It's beginning to seem just a little more possible. With Orford and our recruits to date, I already feel pretty good about the full-strength side. A good starting 6 (or a reasonable back-up) would be the icing on the cake.

There was a guy on this forum below who reckoned to have some knowledge a while back, and he posted last night implying Orford to Eels was still on once the tigers are out of the playoffs...probably nonsence mind, certainly just rumour and we won't know anything until someone makes an offical announcement before pre season starts; But just in case you haven't read enough rumours;

[urlhttp://forum.sportal.com.au/yaf_postsm2089189_MUST-READ-CANBERRA-PARRA-AND-TIGERS-FANS.aspx[/url

[i"Alrighty then...The news is...Tim Moltzen signed by Canberra.

Matt Orford to go to the Eels.

The deal with Orford to go to Canberra was done and dusted, but Parra weighed in heavily with $$ and a player swap to boot.

Orford reniged on his deal with Canberra (although it wasn't acutally signed) to go to Parramatta.

Tim Moltzen was approached by Canberra which arae quadrupling his salary - he's only on $60,000 at the Tigers and the promise of the #7 jersey, something that Sheens doesn't have planned for him.

Expect this to all unfold when both teams (and Tigers) are out of the Premiership race."[/i

A backup 6 or 7 is more than icing on the cake. While Addy and Southernwood will be more experienced next year neither are capable of being the main playmaker for the side if Orford or his replacement gets injured. If that happens we'll struggle to make the 8 and it could be a repeat of this season. While the squad and head coach have improved the situation is the same in a number of other teams too.

Another halfback to add to Orford & Co, preferably a stand off is a must IMO.

I only mentioned a 6 as being 'icing on the cake'. With Orford as main playmaker, I feel our first choice line-up would benefit most from a running 6 - e.g. a Kearney from the current options. If we were to recruit a first-choice 6 who was another playmaker, given that we would be limited to federation trained players, I fear that we'd risk the same sort of lack of individual threat that we saw in the days of Deacon and Harris (though not quite so extreme!). If we recruited a 6 who was not a playmaker, we'd be no better off if Orford got injured.

A back-up playmaker would be great -and more than 'icing on the cake - but you can only have so much experienced back-up.

Light..........................tunnel.

As you elude to, there is a nonsensical focus by many on having a "creative" 6 should Orford return to HQ. There are very few around of quality, very few likely to want to move to a team outside the 8, fewer who are Fed trained or of UK origin and even fewer who wouldn't demand a fair slice of the cap. Reality therefore dictates that it's all fair and well playing fantasy League on here, the reality is, the personnel quite clearly, aren't available or willing.

You've been told wrong. Orford is in Australia still.

As for the last paragraph, you need to sack your source. It makes Narnia sound way more realistic.

Not one word of your post has any truth to it by the way.

That's not fair - the second sentence was completely non-contentious.

And obviously turning two wrongs into a right - does that mean we're signing the Pryces?

Nope.

Frightening....that anyone actually believes Mick Gledhills constant bleating about either Pryce brother re-signing.

Wheat.

Chaff.

Sort.

I don't think anyone believes anything he says in all honesty.

I'd settle for another creative half fullstop. Can be a 6 or a 7. Can come from the national leagues for all I care. We need more cover than what we have as we were found out last year with the same bodies on board. Quality is a want but depth is a need.

Very good. I guess we'll see who is right come this time next year and for the record I've said anything about Karl Pryce joining us.

No but you did say Leon was.

Then you said he wasn't.

Then you said he was.

Then you said he wasn't.

Then I stopped paying attention

Yes I won't deny saying that I said Leon will be a Bull.

Fine - that had been pointed out by the Aus newspaper link a bit higher up



I don't really have sources that I ask for stuff. In my job, I talk to people who are bulls fans, some of whom work for or are subcontracted to the bulls - all mainly at "ground " level. They volunteer stuff - this was one of the more interesting ones.



Totally OTT. And also wrong. Always good to have a bit of balance. When you have had a run of being "right" , getting something wrong just lets a bit of air out of an overblown ego - levels things off a bit. When I prefixed my post with " I have been told" - that was the truth. I dislike being called a liar as much as most people do.

Orford's agent quoted as saying no release from Bulls has been requested www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/artic ... etting-ox/

Orford's agent quoted as saying no release from Bulls has been requested www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/artic ... etting-ox/

Fed up of all this speculation in the bread thief media.

Doubtless if he does come back next season we'll have all this again this time next year.

Come on man, what the hell are your intentions?

I guess we'd all like to know but I can't imagine he's going to respond to every bit of tittle tattle in the tabloids. He's due back shortly for pre-season training anyway, so we'll find out soon enough.

Quote ="paulwalker71"Orford's agent quoted as saying no release from Bulls has been requested www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/artic ... etting-ox/'" It's hopefully good news then. We're now only looking for perhaps one half back instead of 2

Quote ="paulwalker71"Orford's agent quoted as saying no release from Bulls has been requested www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/artic ... etting-ox/'" It's hopefully good news then. We're now only looking for perhaps one half back instead of 2

Oh, dead right! I know WE (that is us fans) are hoping for a half, but the club announcements, particularly the one from Lynchy saying how good it was NOT to have any big name signings, seem to suggest the club has other ideas.

If there is to be one more 'biggy' then the sooner the better, so as to help the push towards 10K.

Quote ="paulwalker71"Orford's agent quoted as saying no release from Bulls has been requested www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/artic ... etting-ox/'" Exceptional smokescreening by George Mimis. Exonerating both his client, NRL chasing clubs and the Bulls of any blame for the lack of clarity. Brilliant A fair inference could be made that "he intends to honour his contract IF he doesn't receive and NRL offer." It is a pretty simplistic situation to solve. Orford to say "I will be playing at Bradford in 2011". Not difficult, no pages of prose, no p!ssing people about. Orford and his agent will no doubt read these pages, as most players and officials do. Perhaps he should grow a pair and level up with the fans and club. But that won't happen.

Quote ="paulwalker71"Orford's agent quoted as saying no release from Bulls has been requested www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/artic ... etting-ox/'" Exceptional smokescreening by George Mimis. Exonerating both his client, NRL chasing clubs and the Bulls of any blame for the lack of clarity. Brilliant A fair inference could be made that "he intends to honour his contract IF he doesn't receive and NRL offer." It is a pretty simplistic situation to solve. Orford to say "I will be playing at Bradford in 2011". Not difficult, no pages of prose, no p!ssing people about. Orford and his agent will no doubt read these pages, as most players and officials do. Perhaps he should grow a pair and level up with the fans and club. But that won't happen.

A big name might generate a decent buzz but I'd rather the club spent the salary cap on 3 decent players rather than a large outlay on a "superstar"

The club did say at the fans forum that as far as they were concerned Orford would be a Bull for 2011 and had asked his agent to release a statement to that effect to the Aussie press. He has now done it (I say now as it's only now come out, he may have released it awhile a go but it wasn't considered a decent enough angle to report on)

In the meantime, this...

[urlhttp://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/eels-put-out-welcome-matt-for-orford/story-e6frfgbo-1225928590534[/url

Don't believe everything you read in the paper.



Don't believe everything you're told.



I didn't call you a liar. If you'd have read it as intended, you'd have seen that I actually meant the people you'd spoken to had spun you good.

They can't have looked into signing him too much if they think he only has one year left to run on his contract!