Keeping the core

[BdeB]

With the recent transfer news I was thinking about the key moving forward is keeping a solid core of players around which a squad can be built. The core are your star players but also are the culture setters. But there are also culture setters who are not necessarily first choicers but players who do a job when picked but drive and protect the standards and culture of the squad. The Fifita news is a funny one on the one hand I don’t think he is a key player but we have seen glimpses that if he stuck around he could be a core player which is why the news is both disappointing and not devastating. So here in a very non scientific way are my core players, those we want to keep and are key right now (now being at least 2 seasons). Our future core players those who we definitely want to keep and will be core in 2-3 years (and remain core for 5-10years). Core players are the culture setters, future core are the culture inheritors and there may be another category of wider culture setters:

Core players:
Launchbury
Robson
J Willis
Shields

Future core:
Barbeary
T Willis
Stooke
Oghre
Odogwu
Umaga /Atkinson
West

Wider culture setters:
Bassett
Cruse
JTA
Gaskell
Jimmy G

Very subjective but I would be gutted to lose any of the first 2 categories and one of the reasons why our injuries have been so devastating is that it deprived us of so many of those two categories and particularly the first one. A team made up of these players would be fantastic now and into the future and give us a chance to really build. It doesn’t stop a star player coming in for two years and adding more but they aren’t essential and so not devastating if they move on. 

[matelot22]

With the recent transfer news I was thinking about the key moving forward is keeping a solid core of players around which a squad can be built. The core are your star players but also are the culture setters. But there are also culture setters who are not necessarily first choicers but players who do a job when picked but drive and protect the standards and culture of the squad. The Fifita news is a funny one on the one hand I don’t think he is a key player but we have seen glimpses that if he stuck around he could be a core player which is why the news is both disappointing and not devastating. So here in a very non scientific way are my core players, those we want to keep and are key right now (now being at least 2 seasons). Our future core players those who we definitely want to keep and will be core in 2-3 years (and remain core for 5-10years). Core players are the culture setters, future core are the culture inheritors and there may be another category of wider culture setters:

Core players:
Launchbury
Robson
J Willis
Shields

Future core:
Barbeary
T Willis
Stooke
Oghre
Odogwu
Umaga /Atkinson
West

Wider culture setters:
Bassett
Cruse
JTA
Gaskell
Jimmy G

Very subjective but I would be gutted to lose any of the first 2 categories and one of the reasons why our injuries have been so devastating is that it deprived us of so many of those two categories and particularly the first one. A team made up of these players would be fantastic now and into the future and give us a chance to really build. It doesn’t stop a star player coming in for two years and adding more but they aren’t essential and so not devastating if they move on.

A well thought out post, but surely, in light of recent performances, Spink is worthy of a slot in category 2?

[Rossm]

Wot, no Frosty? He should be in cat 2 for me.

[Neils]

I think Josh is definitely in the core as you call it.

[Marlow Nick]

Wot, no Frosty? He should be in cat 2 for me.

It sounds like Frost was demonstrating real leadership in some of team huddles during the Tigers match. Definitely one to nurture.

[Neils]

Wot, no Frosty? He should be in cat 2 for me.

It sounds like Frost was demonstrating real leadership in some of team huddles during the Tigers match. Definitely one to nurture.

Probably asking what tarmac work they wanted done! 

[Shugs]

Interesting. Core I would add Carr and future core Cardall and Crossdale.

[InBetweenWasp]

Agree on Crossdale.  The future is bright for England at 15 with the likes of Steward, Malins, Freeman and Crossdale.

Ali is much more in that WLR model.  Perhaps in more ways than we’d like him to be at times! 

Not so sure on Cardall.  Difficult to tell, as he’s not really had the game time.  He’s never really looked out of place, but also never really shone like Rowlands or Thibaut did.

[BdeB]

Obviously these things are fluid and by the end of the season someone like Frost may well be nailed on in as a core/future core player. I am fairly confident that unless something really disastrous happens we will be keeping Launchbury, Robson and Jack through their next contract but I am worried about Shields who I would love us to keep and maybe see as joint club captain. He is such a ‘glue’ player and does so much work often unnoticed.