The game is littered with players who have been written off who then come back to surprise people. What matters is what shape he is in and if he has the desire. If he has both of these then he could be a very useful signing. We have to trust the people that have seen him training at Hull and have spoken to him. They know better than us if he's worth the risk and they have decided he is.

We usually make at least one truly awful signing per season. Usually it's in a vitally important, pivotal position. If we've filled our "crap signing quota" on a 3rd choice prop, and a young back up utility forward - I think this is the least disastrous recruitment strategy in a while. Paea is a top signing, and with the possibility of two more good signings - it's maybe not as bad as I've been thinking.

There will also be new youth pushing through. This season we've already had Shaul come in a look better than the incumbent Aussie, not to mention Crooks and Lineham. With the young forwards pushing on next year - it's not all doom and gloom! I worry for Cunningham who in most teams would be ready for some game time, but will be kept out by Houghton and Heremaia. I reckon a loan spell would do him some good.

I agree with that but I trusted those same people last season when I was seriously questioning the signings of Johnson, Galea and Crookes who IMO all turned out to be very poor signings as many of us thought they would.

Omg how many people actually sl@g off a signing??? Give him a chance make ya mind up after 6 games into next season, he is a good coup and him and paea as people have said is what we need in regards of go forward. Give the guy a chance people.

Still only young, wouldn't be surprised to see him get alot of time with Donny. Hopefully he'll get a shout if either Heremaia or Houghton are missing instead of us making them do the 80.

Having spent time around the squad, one glaringly obvious observation is the lack of older heads, especially next season. He's an international and will be another good example to the younger props. Get fit feka and prove people wrong.

For what it's worth, I think this lack of experience led to the signing of Galea. Unfortunately he was pretty much finished. Just need another couple of signings....with experience please.

Harsh on Johnson who may not have the size but, hasn't done anything wrong. Crookes again I think is harsh, he was playing well before he got injured and then couldn't get back in. Since he has been back his form hasn't been as good but that can happen. He's not in the class of Briscoe/Lineham we just have to accept that. Galea for me was defending well but offering little in attack and then got injured. Maybe that was a year too far but club felt worth the risk as they wanted some experience and leadership in the pack.

Recruitment is always hit and miss.

Yeah, I thought it was a joke when a Hull fan first mentioned it to me, but when you look at the SL ooc list it's easier to see why leftfield options are worth considering.




While Pearson is no doubt ambitious, as a businessman I assume he wants to run or (eventually) sell HFC at a profit. McManus isn't attempting to do that, so Saints are less a bit less constrained - though they are trying to put a bit of a brake on their heavy losses. Paea's very good and the scrapheap can yield the odd gem.

Plus, with crowds down at Hull (as well as pretty much everywhere else), while I'm sure you'll still be at the cap, if you were 'stretching' it before, it might make sense not to do so, so much now.

Quote ="Mild Rover"Yeah, I thought it was a joke when a Hull fan first mentioned it to me, but when you look at the SL ooc list it's easier to see why leftfield options are worth considering. While Pearson is no doubt ambitious, as a businessman I assume he wants to run or (eventually) sell HFC at a profit. McManus isn't attempting to do that, so Saints are less a bit less constrained - though they are trying to put a bit of a brake on their heavy losses. Paea's very good and the scrapheap can yield the odd gem. Plus, with crowds down at Hull (as well as pretty much everywhere else), while I'm sure you'll still be at the cap, if you were 'stretching' it before, it might make sense not to do so, so much now.'" With regards to Pearson, all he's got to do to make us profitable is get us to Wembley. I'd be shocked if we didn't finish this season well in the black. I also don't believe he's daft enough to think he'll ever make a great deal of money from a rugby league club. You're possibly making an assumption about McManus too. I've seen an interview with him suggesting that's he's investing now in the hopes of Saints becoming profitable. This article seems to suggest the same... www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/1067 ... _position/

Quote ="Mild Rover"Yeah, I thought it was a joke when a Hull fan first mentioned it to me, but when you look at the SL ooc list it's easier to see why leftfield options are worth considering. While Pearson is no doubt ambitious, as a businessman I assume he wants to run or (eventually) sell HFC at a profit. McManus isn't attempting to do that, so Saints are less a bit less constrained - though they are trying to put a bit of a brake on their heavy losses. Paea's very good and the scrapheap can yield the odd gem. Plus, with crowds down at Hull (as well as pretty much everywhere else), while I'm sure you'll still be at the cap, if you were 'stretching' it before, it might make sense not to do so, so much now.'" With regards to Pearson, all he's got to do to make us profitable is get us to Wembley. I'd be shocked if we didn't finish this season well in the black. I also don't believe he's daft enough to think he'll ever make a great deal of money from a rugby league club. You're possibly making an assumption about McManus too. I've seen an interview with him suggesting that's he's investing now in the hopes of Saints becoming profitable. This article seems to suggest the same... www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/1067 ... _position/

regards feka, he could be our worst signing,could be our best, must admit looking forward to seeing him play

