Tony on Nottingham Trial
Nottingham have given former Kiwi Rugby League international, Motu Tony, a trial ahead of the new domestic season.
Nottingham will have to pull together and create a real push for next season if they want to move forward. This means increasing the quality of their playing squad, and there is no harm in handing out trials to players in an effort to achieve this.
There are many benefits to trials for both parties, and it will be important for Tony to impress during the limited time he will have at the club. If all goes well then Tony could be handed a one- or two-year contract, which would allow him to help in the push for promotion to the Aviva Premiership.
Tony plays at full back, and the fact that he has only been given a trial could suggest the club are already happy with the players they have in this position. They will wait and see before they make any official announcements.
Benefits of a Trial
There are many benefits of a trial for both the player and the club but they stack more in favour of the club. The club can take a real look at the player during a club environment. The player will train and work as though he is contracted at a club.
It effectively allows a club to test the water before they offer a player a big contract. They will know that the player has to give full commitment and if they see any signs of laziness then they cannot expect the player to fully perform under the insurance of a contract.
For a player, a trial has some benefits also. The biggest one is the fact that they get to experience what a club is like before signing for them. If there is anything that a player sees or hears that he doesn't like while he is on trial, then he is under no obligation to sign.
Good Enough Already
Some will suggest that Tony going on trial at Nottingham is a way of fobbing off the player because there is already enough quality at full back in the Nottingham squad.
However, this is a very naive way of looking at the situation. The club are still obliged to spend money in terms of laying on facilities for a player while he is on trial. This means that there is no sense at all in keeping a player on a trial unless there is a genuine interest to try and sign him on a professional contract.
Saying this, you would think that if Nottingham desperately needed a player at full back then they would have put Tony on a short-term contract. This would have given them some extra squad depth and it would have meant that the player could be released without the need for a huge compensation package at the end of the season.
Betting Advice
Keep a close eye on this one because Tony could have a big impact on the team. It's up to him to try and get the full-time deal that he may feel he deserves and the fact he's on trial at the club should be an incentive as opposed to a worry.
If he signs for the club then don't be afraid to have a little punt on Nottingham next season. There are better clubs in the Championship who stand a better chance of going up, but there is no reason why Nottingham cannot be one of the clubs in with a chance by the end of the season.
Tags: