Deacon to Wigan

[Bear]

This will work out just like the one when we signed Millard

[DaveO]

Well with TL being picked at hooker for the All Golds (I believe) this will no doubt fuel the speculation regarding Deacon at s/h and TL at hooker for Wigan.

Mystifying move if this comes off.

First of all it would be yet another season with a new half back partnership to learn each others games. How many times have we said we need a settled half back combination? With both TL and TB on long term contracts we have the opportunity to keep the pairing together for 3 seasons. This one and the next two.

Next McIllorum should get the no. 2 spot to Higham. This has a number of advantages including no doubt keeping the wage bill down. Saying he isn't ready isn't really true IMO. He looked plenty capable this season and if needs be Higham can play longer stints which he is quite cap[able of IMO.

Also if Deacon were brought in as cover for TL and TB what is he going to do when they are NOT injured? A bench spot would not be a good idea as how often to sides put a half back as cover on the bench? Reserve half backs only get games once the 1st choice is injured and thus in the next game if you get what I mean. So what is he going to do? Run around in the U21's waiting for TL and TB to be injured?

Therefore I could only see him taking McIllorums spot on the bench as reserve hooker which would be bad news and no dount see McIllorum leave at the end of 2008 when his contract is up for a team who will play him.

Dave

[Matthew]

Why would we want to sign Deacon at this stage of his career anyway? What is he going to add to the squad? He is becoming injury prone and kicking game aside, is declining as a player.

He has spent the best years of his career at the Bulls - if he is touting his services then clearly they do not want to pay him anymore. He would only be coming here for one last big payday and that's the last thing we need

[DaveO]

Matthew posted:
Why would we want to sign Deacon at this stage of his career anyway? What is he going to add to the squad? He is becoming injury prone and kicking game aside, is declining as a player.

He has spent the best years of his career at the Bulls - if he is touting his services then clearly they do not want to pay him anymore. He would only be coming here for one last big payday and that's the last thing we need

You could have written the same thing about Withers last season and look what happened there!

Dave

[Martin Taylor]

DaveO posted:
Well with TL being picked at hooker for the All Golds (I believe) this will no doubt fuel the speculation regarding Deacon at s/h and TL at hooker for Wigan.

Mystifying move if this comes off.

First of all it would be yet another season with a new half back partnership to learn each others games. How many times have we said we need a settled half back combination? With both TL and TB on long term contracts we have the opportunity to keep the pairing together for 3 seasons. This one and the next two.

Next McIllorum should get the no. 2 spot to Higham. This has a number of advantages including no doubt keeping the wage bill down. Saying he isn't ready isn't really true IMO. He looked plenty capable this season and if needs be Higham can play longer stints which he is quite cap[able of IMO.

Also if Deacon were brought in as cover for TL and TB what is he going to do when they are NOT injured? A bench spot would not be a good idea as how often to sides put a half back as cover on the bench? Reserve half backs only get games once the 1st choice is injured and thus in the next game if you get what I mean. So what is he going to do? Run around in the U21's waiting for TL and TB to be injured?

Therefore I could only see him taking McIllorums spot on the bench as reserve hooker which would be bad news and no dount see McIllorum leave at the end of 2008 when his contract is up for a team who will play him.

Dave

I have followed this one up to be honest! I know Paul to speak to as well as his close friends! Put simply, he will still be at Bradford next year! This is straight from the horses mouth. It's all just rumours!

[ddtftf]

The way we are announcing new players this year, they ALL will be too old before we sign them.Am I the only one who is getting concerned with the lack of any new players for next year. This management has managed to even silence the rumour mill, the KGB would be proud of the lack of information, even our coach is in the dark & that is a worrying situation.
We have some great kids coming through but we DO need a class centre and a Big prop forward & maybe another attacking player to give us more options & take preasure off Barrett.

