Don't know a lot about McKinnon, but can't help but have slight concerns with his age and reported injury record combination. I just wish we'd occasionally bring in players from the NRL in their early- or mid-twenties, rather than the tail-end or thirties. Also, whilst I can see why others are concerned that he is being released early by a club again, that isn't exactly unusual for NRL clubs. Looking at it from a slightly different angle though, I do find it curious that they're willing to release him when they only signed him a year ago. A short stay like that isn't exactly confidence inspiring. Hopefully he'll come over and stay fit though.

We brought in Moa to be fair, he's only about 24 now isn't he? Hame and Phelps are hardly ready for their pensions too.

And we signed Mick Picker from Canberra but couldn't get a visa.

If you want the better players their a little bit older, the younger ones normally only come because they can't get a start.

Lauaki, fair play, I'll agree with. Berrigan is the other who is closest in the last few years. As good as Moa has turned out to be, he wasn't really an NRL player as such, which also goes for Picker. Phelps we got because he had no other offers really.

What I suppose I'm really saying is I wish we'd get a few more Soliola/Webb/Richards/King/Louis Anderson/Greenshields types that are already up to standard but we can possibly keep for a few years, rather than keep recruiting 2-3 years to retirement players. That way we can tinker with the team instead of continually having to search for replacements with less options for retention. Also, when we're bringing in players for the shorter-term, it only serves to increase the profile of any injury problems.

Who else has signed players from the NRL in their early or mid twenties, and I mean established first choice players rather than reserve grade?

But it's about balance though. Our overseas recruitment is very heavily leant towards older players. We've seen injury problems with several of them and a couple of instances of a rapid decline as they are ready for retirement. And whilst it's true that younger players often come over because they can't get a start in the NRL, it's also true that in many cases they don't look half bad over here.

I'd personally rather have a very good player for several of his prime years than a once-great player for the last 2 of his career. Or at the very least a mixture of the two.

There's the 6 in my other post, then also off the top of my head is: Donald, Delaney, Eastwood, Lauitiiti, Hoffman, Meli, Flannery, Monaghan, Lolesi, Faiumu, Witt.

I believe all came over before the age of 28 and with over 50 NRL appearances to their names, several closer to or even over 100. The top 4 do it on a semi-regular basis, I just think that if we want to be amongst them we need to try and do it more often too.

I think if we had a choice then of course we'd go for the younger options, especially Agar, but when we had our last major recruitment drive we had no leadership or experience in the squad, hence the need for Fitz and Ogre.

Since Agar took the job in 2008, overseas players we've signed (and arrived!) and their age when they signed in brackets :

Moa (21)
Lauaki (25)
Fitzgibbon (32)
O'Meley (2icon_cool.gif
Phelps (26)
Obst (30)

So all in all, 2 out of 6 in their 30s isn't too bad.

I suppose if we had a younger squad overall it wouldn't be bad at all (or maybe it's just that our older players seem to be in either similar or key positions), but you can also look at it as we have 7 overseas players and 4 of them are 29 or over, and 2 of those under look like leaving at the end of the season, combined with multiple 30-somethings from the British contingent. I just think to a certain extent we keep giving ourselves more work to do with recruitment with some relatively short-term signings.

Warrington have an older squad than us.

Quite a bit older. People tend to overlook it because they are doing well, but their squad is one built for the short term rather than the long term IMO.

This is working well for them, they build sucess short term win things, young players want to sign for then, other players in SL and the NRl want to sign for them.

Young player learn off older player, imagine a young FB or prop training with Hodgson and Morley.

As long as they are building up their youth players slowly (which they seem to be doing) then it's a good way to run things.

Be great in a couple of years to have

Crooks replacing Gleeson
Beavis> Mckinnon
Nicklas or Williams > Horne
Ellis > Long
Aldous > Radford
Cunngingham > Manu

etc.

Other than hodgson they've all been at wire for a number of years though and weren't signed when they were 31+

Another injury prone player signed at the wrong age .

[i=#0040FFAfter struggling to break into the Warriors 2010 team as he failed to regain his speed from his knee injury, McKinnon signed for the West Tigers on 26 May 2010. McKinnon had been contracted to the Warriors until the end of 2011 but was granted an immediate release by the Warriors McKinnon played his first game for the Tigers in round 15, but was limited to 6 games for the season due to a hamstring injury He was released from the final year of his contract so he could join Hull for a three year deal starting in 2012[/i

obsessed

and possibly a wee bit jealous i feel....

dont worry he will sign for you in three years when he leaves FC mate

bless, but at least he's eligible and we have quota space eh.

gotta love the wikipedler above,
This page was last modified on 1 June 2011 at 05:55.

Yeah, but it was modified by Cameron Phelps.

That's why he cant spell saltshouse

McKinnon back in the Wests squad this weekend

Yup named at fb, hopefully the extra few days rest (it's the Monday night game) will do him well.

Oh dear!

McKinnon requested a release from Wests which they accepted.

Now run along.

The same point I would make. I think in their entire squad, all but Hodgson, Solomona, and Joel Monaghan played their first games for Wire at 27 or under. That's not too bad at all. It's not so much that they've built a squad for the short-term as it is a squad built over a time that is now approaching it's best before date. A bit of a different case IMO.

Ive watched every match available on Premier Sport, and so Wests about 5 times, injury aside he looks a class player, solid under the high ball and very quick to support play with pace to burn. Doesn't seem to have any injury problems.