If all goes well next week Saints will be making a nice little announcement going into the play offs.

It would put some real pressure on Walsh and Burns to perform.

As he's always been a back up player for Salford, I don't feel like I've consistently seen him. What type of player is he naturally? Is he the 1st receiver organiser? Is he the 2nd receiver who likes to run with the ball? Is he the industrious support player?

I'm sure there were rumours abound last year that Joe Mellor was coming up available. He'd be my favourite pick of all the young British halfbacks. Weren't we supposed to be after another one of Widnes's youngsters? Someone who's best mates with Mark Percival?

I haven't seen a great deal of him either, but I gather he's very quick. That would be a good thing in itself. Something else occurred to me when I was thinking about Fages as a potential signing the other day: it would be good for Levy Nzongou's development to have another Frenchman about the place.

Indeed, seems KC has been playing Football Manager, so trying to prevent Levy being homesick by signing a token French player to make his morale jump up two notches.

I've seen virtually nothing of Fages to suggest he's worth signing. He never really established himself at Salford and don't remember him playing against us. I do remember being impressed by a couple of jinking runs at Widnes when he was very young, but that's about it.

He's a bit like Johnny Lomax (including the skull cap) but a bit more creative, he got noticed when Rangi Chase was out on one of his long suspensions, was directing the team around the park. That was when the Doctor put an extra zero on his valuation to £700 000.
We should know end of next week if he is part of our long term planning.

He's still very young. Just turned 21.

I'd rather take a chance on Fages over O'Brien to be honest.

I'd be inclined to agree, Fages would seem to have more potential

Do we have to pay off Salford?

As far as I know, the tribunal is to decide whether Salford have broken the terms of his contract. If he wins, then I think he'd be free to walk and there would be no fee involved. If he loses then I'd assume he's still a Salford player and they'll be able to name their price.

Theo is managed by tmsportsuk - they are no fools. If they win he can sign anywhere for free. If Salford win then any prospective fee is reduced by the events of the last few months. Theo hasn't played & the club have an unhappy player on there books who refuses to play for them. I can see a scenario whereby a small more realistic fee if any at all is agreed & he goes as per his wishes. I see Chase can now leave fee free according to Koukash on Twitter, what's going on there who knows.

I'd say they are getting rid of the dead wood, those players who joined the club for a fat salary rather than to play with heart. I'd probably exclude Fages from that. I think he may have been lead up the garden path by his agent, who I think is also the agent for Locke (who lost his case against Salford today).

Theo will 100% be joining Saints. I expect the deal to be announced by the end of the week. Saints will be required to pay a fee, due to his age and for development costs incurred by Salford.

Is this the rfl sanctioned transfer fee tribunal? If so, it works out at just over 22k - I wouldn't be displeased at that price.

Also heard there was a saints player going on loan the other way to sweeten the deal, no idea who though

Dawson hopefully!

Redvee discussion board suggest Flash will go the other way.

Isn't Flash out of contract anyway? So I can't see how that's a sweetener for Fages unless McManus has suddenly become really good at negotiating?

Could it be Charnock?

Salford have offered flash a contract, but he's holding out in the hope to get an extension from Saints.

It may be possible we agree a new deal with flash and then loan him to Salford immediately?

I think that would depend on anything happening with Tommy Lee, Logan Tomkins and Liam Hood.

I think I remember reading that Logan Tomkins is going elsewhere, if I'm not mistaken. If they're losing Fages and Chase they'll be needing backup in the halves, and Charnock will be further down the pecking order here if Fages is joining us. It wouldn't be a bad move, actually - he'd get some SL experience and then be ready to come back when Burns's contract is up.

Should we be in for Chase ? Superbly talented, and you'd have to hope that his maturity might improve now he's nearly 30.

Would only work if we could offload Burns I'd imagine.

I thought that as well. He'd be class at Saints but I imagine he's on silly money that only a NRL club could pay now.

No way would McManus have him.