendo's done a great job bringing kids through along with new signings and more experienced heads - a list that includes 16 players plus 2 injured. Shame the 15 we are putting out week after week in the Premiership aren't cutting it. Anyway, hopefully we can take our good form from the last few games and build on it this Saturday, fingers crossed.
Apologies for the essay.
Quote:Shawshank
We do seem to have attracted an unusually large number of turkeys over the years.
Added to GHA’s list would have to be Pieter Roussow and, of course, Mr Happy.
I’d agree with Bazzo however that NJK’s recruitment has probably been as good as it could have, given the money we don’t have, and our lowly position.
Quote:LI Bohemian
Nalaga, didn't he break his arm? PDP and Franks are regulars, Luke Mclean did under perform at the begining of the season but was playing to early, probably because of injuries to the centres, you are right about Shontayne and Coventry a big well done to you! But maybe we had a few dodgy signings in the 70's you can dig up, to validate this optimistic view.
Quote:GHAQuote:LI Bohemian
Nalaga, didn't he break his arm? PDP and Franks are regulars, Luke Mclean did under perform at the begining of the season but was playing to early, probably because of injuries to the centres, you are right about Shontayne and Coventry a big well done to you! But maybe we had a few dodgy signings in the 70's you can dig up, to validate this optimistic view.
I think you've missed the point.
Quote:LI BohemianQuote:GHAQuote:LI Bohemian
Nalaga, didn't he break his arm? PDP and Franks are regulars, Luke Mclean did under perform at the begining of the season but was playing to early, probably because of injuries to the centres, you are right about Shontayne and Coventry a big well done to you! But maybe we had a few dodgy signings in the 70's you can dig up, to validate this optimistic view.
I think you've missed the point.
Probably, just thought you were trying to name some poor recruitment tendencies of ours, again.
My thoughts on Haskell are, although to most people, we would be lucky to have him, I would rather have Arlo, in as much that Haskell is coming to the end of his career, does not fully understand the laws (Italy) and we would need to strengthen the squad (spend money) in other areas.
Quote:LI BohemianQuote:GHAQuote:LI Bohemian
Nalaga, didn't he break his arm? PDP and Franks are regulars, Luke Mclean did under perform at the begining of the season but was playing to early, probably because of injuries to the centres, you are right about Shontayne and Coventry a big well done to you! But maybe we had a few dodgy signings in the 70's you can dig up, to validate this optimistic view.
I think you've missed the point.
Probably, just thought you were trying to name some poor recruitment tendencies of ours, again.
My thoughts on Haskell are, although to most people, we would be lucky to have him, I would rather have Arlo, in as much that Haskell is coming to the end of his career, does not fully understand the laws (Italy) and we would need to strengthen the squad (spend money) in other areas.
Quote:GHA
Florida - I thought there was more than one meeting with the ref, and it was at a separate one that O'Shea presented his grand plan of losing by as little as possible..?
M_W - maybe Haskell wouldn't be too expensive if we used our finances better. Big maybe, but still.
PV - great input, well done for bumping the thread
Quote:GHA
Yeah I thought that's what had happened but may well be wrong - what irked me more was how slow England were to react
Quote:GHAQuote:LI BohemianQuote:GHAQuote:LI Bohemian
Nalaga, didn't he break his arm? PDP and Franks are regulars, Luke Mclean did under perform at the begining of the season but was playing to early, probably because of injuries to the centres, you are right about Shontayne and Coventry a big well done to you! But maybe we had a few dodgy signings in the 70's you can dig up, to validate this optimistic view.
I think you've missed the point.
Probably, just thought you were trying to name some poor recruitment tendencies of ours, again.
My thoughts on Haskell are, although to most people, we would be lucky to have him, I would rather have Arlo, in as much that Haskell is coming to the end of his career, does not fully understand the laws (Italy) and we would need to strengthen the squad (spend money) in other areas.
Nope - trying to say that perhaps we haven't spent wisely in the distant and not-so-distant past. Must've gone over your head.
Quote:FloridaQuote:LI BohemianQuote:GHAQuote:LI Bohemian
Nalaga, didn't he break his arm? PDP and Franks are regulars, Luke Mclean did under perform at the begining of the season but was playing to early, probably because of injuries to the centres, you are right about Shontayne and Coventry a big well done to you! But maybe we had a few dodgy signings in the 70's you can dig up, to validate this optimistic view.
I think you've missed the point.
Probably, just thought you were trying to name some poor recruitment tendencies of ours, again.
My thoughts on Haskell are, although to most people, we would be lucky to have him, I would rather have Arlo, in as much that Haskell is coming to the end of his career, does not fully understand the laws (Italy) and we would need to strengthen the squad (spend money) in other areas.
So you prefer someone that has played against wasps kids + invitational and an understrength Cardiff Blues side to someone that has been playing in a side that's been top of the league for a few years now? Interesting choice.
As to Haskell not knowing all the laws, specifically the Italian no ruck; show me someone that did. He'll, even Connor and Venter didn't understand it fully, hence they had to adjust it after having a meeting with the ref. The sad fact of the matter is it wouldn't have been an issue at all had Eddie attended the ref meeting. They would have either said what they were planning and EJ would have warned his team and instructed how to counter or they wouldn't have raised it and would have got pinged off the park.
For the record, I like the look forward Arno, he seems the real deal but let's see how he gets on against tougher opposition before labelling him the Messiah. Also, let's remember that he and PvZ are both on short term deals and both may decide they're not keen on the club / league at the end of the deal.
Quote:GHA
Florida - I thought there was more than one meeting with the ref, and it was at a separate one that O'Shea presented his grand plan of losing by as little as possible..?
M_W - maybe Haskell wouldn't be too expensive if we used our finances better. Big maybe, but still.
PV - great input, well done for bumping the thread
Quote:GHA
Yeah I thought that's what had happened but may well be wrong - what irked me more was how slow England were to react