Double boost then. Good fortune does seem to be flowing our way.

1. Briscoe

2. Fox

3. Welham

4. Webster

5. Cockayne

6. Green

7. Dobson

8. Vella

9. Fisher

10. Wheeldon

11. Newton

12. Galea

13. Murrell



14. Hodgson

15. Mason

16. Clinton

17. Lovegrove/Watts

Radford has played at second row for most of his time playing the game professionally. He was switched to prop because of the quality you possessed in the back row and couldn't fit him in elsewhere yet couldn't leave a work horse out of a team that lacks that work ethic.



Whether or not we retained Scott due to Radford not coming is anyones guess, I am sure Sheldon heard it from his best mates pet pig or something but I'm quite inclined to believe that had Wheeldon not performed in those last half dozen games he would not have been retained either way.



Our pack has to be one of the most powerful and skillful in this league, and with plenty of support to come into the side we really should be kicking on and getting a home play off tie and a second chance if needed next season.



With this pack in mind though I really cannot see too many backs being given a chance off the bench which gives Benny Cockayne the greatest chance to get that last bench spot because I can only see Justin having 3 front rowers and a utility man in there.



As long as the training our players do in the off season sorts out the problems we have in and around the ruck I think we should be ok. The amount of times teams off load in the tackle against us is really worrying so this is certainly something that needs work.

1. Briscoe

2. Fox

3. Hall

4. Webster

5. Colbon

6. Green

7. Dobson

8. Vella

9. Fisher

10. Watts

11. Newton

12. Galea

13. Murrell



14. Cockayne

15. Mason

16. Clinton

17. Lovegrove

Its a massive weakspot in Rovers overall make up and IMO it is more down to poor defensive technique particularly from the middle men. Ironically i think the worst culprits are the aussies Vella,Lovegrove and Clinton. Netherton,Watts and Wheeldon generally attack the ball and more often than not hit the target slowing things down at the ruck to 5-6 second ptb's. Clinton is the poorest defender of all the props imo and his passive leg tackles are by and large pretty ineffective resulting in ruck dominance for the ball carrier and speedier ptb's.



It is an area that undoubtedly needs improving and hopefully a full off season together will do this, thats providing the aussies are here that is

.

Picture the scene, a smokey board room in a corner of craven park. the scent of stale ale and cheap aftershave fills the air. A bead of condensation tickles down the side of a half drunk pint of mild, when into the room walks a young, upcoming prop, ready to start contract negotiations.

"take a seat Scott" mutters the Chairman of the club in his dulcet Hull accent. "we've bin thinking, and despite your brilliant performances in the last 'alf duzzun games of the season, we're gonna offer you a couple a years more, just coz Rad-dud didn't sign forruz. Alright lad?"

The contract is passed across the table in a flicking motion, and slides across the barely polished surface as if it were a curling stone, thrown by a champion scotsman.

The young prop, who has now been joined by his agent, begin reading the text. Tho opening line of the contract states the the offer being made is only owing to the fact that the club had failed to sign Rad-dud, and that otherwise there would've been no deal, our intrepid hero carries on regardless, as such things are commonplace in contract negotiations, that is to say other players being discussed.

Suddenly the chairman slides back his chair, making a dreadful screeching noise on the slate tiled floor. He stands up quickly, and leans across the table thrusting a shiney metallic object towards the face of the young prop, "'ere, use my pen to sign the bloody thing, then bugger off!"



I take it that's about how it went Ash?

Thats how he dreamt it i reckon. If that was the case Rovers would have offered him a one year deal as They'd be actively looking for a replacement for the following year. But Instead we offered him a two year deal why is that Ash?

Ins (visas permitting): Mason, Green, Hall.



Outs (excluding club-trained): Cooke, Walker, Mills.



I suspect that we may release another non-club-trained (nct) player, as Hodgson is too old to qualify as club-trained now I think. You can only have 17 nct players in the top 25 earners, so I wouldn't be in least surprised that we went back to Wheeldon when the Radford deal fell through. I'm happy enough with how things turned out, but I don't think there would have been much sense in having both and we (HKR) clearly wanted Radford.

Once your club trained your club trained for life with that club arent you? We still have a quota place left aswell don't we. If so I don't think recruitment will be finished just yet.

Thinking about this isn't Blake Green going to be our final quota player?

Anybody who is U-21 is club-trained, but to be club-trained for life it is 3 years in the system now (it has been rising from 1 to 2 to 3). Morgan has said we're done with overseas recruitment and I think we might now be done altogether - depends if any contracted players are moving on, I guess.







Yeah, I think so.

=#FF0000A wink doesn't stop it being defamatory, MR.





And I am almost certain that any contract would not have a 'further information' box stating that the contract is a direct result of Radders telling Rovers to bog off