Also, who is the clubs greatest Yorkshire import? (Can’t be too many)
Bill Ramsey & Brian Lockwood spring to mind.
Paulie xx
And we are worried about size. A relative of mine met Lockwood on a trip to Aus and commented that he wasn't very big.
But Lockwood said ' Ah, but I had these!' Holding out his hands. Iirc he was a great 'off-loader' in the old style. Great for us though he was past his best.
Les Holliday would rate highly on the Yorkshire import list.
- I thought Holliday, but think he is Cumbrian. Neil Kelly signed lots of Yorkshire men, but not many stood out. Anthony Farrell was a solid signing, Andy Hay and Ryan Sheridan the 2 big names didnt perform. Then you have the likes of Matthew Long, Dan Potter, Barry Eaton and Richard Agar. More recently Tom Olbison.
Our best recent signings of the SL era have either been Saints/Wigan lads or Aussie NRL signings.
Holliday was a Cumbrian, son of a famous father!
Looking at our signings to date under TS and he seems to favour 'locals', which makes sense. Most have started at Saints / Wigan, gone through their Academies, and not been favoured in the SL selections. TS seems to cash in on their desire to prove that they had something that wasn't developed. Even Cook is a 'local' (Chorus of 'almost one of our own' ?) or at least his dad is.
Part timers don't want to travel from Yorkshire to train and play. It is the old style league all over again. That is what made RL in its early days, local rivalries.
Too simplistic. Halifax aren’t exactly known as been the money bags of the division, small crowds of less than 2,000, they don’t own their own stadium, no major commercial support, no major benefactor as far as I am aware.
Callum O'Neill signed up.
No mention of Glover though, or is still academy contracted?
See Johnson now confirmed to have signed for Ottawa. Can somebody tell me exactly what Ottawa are adding to RL in the UK, other than stripping players from other clubs, particularly Widnes. Fortunately, Widnes are in a position to replace players of equal or better quality. Other teams may have struggled by losing so many of the players from their first team.
They are parasites on the game and the sooner RFL put an end to this NA dream the better, preferably before the 2021 season. Personally, I would tell those players leaving to this parasite club, that they would never be welcome back to Widnes.
The Widnes or ex Widnes players signed by Ottawa are relatively easy targets, they are mostly players who have been FT until recently and would jump at the chance to go back to FT. Plus they all know each other well.
Its not like we have lost the key players, its not a Brown situation where the lynchpin has gone.
Noticed on the ‘Out of Contract Players without offers’ lists are Junior Moors, Gil Dudson and Wellington Albert! Looks as if Gil and Wellie have hit the buffers!
Dudson is going to Catalans.
It is absolutely extraordinary that another expansion club goings tits up and the solution? Invite more expansion clubs in?
Prediction 2023 Ottawa won’t be in existence and will be replaced by Coventry.
Team building going along nicely, with just two to be retained/released (Else and Roby). Not too bothered about Roby and I suppose it is whether Sheens sees any potential in Else whether he stays or not. At 20, he should be showing whether he has potential to develop into a decent player, capable of challenging for a place in the team.
With the experienced signings to date and more signings to come, I believe we will have a far better squad in 2021, more than capable of challenging for a top 5 finish.
Perhaps a Christmas friendly with our second team, Ottawa Parasites, would attract some interest. I'll bet Perez has got a tv deal set up already for the game, with a huge demand for the Parasite fans to travel to Widnes for the game. Seriously, I think there would be some local interest in this game and there would be a bit of bite to it, with the former Vikings their squad. That is, of course, dependent on where we are at with lock-down etc.
Any signings predicted today? The one bright spot in suspended animation.!!!
3 in 7 out so far, so would have thought at least 4 more signings needed.
Think additions will be spread out, keep our powder dry and see who will be leaving SL Clubs.
2 more props and 2 more back rowers, personally would be the priority.
I’ll bet Leuluai will be here.
Just saying, like
Paulie xx
😂