This is true, Galea is currently playing his way into a new contract, Vella I'd still wait on but like you say, if we can't get better UK players then there's no point letting him go. Fisher I think has had his day, still good but I'm sure we could get someone as good whose British. I've always liked Godwin at Salford but I assume he signed more than a one year contract.

You think that money's for transfers?



All it's done is made sure you're able to spend full cap for 2 or 3 more years.

Oh, and settle with Mason.

Would be surprised, along with Milner they rate him very highly over there.

Im not surprised, both have done well but Clark has been the most impressive. They have Hudson so hopefully would allow Clark to move to us(wishful thinking!)

Worrincey, Ellis, Lee..................................

We do have some fans with a wierd outlook on how to improve the squad

Worrincey is crap we have better
Ellis is not as good as Fisher and about on par with Hodgson (who is young and will develop)
Lee, couldn't hold a place at FC or Crusaders, we have better already.

I would rather see a flat season in 2012 and bring in some youngsters, rather than sign players of this underwhelming quality.

We have better than can COVER 6,7 and 9?
Care to name him?

Well we have Hodgson/Murrell who covers 9, Galea who can cover 6 and Murrell who can cover 7. Plus young Bell has been touted for good things who could also cover 6.

I didn't ask that.
Although I will ask if you actually saw Murrell at 7?
It would be very hard for Lee to be any worse.

The talk has been about REPLACING hasn't it, not a second rate utility to cover several positions, if thats the argument I suppose Lee might fit the bill.

It doesn't have to be one for one though. Though it is a harsh way of putting it, second-rate is what cover players generally are. In a small squad, a player that might more generously be described as 'half-decent' or 'competent', who can cover the halfs and hooker, and who doesn't take up a quota spot or a lot of cap is a decent option. With the NRL getting bigger and richer, we have to re-adjust our expectations. More academy, championship and what would have previously been fringe players will get a shot. We'll find out if there really are British Billy Slaters being overlooked, more quickly than the quota regulations would have done alone. Am I failing to hide my skepticism?



Anyway - it is often said that if you stand still you get left behind. I think that might not be the case in the next few years, and standing still would see us progress relative to most other clubs. The shelves are going to be pretty bare.

The actual talk is about 'Positions to strengthen next season' that includes squad depth.
The days of english clubs being able to wave a cheque book to aussies is over due to the change in exchange rates and the new wealth the NRL are suddenly going to have so we are going to have to look more and more towards our own youth and players we otherwise would have ignored.
We have also found out first hand that having no 6,7 COVER will screw us over.
Call Tommy Lee what you want but he would have been a damn sight better at that then Scott Murrell who is now far to big and slow for scrum half (Not having a go at Scott but its true he is now a 13 only IMHO).
We have Fisher and Hodgeson but very little behind that again Lee would do a job if we needed him to.

Couldn't agree more mate.

You won't get an argument from me on this, I have always said Murrell is a 13.

Tommy Lee would be an ok signing as a pure squad, fringe utility, not as a dedicated hooker. If we let Fisher go, we need to replace with an out and out modern hooker, someone in the mould of a Buderis or Roby (notice i said 'in the mould of'

).

I would advocate the signing of a full back as I think Briscoe has become average in the last two seasons and a decent winger. A ball handling, tackle busting prop would be good, but we have signed those and coached it out of them.

Seems a fair few of you dont like Murrell at 7, well IMO he aint done a bad job for us when asked to fill the role. The problems earlier in the season when Dobson was missing was not the lack of scoring points.

Watched the Wak v Cas game at the weekend and once again Lee showed me nothing to get excited about, just going through the motions with nothing to exciting. We have just had a problem with a player with off the field issues and now some are interested in signing another one.

TBF i thought Lee was behind everything good that Wakey did on Saturday, given better players around him he could look an even better player. He has a decent kicking game and is a better passer and defender than Dobson is imho. His only real weakness is his left to right pass isn't as good as his right to left, but that is nothing unusual. Very much in the Paul Cooke style but more rounded.

A better defender maybe... a better passer no

I beg to differ. Dobsons passing is patchy at best and very much hit or miss.

Yeah like a big wet double duvet. Murrell can cover loose and just about.

I hope that if Tommy Lee has an more professional approach to his off the field activities these days Rovers sign him.
Been very impressed by him this season and he would give good cover at 6,7 and 9.

Pleasing that your change in opinion coincides nicely with a rumoured link to Rovers. When he played for Hull FC and he was named on a list of top teenagers in RL you said:

I quite liked Lee as a squad player at FC. Would be an OK signing. I'd get a top drawer hooker first though.

I've just seen that Chris Riley has gone on loan to Quinns for a month; how about him for next season?

Has he?

Good player, Riley, would be a step up from Colbon IMO.

according to Sky Sports he has. He's also quite a usefull fullback.

Take him in a heartbeat. Intuition to finish like that can't be taught.

Just can't help yourself. But very funny, no idea why you persist on here when you're so undervalued.