I know - muppets.

Hmm... Signing a Welsh RU player with a complicated contract situation and possible legal constraints.

Haven't we been down this road before? I seem to remember last time it cost us a lot more money than we'd anticipated...

Terry Holmes?

I was trying to think of a joke along those lines but couldn't quite put my finger on one!

Being from Wales I doubt he'd get a work kermit. I 'll get me coat!

Canberra Raiders have been in talks with the former Manly premiership winner Matt Orford since learning he wanted to return from England if he can get a two-year deal in the NRL.

Orford recently visited Canberra and toured the Raiders facilities at Bruce Stadium, where the Australian Institute of Sport is.

Sources in England say Orford was impressed by the set-up, and there is speculation he has agreed to a deal with the Raiders.

But Orford remains under contract to Bradford, and the Bulls are reluctant to release him unless Canberra is prepared to pay a transfer fee similar to the £100,000 ($166,000) they got from South Sydney for Sam Burgess.

Hmmmmmm, doesn't look does it.

If Canberra came up with the £100,000 then would you take the money and allow him to go or would fight off the deal and remind Orford that he's still contracted to the Bradford Bulls?

If he really wants out then we'd be better off taking the money and using it to pay a transfer fee for someone who wants to play for us. No point having a player here who isnt commited.

Well if you look on the Canberra forum they seem to think it's a done deal.

I guess the impasse was making sure Orford got the two year deal down on the table.

I said at the last home of the season that we won't see him next season and the silence coming from Odsal seems to suggest that these rumors have some degree of substance.

£100,000 would help us get Leon Pryce.

This is shock news. I've not heard any rumours about this or anything.

which would solve standoff problem but leave us looking for a halfback although we'd then a quota spot available so we could look down under. Or maybe a Pryce/Obst pairing would be way to go.

I must admitt that I only found out about Orford potentially going to the Australian captial this morning while watching the NRL play-offs.

Canberra lead Penrith 18-12 at half-time away at CUA.

Matthew Elliot doesn't look to have aged one bit

I put the fact he's doing strictly come dancing to my mate and he reckons that the Bulls are the only club happy for him to do Strictly Come Dancing! So that's a reason to vote for Anne Widdecombe to make sure he has enough of a preseason with us. I think my mate should just give it up.

Great move by WRU this week they unveiled their new strip with a 100ft banner of him in the new kit at the Millenium Stadium. Much to the disgust of the current international squad given he hasn't appeared for Ospreys in two years. Ospreys themselves said this week that they don't consider him as their player anymore. He's also been photographed in all the Women's magazines this week in the nude using a dogs head to cover his nads. He shaves off all the hair on his body! Could you imagine how long he'd last with players like Graham and Carvell running at him?

Or Pryce/Robinson?

Well Pryce would help to bring on young Southernwood who I know people say he's not ready but just by watching him in the various U20 VC games this year he looks to be shaping into a player of real quality.

I would be overjoyed if we snapped up Sam Obst from Wakefield who has been without a doubt their player of the season, thus backed up by him winning the Supporters and Club player of the year awards.

He's got that magic step and has a very astute and defined kicking game.

I can understand him feeling homesick but it's only two years and the last of his playing career before he moves into coaching.

Why can't he see that he has the chance to go out in a blaze of glory a hero at Bradford? Or he'd go out on a whimper in NRL. For the last two years of his career being a big fish in a small pond could be a right laugh.

Hasn't Sam Obst won their player of their year something like 2 or 3 years on the trot?

I'd be happy with either Pryce/Obst or Pryce/Robinson tbh. cant see hudds letting robinson go though after just extending his deal a few months back. Think that rumour was just a bit of mischief making.

It's two yes and maybe this season where Wakefield have seen key playing personal move on (eg Brough to Huddersfield), last season he took the accolade with a whole host of stars at the club.

just watch how fast wakey fans are getting on here to slag him off if we do end up signing him. Nothing a wakey fan loves more than slagging off any player who has the cheek to leave their club ( and them welcoming them back with open arms like the prodigal son if they happen to return at a later date)

I can't see the money being available to pay off both Huddersfield and St Helens for their prized assets.

IF Orford does move on and we are successful at negotiating a transfer payment.

I expect the said transfer payment to be the stumbling block lifted between ourselves and St Helens in bringing back the prince of Manningham to Odsal.

Which will only bring positives in signing him, as he has experience of Odsal and big game experience to help us win and shut out games.

Not to mention him being a player that the lost supporters can relate to, in that the 10,000 pledges would sort themselves them out from Pryce arriving alone.

The only problem being that with only 22 days left till the pledge deadline, can this situation be sorted to our benefit?

if ox does leave then i would think that whatever money we get for him is used to buy another aussie star
i would love to see darren lockyer at odsal and he would definatley bring in crowds....highley unlikley but if we wave a bit of mooney at him............
trent barret out of retirement
or ben black from halifax

I think Obst is just average but has stood out in a very poor team, btw he is 31 next year.

Barett isn't the player he was. Lockyer will only come over here when he is similar age to Menzies.

Ben Black, Seriously?

If Orford goes then i would want some real class to replace him. I don't see the likes of Obst or Robinson as this.