Cooke to 13 for me.

Would think JK thought's are, BJ at 6, Sam/JR at 7 and JR/Davey at 9 with Leo missing at the mo. Needs the players to get BJ to second reciever with Cooke at 13 playing 1st/2nd reciever on the other side.

Read my post again!



I meant he is not noted for either distribution or for good quality ball from acting half. He IS noted for elusive running, tackling massively above his weight and never giving up - and would be in the 17 every week, but he will not run the team!

Is this the guy we have looked at twice before.

When he was on loan with us last season he went well. Always gives 100% and his distribution is good.

Another depressing signing, Not impressed by any of the lads we've brought in since the start of the season - so its no suprise were struggling.

Not much gets past you squire

Doesn't exactly fill you with confidence though when he is currently playing in a semi pro league and couldnt break into his National side (a relatively very poor national side too) - even worse was the fact that a back row forward was chosen as a hooker when presumably Rinaldi was fit and available.

Still, lets hope he chips in for us and alls well in the end but its hard to get giddy about this for me.

Anybody know what Maxim Greseque and Syvan Houles are doing next week?

I don't suppose he would have been picked for France....but saying that, if they were French, how many others in our team would have been picked?!?!

He will do a good job for us in the short term to get us through BJ injury and TLL leave.
Speed of passing the ball to 1st receiver is a major flaw in our game at the moment. He will improve that, and that is good enough for me.

At least they have done something to resolve the situation. I'm happy with what they've done but I'm happier that they have done something!

And thats what we'll get from him, i think he'll suprise a few people.

Another uninspiring signing, I'm sure he will give 100% but from what I remember of him he was short of pace, which is something we are crying out for.
Damage limitation, right this season off now.

It buys us time and gives us options. We have 5 winnable games coming up, and if he can make the difference, he's well worth the gamble. What other options are there? Seriously?

There was another option, when we let brough go, without a hope in he'll of replacing him.

He will imo, he's not a bad player and he's the type the fans like because he's an honest hard worker aswell.

There's alot worse players out there.

Well they'll go on about lost players on here and probably won't give him a chance but for all thats happened this season is now history, we have to deal with what we have this week and for the rest of the season.

Tomorrow is the future and we have to make the best of it and look forward, we can't alter the past.

Plot.... lost completely!


bring young players through... not 30+ year old players of very ordinary standing.

Cooke M62 east bound for me

If Jeffries is injured and Latu is on compassionate leave then it makes sense to bring in cover. Davey can't be expected to do it all on his own so early in his career.

lack of understanding.............shown!

You can't just throw young kids in and expect them to just be the savior of the club over night. If they were that good they'd already be playing.
Good short term fix if you ask me. If we'd signed him on a permi deal I'd agree with you but he is allowing us to move on without breaking our young potential.

Surely this is a contradiction in terms, and exactly the same could be applied to Rinaldi?

But that is exactly the point. Rinaldi isn't that good but the reason he isn't is down to how long he can keep playing at his age not whether he has got it or not. He has already played at top level so we know he has the skills and physical ability, just not able to play for the long term because of his age.
The kids will have a long future in front of them but that doesn't mean they are ready now.
The likes of Farrell or Schofield who played international as teenages were not there because they were just thrown in and showed they could do it, it was obvious by the way they played that they could do it. It isn't obvious yet with our guys so why break them until they do.

What are you basing this on?


When was the last time you saw him play? How many games have Villeneuve won this year? Is he playing well? From the bench or starting? 6/7 or 9? I have absolutely no idea, I cannot find anything on the web that tells me if he has even made the side. The fact he 'used to be good enough' for superleague could be applied to no end of players.

All we know for sure is he is (was) contracted to a semi proffesional French club in a part time leage and couldn't make his representative side despite them being a very, very poor standard and so badly lacking in options in the position we appear to have signed him to play for us to the extent they picked a back row forward to play there infront of him.

I am struggling to see the positives in this at the moment, but hopefully he will have a stormer tomorow on 'home turf'.

Side note: does he count as oversees trained?

I know Harlequins released him as he was classed as overseas trained only for the RFL to backtrack after the event and permit all incumbent overseas players with an EU passport dispensations.

Even if he did classify as a non-fed, Trinity still have one spot open for either a quota player or a non-fed.

Do we even know if he's still got a quality haircut or has he been shorn?

I admit to being slightly obtuse but the point was there to be made, the 2 skills you picked out are pretty central to the role of a scrum half or a hooker.