www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sp ... ur-Nations Both his knees are fecked and needs an operation Good Start eh

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sp ... ur-Nations Both his knees are fecked and needs an operation Good Start eh

I'm pretty big NRL fan and have watched NRL as much as possible for last 7/8 years and can't recall lance missing large spells for the warriors.

Strange that we've give a four year contract to a 28 year old with two messed up knees!

Soliola is 24 and has had two knee reconstructions - the second one was last year. Look at him this year and complain if you dare!

Hohaia certainly didn't look like a man with dodgy knees when he ran in for his try last weekend (as seen on the NRL show on Thursday night). I'd say the injuries are not serious but just chronic. It's better that he gets them sorted now than when he is in his first year here. We then get a 28 year old with fresh knees. I just hope he doesn't lose pace; that would be disappointing as he is so very fast.

He don't look like a player with bad knees as he's fast and sharp but my point is the length of the deal for a player who'll be 30 halfway thru his deal and has got bad knees.

I have to say a 4 year deal for a 28 year old with 5 previous knee reconstructions and 2 more coming up is risky business. It's only a matter of time before they blow out completely.

If it's just cartilage then it's not a bad op and wouldnt keep him out to long. I've had a cartilage out and one shaved.

When had cartilage out I didn't play for six weeks but these days they us laser and can be back in two weeks.

I hope he has them done at the end of NRL season so he's back ready for pre season. It's always hard for new overseas players coming over injured and missing pre season as perry will admit.

The way the article describes it, it sounds like a full blown reconstruction and not the first. I'm sure he'll be fine but he could be struggling towards the back end of his contract.

That's why I worry about the length of the deal.

If it's a reconstruction then he's looking at missing about 4/6 month.

Cunningham had a few knee operations, most just a wash out but I know he had one serious one. Just 6 weeks recovery

He looked OK yesterday, came on as sub and played OK was in loads of tackles.

5 reconstructions!!!! that cant be a great sign?

Such a poor signing. Smacks of complete and utter desperation. He isn't good enough as a player anyway ignoring his woeful injury history. I just hope they can cut their losses and we don't have to carry him for 4 years.

I was watching the Brisbane vs NZW yesterday and the commentators just simply couldnt believe that you had given him a 4 year contract. He wasnt very good either.

Glad you've signed him

bit like our Amos Roberts 4 year deal...

Whereas I read the comment that we have made a great signing as he is in red hot form.

Who cares whether he has had twenty knee reconstructions. They haven't slowed him down so far. He has bionic knees.

He was recruited because we found ourselves without an experienced player to play in the halves. We have a gap between our young players and experience. We need him on the pitch just as we need Laffranchi, TP, Wello and Flannery. Their experience is needed because at present we have a very youthful squad.

I have every faith that Hohaia will come over and do a great job for us and I am looking forward to watching him play.

Don't know why some fans are so pessimistic about him. He has plenty of experience and pace who will take the ball up to the opposition line, something we have been in short supply this season.
I would imagine he wouldn't come to superleague on a 2 year deal, in my opinion a 3 year deal would have been better. Really looking forward to see him play next season.

I got back from living 7 years in Aus a few years ago mate......you've got a quality player coming over in Lance Hohaia, he'll be a revelation for you and just what Saints need

Good old fans eh, not even played 1 minute for the club and people have written him off already.

I would like to think that we would have a say in his ideas for operations etc with him possibly staying here after the 4 Nations.

i'm not pessimistic, he's a great player, and perhaps his constant knee reconstructions are reflected in his pay? But i think we all are a little bit worried about the length of the deal. Thats the thing with any signing, it might be the greatest move ever, and it might be a disaster, we'll only know when he's here but i for one will give him the benefit of the doubt

Its obviously a condition of our new contracts that they have to require some sort of surgery or at least to recover from surgery before we allow them to sign for us.


I like the way the article refers to him as a veteran -at 28

He won't be able to walk in his last two years of his contract, never mind run.

5 reconstructions is unreal!!!!

They are pessimistic because it's such a waste of an overseas spot. He's 29 when he gets here and has been given a four year deal. He has looked past it this season and has made several absolute howlers. He also looks a stone overweight. He has been signed on reputation and his CV to play in a position he hasn't been deemed good enough to play in for his NRL side. That is without mentioning his previous record with serious knee injuries that has been discussed on here.

He's a utility back who struggles with his handling at fullback and we're playing him in the halves. If that is with Gaskell with Lomax at fullback it's okay, but if it's with Wello at fullback and Lomax in the halves we're goosed, as neither has any sort of kicking game and both are runners.

A 4 year contract is too long as well. It's so contradictory to refuse most players approaching 30 a new deal but then hand someone lilke Hohaia such a long deal. It would have been far better to keep Pryce for 2 more years, not sign Hohaia and sign another NRL forward.

We aren't ALL worried. You may be worried but I'm not.

I'm not worried about Hohaia at all. I'm looking forward to him joining us. As I am Laffranchi and the other fella, what's his name?

I agree, if laffranchi and lance stay fit, they will be great signings.

Flanaghan, he'll be a good addition too

He's the typical saints forward. He's a workhorse, tackle machine abc crap with the ball.