The thread on rumours of new signings got me thinking, the last year or so there haven't nearly been as many rumours as there used to be (probably because we have a winning team now so less need to replace players)

What players can you remember us getting linked with, that never actually joined?

Scully and Sinfield were common rumours that kept resurfacing every year. Danny Tickle has been linked with us a few times as well.

I remember us being linked with Brent Kite and Sean O'Loughlin once.

Then there were other players, who got linked with us at one point, and ended up signing for us later down the road - I remember when Cullen first arrived we were linked with signing Stuart Reardon who had been on loan to Salford, and Richie Mathers who had been on loan with us, but those deals didn't come off, only for us to sign them later. Same with Martin Gleeson at Huddersfield and Michael Monaghan was supposed to be our back up in case the Orford deal didn't come off, only for him to sign a new deal with Manly so we got Sullivan.

Also can you remember the coaches we were linked to....Neil Kelly, John Monie and Paul Terzis to replace DVDV; John Lang, Graham Murray, Ellery Hanley to replace Cullen.

Sure I heard a Kimmorly rumour ages ago. Obviously we tried with Ellis. Aspinwall from Wigan was another.

fui fui moi moi's family being flown over to watch the 2009 cup final... paving the way for his arrival the following season.

Hanley, when he "fell out" with the Wigan board, in '88.
Rumours going round (haha) was that we were going to sign him, with a cash injection from Greenalls.
If only..

Conversly, Mike Greg going to Wigan (Jan '89) on Challenge Cup deadline day.
The rumour mill was going into overdrive for about a week

Neil Jenkins was a target in the 90's and even played a reserve game at Wilderspool under an 'A N Other' on the teamsheet. We had Davies/Bateman/Phillips with us at the time and Jenkins was seriously tempted to switch codes ... but decided not to. For anyone who can't quite remember him, ginger stand off with sticky out ears, great kicker, no pace.

Coaches....Shaun Edwards....DAMN.
As Jim Bowen would say "look what you would have won"

Naas Botha
SA RU legend in the mid 80's
Makes Brett Hodgson seem like Bob Jackson when it comes to goalkicking

kevin campion

Classic that Lefty. Remember Jacko kicking goals against Widnes at Central Park in the Regal semi. Wire 8 tries, 1 goal (or thereabouts). Jacko, great bloke, fabulous forward, bloody awful goalkicker, even worse than Briers.

Benny Elias

We actually signed him, didn't we
Pulled out, citing the rainy British weather
then moves to Auckland, where it NEVER rains, does it

Remember that game well
All Jacko's kicks were on target (or thereabouts), but kicked with all the strength of a vicar's handshake

Jesus, is there any player or coach we haven't been linked to at some point?

Matt Orford - rumour was doing the rounds for ages. Thank god that didnt come true
Morley - Only for us to sign him later
Scully - Coming back every Christmas
Neil Turley - remember that one??
Joey Johns - sort of came off but seemed to be preparing a longer deal before retirement
Jamie Lyon - once he left Saints
Bobbie Goulding - later years

There are plenty of others

Simon Geohagan, former Irish RU player. Trained with us a couple of times but that was it.

There was a big Sean Long rumour on here a few years back, when he was at Saints.

Joe Mellor.

Chris Oti (English RU winger late 80's early 90's) was another

We were linked with Scully and Sinfield?
God does no one keep me in the loop?

We were waiting until Boxing Day to tell you.

Good shout for remembering Naas Botha. I don't remember it at the time but in one of my old Rothmans books it mentioned that we'd been linked with him.

Some names here that I had totally forgotten.

Kimmorley I always hoped would come to us. We were linked with him several times and when we signed Michael Monaghan there was something in the Warrington Guardian saying we had the chance to sign Kimmorley but chose Monaghan over him.

I was disappointed when the Neil Turley deal didn't come off although it seemed like he'd been trying to push and push for a bigger and bigger deal. With hindsight it is crazy how he was hyped up as such a big name signing, considering he had only played in the U21s and NFP. When he did come into SL in 2005 he was just average. I think we dodged a bullet with Turley, he might have been the Ryan Leaf of rugby league. When he couldn't sign Turley, Plange signed Westwood instead.

Also remember the April Fool about Iestyn Harris when somebody photoshopped Iestyn Harris' head on Mark Hilton's body and sent it out as a press release from a fake email address supposedly from Gina Coldrick, which got all the newspapers buzzing.

we got him in the end though!!!

This thread could run and run.....

James Graham
And next year you can add Tony Puletua to your list

Shaun Edwards put his hat in the ring in 2002, if his foreword to Chris Joynt's autobiography is to tbe believed.

Tickle was already prepared, ready to sign until he did a Turley.

Us signing Erol Crabtree did the rounds a few years ago.