Quote ="Raggytash"With regards to Pearson, all he's got to do to make us profitable is get us to Wembley. I'd be shocked if we didn't finish this season well in the black. I also don't believe he's daft enough to think he'll ever make a great deal of money from a rugby league club. You're possibly making an assumption about McManus too. I've seen an interview with him suggesting that's he's investing now in the hopes of Saints becoming profitable. This article seems to suggest the same... www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/1067 ... _position/'" 'All'? Unlikely to happen year in, year out. I've got no idea what his business plan is, but he's likely to have one and there's at least a chance that it doesn't involve paying out transfer fees more often than he has to. St. Helens might well one day get close to breakeven or even make a modest profit (I'm sceptical, but you never know), but EM will never see a significant financial return on his investment and will end up writing off millions. AP, while perhaps not expecting a huge return, also won't want to be down on the deal. Even if he were/is, [isome[/i prioritisation would be inevitable.

Quote ="Raggytash"With regards to Pearson, all he's got to do to make us profitable is get us to Wembley. I'd be shocked if we didn't finish this season well in the black. I also don't believe he's daft enough to think he'll ever make a great deal of money from a rugby league club. You're possibly making an assumption about McManus too. I've seen an interview with him suggesting that's he's investing now in the hopes of Saints becoming profitable. This article seems to suggest the same... www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/1067 ... _position/'" 'All'? Unlikely to happen year in, year out. I've got no idea what his business plan is, but he's likely to have one and there's at least a chance that it doesn't involve paying out transfer fees more often than he has to. St. Helens might well one day get close to breakeven or even make a modest profit (I'm sceptical, but you never know), but EM will never see a significant financial return on his investment and will end up writing off millions. AP, while perhaps not expecting a huge return, also won't want to be down on the deal. Even if he were/is, [isome[/i prioritisation would be inevitable.

Quote ="Raggytash"With regards to Pearson, all he's got to do to make us profitable is get us to Wembley. I'd be shocked if we didn't finish this season well in the black. I also don't believe he's daft enough to think he'll ever make a great deal of money from a rugby league club. You're possibly making an assumption about McManus too. I've seen an interview with him suggesting that's he's investing now in the hopes of Saints becoming profitable. This article seems to suggest the same... www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/1067 ... _position/'" Be in no doubt that Adam Pearson bought Hull FC with the ultimate intention of selling it for more than he paid for it. He knows that in order to do that he must first make the club more successful.

Quote ="Raggytash"With regards to Pearson, all he's got to do to make us profitable is get us to Wembley. I'd be shocked if we didn't finish this season well in the black. I also don't believe he's daft enough to think he'll ever make a great deal of money from a rugby league club. You're possibly making an assumption about McManus too. I've seen an interview with him suggesting that's he's investing now in the hopes of Saints becoming profitable. This article seems to suggest the same... www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/1067 ... _position/'" Be in no doubt that Adam Pearson bought Hull FC with the ultimate intention of selling it for more than he paid for it. He knows that in order to do that he must first make the club more successful.

I would never doubt the effort of Johnson but what I did seriously question when we signed him was why, when we already lack size and go-forward, do we need another forward who is clearly too small for a prop and offers absolutely nothing in attack.

Wrong

Not sure if everybody has seen the video on [url=http://www.hullfc.com/article/31002/radford-excited-about-paleaaesina-impacthere[/url. I know it's only against semi-pro opposition but he certainly looks a handful.

Has he lost 5 stone since then, or had he already lost it?

Can't say he's not running the ball in hard

Feel sorry for those east hull lads having to tackle that.

Don't think he'll be up to much personally but one thing I do hope is that Radford has our forwards running with a bit of aggression. Since pretty much 2006 our forwards seem to jog into the opposition compared to how some of the opposition run

Can you elaborate please?

Do you mean he's wrong that Pearson bought the club with the intention of selling it on for a profit or he's wrong that in order to do so the club must be successful?

he looks good does feka he will defo be a good impact prop running like that.

He looks a lot more mobile than he used to, just by looking at his lateral movement on a couple of those runs. If he attracts 3 players each time and can get a quick play the ball then could be a good move.

Radford was one of the worst culprits for half d carries during the last few years plying at Hull and then turning his back in every tackle. Not sure how he will coach them to do anything different to what he used to do himself.

From that video he does have a good offload game. Surely if you get someone making those kind of runs you want him to be offloading as there are going to be gaps when you have 3/4 men around you

on the run where he runs laterally handing off people, he has a great chance to put his centre away - hope he plays with his eyes open for us, looking for Houghton/Shaul/Miller on his shoulder

Bit knitpicky there I think! There's still a defender outside n he's bringing the ball away from a kick off. If he starts forcing passes in such situations I'll be kicking off. Seen enough dumbass play like that all yr. Good hard fast carries n play of the balls with an odd selective offload will be fine by me!!!

Of course he's going to look good in a video package that we put together. Especially around the time season passes are due for renewal. I'm still unsure regarding his signing. Obviously I hope I eat my words.