[Fraggle]

ddtftf posted:
The way we are announcing new players this year, they ALL will be too old before we sign them.Am I the only one who is getting concerned with the lack of any new players for next year. This management has managed to even silence the rumour mill, the KGB would be proud of the lack of information, even our coach is in the dark & that is a worrying situation.
We have some great kids coming through but we DO need a class centre and a Big prop forward & maybe another attacking player to give us more options & take preasure off Barrett.

I would only be worried if we were hearing of top names being signed up by other clubs. The signing of Dennis Moran to Leigh, or Danny Brough to Wakefield or some such place, is not really going to worry me in the slightest. But if we were hearing of top names going to our big rivals instead of us, then that would be more of a concern. Have Leeds, Saints and Bradford announced signings of any significance for next year? I can't remember any in particular. So long as we've got people signed up for the start of December when pre-season training begins, I'm not really bothered when the announcements are made as I don't think we're missing out on anyone that we would be looking to sign.

[Panchitta Marra]

DaveO posted:
Well with TL being picked at hooker for the All Golds (I believe) this will no doubt fuel the speculation regarding Deacon at s/h and TL at hooker for Wigan.

Mystifying move if this comes off.

First of all it would be yet another season with a new half back partnership to learn each others games. How many times have we said we need a settled half back combination? With both TL and TB on long term contracts we have the opportunity to keep the pairing together for 3 seasons. This one and the next two.

Next McIllorum should get the no. 2 spot to Higham. This has a number of advantages including no doubt keeping the wage bill down. Saying he isn't ready isn't really true IMO. He looked plenty capable this season and if needs be Higham can play longer stints which he is quite cap[able of IMO.

Also if Deacon were brought in as cover for TL and TB what is he going to do when they are NOT injured? A bench spot would not be a good idea as how often to sides put a half back as cover on the bench? Reserve half backs only get games once the 1st choice is injured and thus in the next game if you get what I mean. So what is he going to do? Run around in the U21's waiting for TL and TB to be injured?

Therefore I could only see him taking McIllorums spot on the bench as reserve hooker which would be bad news and no dount see McIllorum leave at the end of 2008 when his contract is up for a team who will play him.

Dave

Three points to make on this matter in full agreeing with what you have pointed out.
1. TL is a better scrum half than Deacon.
2. I would suggest that McIllorum is a better hooker than TL, although TL not tried at No9 yet. In the future when MH retires, TL could become back up to McIllorum.
3. TL & TB partnership has had only one season to settle, IMO this will get better.

Why purchase another old in the tooth player (Deacon) when we have better to offer already in the squad. Stability and continuity is what is needed, not disruption in key positions. We need strengthening in other positions, like prop and centre.

[Panchitta Marra]

Fraggle posted:

ddtftf posted:
The way we are announcing new players this year, they ALL will be too old before we sign them.Am I the only one who is getting concerned with the lack of any new players for next year. This management has managed to even silence the rumour mill, the KGB would be proud of the lack of information, even our coach is in the dark & that is a worrying situation.
We have some great kids coming through but we DO need a class centre and a Big prop forward & maybe another attacking player to give us more options & take preasure off Barrett.

I would only be worried if we were hearing of top names being signed up by other clubs. The signing of Dennis Moran to Leigh, or Danny Brough to Wakefield or some such place, is not really going to worry me in the slightest. But if we were hearing of top names going to our big rivals instead of us, then that would be more of a concern. Have Leeds, Saints and Bradford announced signings of any significance for next year? I can't remember any in particular. So long as we've got people signed up for the start of December when pre-season training begins, I'm not really bothered when the announcements are made as I don't think we're missing out on anyone that we would be looking to sign.

Danny Brough is a far better scrum half than Deacon, and IMO he will be pushing for the GB No7 spot soon.

[Fraggle]

Panchitta Marra posted:
Danny Brough is a far better scrum half than Deacon, and IMO he will be pushing for the GB No7 spot soon.

I've not seen enough of Brough to really comment, but given the lack of choice for GB, it's not difficult to be in the running for the national squad as scrum-half! Apart from Rob Burrow, Richard Horne and Luke Robinson, there's not a huge amount of choice really.