Re: Announcements? : Sun Nov 13, 2022 10:37 pm  

Smithers99 wrote:

The home fixture list appears planned around "We plan for the season and then we crisis management it about 3 months in." !

I had a little spreadsheet I wrote before last season with the 2020 squad and updated as I heard who was staying and more often, who was leaving. It didn't look good.

At the start of last season it was obvious even to me that London were fielding players above their level. Most of the players who joined during the season looked like the belonged in the Championship and the team overall looked mid table level.

This year virtually all the players who seem of that level have been retained. Foster, Curran (retired?) and Gahan probably the only ones not retained. Perhaps I've missed somebody?

That seems a good start an a big improvement on last years (failed) retention strategy. The new Prop seems to be another solid signing. A few (probably foreign signings) who are first thirteen picks and that feels like a solid mid table team, maybe capable of scraping the play-offs. Issues I guess include whether there are enough "worse" teams and is a solid mid table mediocre team really ambitious enough for London as a club.

We are in a lot better position that 12 months ago, but the squad needs strengthening to challenge for playoffs. opening game v Bately is key, have to be winning or at least close in that game to put foundation for season

I do expect us to finish above 11th, but 6th is a big stretch without some strength added to the squad

Re: Announcements? : Sun Nov 13, 2022 10:42 pm  

Smithers I think we are starting from a higher base than last year although genuinely difficult to see how we could be worse off. As you say it has the feel of a mid table set up.We appear, and who actually knows, to have divest ourselves of some of the weaker players plus the three stronger players you have identified plus perhaps Situ who I thought was a bit hit and miss, poor at the start of the season better in the latter half. The problem is, on the sly, a lot of teams look like they have strengthened. The 2 coming up would be targets to finish below us but Keighley have spent quite a lot and I think, in a competitive L1 didn’t lose a single game so I suspect they will be aiming at mid-table. If we are looking to say up we need to hope Swinton are nothing special plus at least one other. That one may be Newcastle who had an even worse season than us especially as a full time team. Whitehaven might be another but nothing is a given. We may well find ourselves in a dog fight again although 2 or three Aussies of Pacific Island heritage, if they bed in quickly, may offer us a get out of jail card ... that appears to be what we are pinning our hopes on.

Re: Announcements? : Mon Nov 14, 2022 11:01 am  

Anyone know if they will release the home kit before xmas?

Also if its going to be Black, or be wire kit again

Re: Announcements? : Mon Nov 14, 2022 11:52 am  

Wire kit was supposed to be a one off. We can only hope the club are true to their word.

Re: Announcements? : Mon Nov 14, 2022 1:31 pm  

Cakeman has an Errea top in his video so let's hope for the best. Yellow & Blue is fine for AFC but not us.

Re: Announcements? : Fri Nov 18, 2022 6:03 pm  

So their latest tweet says a signing announcement at 6.45am tomorrow but all seems very silly to me. Think I can survive until a reasonable hour.

Re: Announcements? : Fri Nov 18, 2022 6:09 pm  

Deadcowboys1 wrote:

So their latest tweet says a signing announcement at 6.45am tomorrow but all seems very silly to me. Think I can survive until a reasonable hour.

Fijian incoming.

Re: Announcements? : Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:52 am  

So Henry Raiwalui is a signing in a position of need. Do we have any idea of the standard he's played at during is career? I see he was an Interchange for Fiji when they pushed New Zealand close in the quarter finals.

Re: Announcements? : Sat Nov 19, 2022 9:18 am  

Smithers99 wrote:

So Henry Raiwalui is a signing in a position of need. Do we have any idea of the standard he's played at during is career? I see he was an Interchange for Fiji when they pushed New Zealand close in the quarter finals.

Despite being 33 and I assume at the tail end of his career, he doesn't seem to have any first grade experience. Under-20s at St. George Illawarra Dragons then a bunch of teams playing in NSW level comps. Can't find info on where he has played in recent years.

Re: Announcements? : Sat Nov 19, 2022 9:33 am  

jbuzza wrote:

Despite being 33 and I assume at the tail end of his career, he doesn't seem to have any first grade experience. Under-20s at St. George Illawarra Dragons then a bunch of teams playing in NSW level comps. Can't find info on where he has played in recent years.

Think it's fair to say he doesn't have any Buzz. Clearly not one for the future but hope he can bring something to the party. Bit of a worry that we have signed 2, 30 somethings with little or no quality experience from Aussie.