Announced on Twitter not by the club but by the Star.

Appalling news IMO. He's not a prop in a million years and is a very average backrower. He wouldn't get in the starting 17 if everyone was fit and is a complete waste of a quota spot.

Shocking news and another poor signing IMO.

While I'm not as harsh on Laffranchi as some, I do think this is a poor signing. He doesn't have an impact as prop, his form hasn't been great, and he's going to be on a relatively huge contract. Bad news indeed. The one position where we have plentiful cover is in medium-sized, not-very-fast second-rows. So why we want to pay over the odds for an Aussie one, taking up budget and quota spot, is beyond me.

The club just keeps on making the same mistakes over and over again.

In the end nothing can or will change until someone at the club can tell the difference between a good player and a bad one. Shocking news.

Good to see McManus' warning about players not pulling their weight extends to everyone.

Most worrying thing is that the other players rumoured to have signed extensions probably have. Laffranchi is probably the second least horrific of the four.

I can't see any tweets from the club on this.

I think you're all being a little harsh he was our best forward last year along with Sia and this year his not been as bad as people make out im not his biggest fan but if we 2 big props and ship him permanently to second row then i think jobs a good un.

LMS
Roby
Masoe
Soliola
Manu
Wilkin

Walmsley
New Prop (Hopkins)
Laffranchi
Thompson/ Walker/ New Prop (Beaumont)

Would be a very decent pack Imo.

I have no problem with him on an extended contract as long as he stays as a back row forward, we,ve tended to judge him as a prop. Not sure if would be in the first 13 a bench spot perhaps, solid experienced player more of a workhorse, Manu and Soliola can do the special stuff.

Ooops yeah, it's not the club, my mistake. They've probably blocked me, it's the St Helens Star, and they are just rebroadcasting people's eye witness claims of Laffranchi telling people he's extended his contract. Nothing official yet.

Hopefully they see the reactions and withdraw the offer.

I agree with some people that Laffranchi could do a good job as a grafting back rower a bit further down the pecking order, but the problem is that he won't be getting wages that reflect the limited nature of that role, and he'll be taking up a quota spot.

If this doesn't stop us from bringing some genuine quality into our front row then I can live with it. If it is the first of a series of contract extensions for our dead wood then it will be a disaster.

If he's going to do that he's got to start putting some effort into it. He's exactly the kind of player whoever wrote McManus' soundbites at the weekend was having a dig at. Overpaid and underperforming. He'll tackle, but it's his effort with the ball that really annoys me about him. He doesn't want to break the line or even push it back. On the few occasions he does take it in, he's like Mr Soft and on his back within a blink of an eye.

Hardly heard his name this season on the pitch, but if there's no one else out there we can pick up better then i'm ok with the re-signing, it's been a tough year for the team and he's got credentials, but maybe his best is yet to come



Like I say though, only if there is no one better.

Make it stop. Please make it stop.


Just what we need a more expensive version of Flannery.

Good pro, runs good lines and does the little things that nobody sees. Yader Yader Yader.


Expect the disappointment to be complete shortly with extensions for Meli.Wellens and Super Ade.

Well Done Agent McManus keep up the good work.

I rated Flanders ahead of him.

Its this certain ?

Well no, I was tricked by some twitter account that I thought was the official one. But it would seem Laffranchi has been boasting about his new deal in the lounge on Sunday.

If its true that Laffranchi has signed a new deal, it will only leave us with one quota spot as Walsh will replace Perry on the quota.

TP going will leave us with one spot for Mose Moase

The trouble with Laffranchi is that he is playing one of those adaptive roles that just does,t work, its no good judging him as a prop because he isn,t one. He looks as though he has put some timber on to play in the adaptive role, so when he reverts to a back row forward he,s no effective in that position either. I think the club has ruined his game similar to about another 6 or 7 players playing in adaptive roles.
We,ve got loads of players playing to there weaknesses instead of there strengths and as a result get judged on the negatives.

It's like McManus wants to empty the stadium and drag us into the bottom half of the league !!!!! I refuse point blank to accept there isnt someone British and cheap out there who cant do as good a job as Laffranchi, if it's a second row Whitehead is available for starters and if he's supposed to be a prop then we should be trying to pick up Amor or someone

Terrible terrible news that could only be worse if we announced Ade and Wello has new deals

If Laffranchi has announced it in the sponsors lounge then I'd say it's pretty certain.

Like several others, I don't rate him at all. He plods it in really slow and makes no impact whatsoever. We don't need him in the back row either as we have plenty of better options. It's a wasted signing when we have the chance to clear the decks.

I suspect this has only been done to prevent too many experienced heads leaving the club at the same time. I don't happen to agree with it, but at least it will mean some continuity in the pack for next year given so many new heads are expected.

Laffranchi hitting the line is about as effective as shooting a water pistol at a tank. He is a dud.

Great, we will continue to be sh*t

I don't think the pack is too bad save for a couple of BIG, UGLY Props. Signing Frankie up for next year will have no impact in cap terms because we spend way below it. We will still also have 1 quota space left for an overseas prop if one becomes available. IMHO that quota space should be used for nothing else and all other areas where we are weak can be solved by ditching the dead wood and promoting youth. I honestly think we will see a better frankie when the team is lead by a decent pair of halfbacks.