Blake Green from Melbourne Storm is what we need plus a hooker who can distribute and tackle.

I don't honestly recall quite how good of a half Gale was whilst at Leeds but what has to be taken into consideration here is that when he was pushing through Sinfield, Mcguire and Burrow were in their pomp and opportunities were going to be slim no matter what your potential back then all three were internationals. Lilley is fortunate that there are plenty of chances for him to stake a claim right now, but that's how it goes.

Gale had to take a step back and learn his trade , which he has done.Yes he may have been nearly mid twenties when he started to flourish but he is probably a better player for it. I'm not for one minute suggesting dump Lilley, just we need to realise why Gale is where he is and why he never made it with us. it should be irrelevant in our considerations to signing him.

Ryan Bailey was better than Jamie Peacock at a young age. Not that I agree with your assertion about Gale/Lilley relative merits. Both had/have decent rugby brains & were/are decent kickers. Lilley is nothing more yet.

My point wasnot really the relative merits of Lilley and Gale, more that when we lost Gale he wasn't a very good player and took a few years to develop into a decent player a few years we aren't giving to Lilley. Objectively Lilley is far ahead of Gale in terms of relative development, Gale was 3 years older than Lilley when making his SL debut. That fans are wanting to spend big on Gale and give up on Lilley is nuts.

I am one of the arrogant ones. Although I am far from that to be fair, nearer self loathing on the scale!!!
I still stand by it though. We are having a bad year hopefully just the one. But our club is still one of the big 4 clubs in terms of infer structure stadia crowds and turning profits.

For me it shows gale doesn't have ambition. I am probably gonna get egg on my face here but he has zero chance of winning super league at cas. Big fish in a small pond.
We were spoilt these last 10 years. Hopefully we can turn it round we have the resources to.

I can only go by what I see on this forum....but I certainly would never have considered you to be one of "arrogant" ones !!! I hope you're right Ferdy and this is indeed just the one bad year, but previous status and 'big club infrastructure' is no guarantee of indefinite success in the Premier Leagues whether it be Footie or RL...and indeed the 'minnows' can equally rise to take their place. Neither is maybe likely, but increasingly possible under the present salary cap... exacerbated by an apparent stubborn refusal to acknowledge we have a fast growing (hopefully not irreversable) problem.