This is interesting -

HDMEditor John Meehan
We also focus in tomorrow's Mail on the 12 #HullFC & #HullKR players who will be free to talk to other clubs from Thursday.

It will just be the ooc players, no revelations.

If he's after a job he's hardly going to say "Rovers are on a downward spiral and are signing cheap options to save money"

Yes but u cannot tell me in 2 years they cannot find some props to bring in to replace the old guard?

We need top quality props its no point having abundance of halfs if they cannot get the go forward from the props if we lose either Moa or Ogre to injury next season we are going to struggle. We need quality in that department with experience...the likes of a Peacock, Lynch or Fielden and with them being prop youd get them for a small fee what would be good business. The merchandise adnd passes are right up there and thats when we are rubbish can u imagine the money the club will make if there start to get to finals and god forbid win something?

Your right we probably wont agree but its fun to have a debate with you all the same



Regarding you on Manchester United look how much debt they are in but I bet the fans dont give a monkeys do u as they are winning or getting to finals.

If it's one or two props then hopefully signing one and bringing one through should be a option but all four?

Gentle seems to be well thought of in Aus and is exactley what we need IMO.

I still expect him despite what Hudgill says to go to rovers, not sure why just have a feeling.

For him to fly to this country he must have a job lined up, can't see him going to Wakey if he has turned down Cas due to lack of budget as I would guess Wakey would run about the same budget as Cas.

Exactly the point I'm trying to make, it's very possible we'll be in that situation. 4 of our 6 signed up forwards are OOC next year, that's not tweaking the pack it's replacing it wholesale.

See Sheldon's post and my reply.

As for Peacock/Lynch/Fielden on a small fee, that wouldn't be too bad but I don't see why their clubs would do so. And you've change your tune because the other week you were suggesting £100-150k as a good deal for Lynch.

Man Utd's debt is from the purchase by the Glazers. If it wasn't for that they generate enough money for their transfer policy. Pearson's bought us outright, so it's a different case for us. Rugby League has nowhere near the income football has and never will, that's why you don't have the same level of transfer activity, it cannot be sustained long term. The salary cap also restricts how much benefit that approach offers.

No what Im saying is I would pay the 100-150k no problem for high profile signing like a Peacock Or Lynch but think if we go by your way of thinking we may get them for a lot less. 100k to me is a small fee for the England Captain. What you might forget as well is this club is one of the few who make a profit and thats when we have been awful. Can u imagine the money the club could make in the long term with continued success?

The fact of the matter is we need props and we need top Grade A props not Grade c as Rule might put it



How much did Wigan pay for fielden? Wasnt it around 250k or more? Whatever it was it was well worth it as he helped them from being relegated. Im sure you would have been disgusted with that piece of buisness all that cash for a prop... Then there is the young lad Myler how much as he cost warrington? hasnt done much as he so as You can see buying young doesnt prove u are better in the long run. You go on about the younger plays who you expecting to sign for us and then somehow get a hell of alot better. Doesnt always go like that though thats the problem. Also what you have to understand is i am advocating money spent on props who are around the thirty mark. I would totally agree with you if it was paying for a 30 plus year old for the back line who would have lost alot of there pace. It will be interesting to see what Pearson does but I dont care who the new coach will be if he doesnt get the props sorted out we got no chance next year.

I don`t think Pearson will pay a transfer fee for an older player, i think he will only spend money on a young player were there is a potential future sell on price

You've also got to look at the quota issues.

Moa and Manu are currently only worth one non fed place between them.

i thought Manu was exempt

He is, I think was Sheldon getting more at the fact that we will have less overseas spots for replacements as a result. As it stands we have 4 forwards all out of contract next year and possibly only 2 overseas spots to play with.

I really doubt we’d get them for a lot less, what reason do their club’s have to do so? And the money-making you keep saying about, I don’t see how making a final next year is essential to that. We could miss out next year but build a squad who make finals in the next 4 years if we play it right, and I think that’s the better approach. Rushing things and trying to buy instant success is not necessary, or even helpful sometimes.

Providing we replaced Dowes with a good prop like those I mentioned, I think we’d have a good set of 4 next year. Lynch would be better, yes, but he wouldn’t turn us into strong enough contenders to justify the cost IMO.

Wigan paid more than Fielden was worth because of their situation IMO, but ATEOTD they still got someone who was then one of the best props in the world, was 26 IIRC, and who has been there for 5 seasons and counting. It’s not like for like.

I say about younger players because they’re likely to be cheaper (both transfer fee and wages), and if they do pay off they’ll last longer. The risk of them not delivering on their potential is no greater than a 30-odd year old reaching the point of being past it only halfway through their contract, only it’s a fair bit less money thrown down the pan.

Also, Lynch will be 32 next month, that’s stretching ‘around the 30 mark’ a little.

You seem to be missing that my main concern is not the spending of money, but the wisdom in spending it on further building a pack which will reach retirement age at pretty much the same time. I’m not sure why you don’t see that as a potentially massive problem. If we get the right coach in I’m more interested in them building a squad to compete for a few years than blow a load of money and cap space on a short term band aid.

Indeed, if we're going to pay £250k for any "sticking plaster" it should be put with the other £250k we have set aside for a world class coach, meaning we'd get someone earning about £1/2m over 3 seasons, surely most coaches in the game would go for that?

Because there aren't any on the market, just as that last year there were less halfbacks than this year. Next year there may be some more props about, so I don't see the rush to bring in an ageing prop. I think maybe you see our front row as weaker than I do.



Where am I saying wait 4 years? I just don't see the obsession with going straight out for a final next year. Yes, we should be looking to sign players of the right calibre, but not at any cost.



O'Meley can teach any of our young props more about the playing side than Lynch/Peacock/Fielden ever could.

£500,000 per season? That's half of Bennets wage from next season.

he's an exception, obviously.

Do I have to put reportedly in front of everything then?

Bennetts reportedly signed a four year deal worth $6 million.

Bellamy and Hasler are reportedly on a little bit less than £500,000 a year but you'd have to compensate them for leaving the premier comp and uprooting their families to move to Hull.

you should really put "reportedly" because you do come across as if you're in the know about all things NRL when, in reality, you just read the Aussie press more than most on here.

and what is to say that the worth isn't "potential worth" if they win the premisership every season?

you should be careful regurgitating the musings of journalists, they are often wrong, regardless which side of the pond they reside.

I don't read the Aussie press at all, I just listen to players, ex players and coaches when their on tv or radio.

Heaven forbid I suggest a opinion about a sport I watch on a regular basis on a Internet forum.

opinion is fine, it's passing it off as gospel that is misleading on occasion.

anyway, rumours.........

And who's the king at that?

if you can quote anywhere I have done it, I'll be impressed.