I have seen plenty of comments on various threads stating that we need to sign a goal kick as a real priority. We have the lowest percentage of kick success in Superleague and we really do have an issue with it. Teams generally go up in 6s whilst we only go up in 4s.
However, I believe it's no good bringing in a goal kicker unless they are better than the player currently occupying their position.

FB - Tomkins / Escare - there are not many goal kicking full backs that could rival either of those two (assuming Sam can get fit and get some form). Hardacre maybe but looks committed to Cas.

Wing - Burgess / Manfredi / Marshall / Davies. If we were to bring in a winger we'd have to sacrifice one or two of them and barring Tommy Makinson, I'm not sure I'd want to lose any of our wingers for anybody else in SL.

Centres - Gelling / Gildart - Gelling on his day can be unplayable and Gildart has shown his worth and huge potential already this season. Again, Hardacre could fit the bill but committed to Cas.

Stand off - I would not swap George Williams for anybody in SL.

Scrum half - Leuluai has the rest of this year and next on his playing contract and we have Powell and Shorrocks. As well as Powell played covering for MM, I don't see him as our full time scrum half whereas Shorrocks could well be. Luke Gale could be a good fit for us but again it would mean sacrificing Powell who is a very good utility player or Shorrocks. Again, wouldn't be easy to get Gale away from Cas. Myler is off contract at the end of the year but I'm not sure he's what we need in a scrum half? The best option could be Jordan Lilly but can't see Leeds letting us get him.

Props - I'm not aware of any good props who kick goals?

Hooker - I'm a fan of MM and Powell provides more than adequate cover. If we went for a goal kicking hooker (can't think of any) we'd have to sacrifice one of these.

Second row - wouldn't swap Bateman or Faz for anybody in SL and Tomkins, Wells etc are good cover players.

Loose Forward - Lockers is in a league of his own when he plays and we have his natural successor in Bateman. Perhaps Stevie Ward at Leeds but again it would be difficult to get him.

This leaves us with the only other option of bringing in a really top class kicking coach to work with Escare, Tomkins, Williams, Marshall, Shorrocks etc. In the hope that one or two of them can really improve. I simply can't see how we can sign a goal kicker and improve the team without significant sacrifices!

Sutcliffe from Leeds.

Jamie Ellis from Hull K R

Bet both could play at 13

You would have Makinson over our wingers?

That's why I said there would have to be sacrifices!

Are they better than we already have? I don't think so but Sutcliffe is a decent shout. Ellis, not for me thanks!

Sutcliffe is a much better shout than Makinson. The fact Sutcliffe can cover so many positions means he would almost always play when fit.

If Bateman and Gelling are on the right the winger hardly ever gets the ball so a winger who can kick could be an option however, I'd prefer it like yourself if Escare or Williams could be developed into a decent kicker.

I would sign Sutcliffe without hesitation. SOL to prop.

I would choose Surcliffe out of the two but I was comparing position for position.

And would that mean releasing Manfredi, Davies or Marshall?

You must be joking. With his off the field record he is one to stay well clear of. Why do you think Saints got rid?

Did not realize he was from St Helens always though he played well when he was at Huddersfield.

As much as i like Gelling i would have Percival in.

Time to offload Gelling and bring in a goal kicking centre, a couple to be mentioned are Kerrod Holland (ooc), Dylan Walker.

The two positions we need to throw money at are Prop and Scrum Half. Recruiting a Scrum Half who can kick must be a priority in the offseason.

Any winger who can kick would be too expensive, especially when we have 4 hugely capable players there already.

I'd go for Luke Walsh personally, very good scrum half on his day who I believe we would get the best out of, also best goal kicker in super league and would grab plenty of assists

But couldn't tackle a good dinner!!

Total overreaction on here,get rid of Gelling?sign Walsh? sign Ellis? I know we are on a bad run but if you think either of those 2 will help us your wrong.

Do you honestly think that either of them (plus most other NRL names regularly touted) would think for a moment of coming to SL?

Surely fundamentally there are three kinds of Aussie/Kiwi players who come to SL:

a) Those whose best days are behind them, but may well have a good few years service at SL level (example: Kurt Gidley)

b) Those whose off field antics or other misdemeanors have made them persona non grata in the NRL (example: Todd Carney)

c) Those younger players who, although they may have decent SL careers, weren't quite good enough for the NRL (example: Jacob Miller)

Holland and Walker fit in to none of those categories.

So should we be going for Cooper Cronk or Jonathon Thurston seeing as their best days are behind them?

Swap George for Ben Reynolds. Outplayed him and kicked 9 out of 9, no brainier really.

Cronk looks like he might be retiring as nobody has offered him a contract yet, most of the Sydney clubs have signed younger players, maybe he could be enticed over to blighty for 2 last easy seasons before retiring

If we could afford their wages and if they wanted to come, yes.

Two big ifs.

Answering your own questions?Must have had a few last night.

for either of them to earn £1m ausD over 2 seasons we would have to pay them around £300k a season which isn't too bad considering who they are, you never lnow they might just fancy 2 last seasons over here playing in a less high impact competition, also the chance to play challenge cup, europe on the doorstep for off season travelling, the fantastic British culture in Wigan, great pies, nice pension top up etc etc