Sounds like a mouthwatering prospect mate

Tuesday.

Rather like your intellect.

Not hugely impressed with this. Can't get into an NRL side. Another very small man to complete our Lilliputian back line. Turner must feel like blinking Gulliver when he's doing backs training with the rest of them.

If we haven't got anyone in the U19s or the wider squad who could take this opportunity without having to turn to an unknown Aussie reserve-grade midget, then that's a pretty woeful statement about our younger players.

Seems Quinlan was very highyly rated at St George but was forced out by the salary cap. His not had a game this year for the Eels because they also have broke the salary cap, Quinlan currently counts on the second tier salary cap soon as he plays a game in first grade that salary is counted on there main salary cap (which they are already over). The aussies ive spoken too say he is 10 times the player Mcdonnell is.

Well I hope your Aussie mates are right. I also hope he's not made of balsa wood in the tradition of Saints fullbacks.

Spoken like a true pessimist. Give the lad a break ( excuse the pun) and reserve judgement until you see him play. From what I've heard he could be quite a good signing.

To be fair, he's not going to get in the St George team before Dugan, Marshall, or Widdop. That doesn't make him a bad player. He's as good a player as Burns or McDonnel.

I think it's a really good signing. Has played fullback, stand off and scrum half in the NRL, is very quick and has good offloading skills.
Just because he hasn't recently been getting a game in the NRL doesn't mean he's no good. There are many good players rolling round in reserve grade in Aus. I think he will have a field day with our forward pack as he's an excellent support player.

McDonnell wasn't playing first grade NRL when we brought him back over and he's done ok

Give the lad a bloody chance! He hasn't even landed yet!
I trust Saints have done some homework on him and he must be the right man at the right price.

How sure are we that this is actually happening? He's playing for Wentworthville Magpies today according to their official Twitter account.

Would he really be doing that it if he had a plane to catch tomorrow to join us as is rumoured?

Looks like another one has bitten the dust...

From the Parra Eels forum talking on the NSW Cup
"Adam Quinlan sustaining what looked like serious injuries"

Wtf is going on? We can't have been signing him or he wouldn't have been playing today?

What is happening with English RL ?

God knows! I got lambasted on here for suggesting they should give one of their young players a chance.

What's your opinion on Quinlan btw. I know you'll have seen much more of him than anyone on here.

I'm not sure why I'm bothering. If you don't understand that even the 19s fullback Ricky Bailey has a groin tear (though is due back soonish) - and he was shown not to be ready when he made his debut earlier in the year (so by extension means there aren't any kids ready for the fullback role) then why are you even postings?

That's before even getting to the importance of the fullback role to attacking structure. For the same reason you wouldn't just throw a kid into the halfback roles.

I used to think others were unduly harsh on you for posting in here, however recently you've become very laborious.

I didn't know that Bailey was injured, but to say that that he isn't ready after half a game, and played out of position on the wing, IIRC is a bit harsh imo.

The fact he was substituted shows just how out of his depth he was. He, nor anyone below him are ready, I'm not sure why that's so unreasonable, especially given of the 5 fullbacks we've lost this year, we've produced 3 ourselves, and either Swift or Percival will be fullback today meaning yet another we've produced.

A better question would be (as if the same situation presented itself at wigan or leeds) how come there isn't similar depth at other clubs in the league so we could look domestically rather than having to go international for a short term fix

That is a very good point, and maybe what "The Eclipse" was alluding to. Leeds have two very good young fullbacks in Ash Golding (out injured) and Nick Rawsthrone who was excellent yesterday v Wigan. Wigan have Hampshire and Tierney, with the option of also using Burgess there or Gabe Fell. Huddersfield have Jarred Simson (who I asked Wigan to have a look at four yeas ago). That's off the top of my head so there are probably a few about, whether the clubs want to release them is another matter.

We might have a much much bigger population than Australia, but unfortunately the catchment area for picking up young players with potential is very small and restricted to the M62 corridor and Cumbria apart from the odd player here and there who emerge from daarn saarrf, the North East, Wales etc

From the little I have seen if him, he is rapid and has both a short passing game and an all around kicking game, none of which will tear up any trees but handy to have the option. Can't comment on him under a high ball or defensively, but let it be said that the standard of full back in the NRL is ridiculously high. Tomkins was scoring tries for fun here, but he looks middle of the bunch in Aus/NZ. Inglis, Dugan, Slater and Coote are a level above Super League, thus I wouldn't let him not being a starter put us off taking a punt on him. If we have cap room and he's up for a short term deal to get in the shop window, we would be mad not to go for it.

Bailey has been injured as super beetle stated. He's also correct that Bailey isn't ready and especially in whats two big games coming up.

Maybe we will have to play the kids on wing and move swifty to fullnack if it's true about Quinlan

If he's still coming, how come we're not announcing it?

Hang on a second. I really don't think the standard of NRL fullbacks is all that high.

Take Greg Inglis for example. Magnificent player going forward. Under a high ball: total liability.

I don't think Matty Smith is up to international standard at half back. But he had Inglis on toast under the high ball. Even Slater is nowhere near the standard that, say, Garry Jack was defensively two decades ago.

Watching the NRL I half wonder whether some unwritten agreement has been struck among coaches not to resort to bombing the fullback because the number of times I've seen supposedly great players completely miss the ball is unreal.

There's a fundamentally different philosophy to the fullback position in Australia. They seem quite willing to accept any old tripe on defence providing he can link into the line well.

Had Inglis and Slater played in SL I'm sure they'd be just as successful. But I don't think either would gain such at fullback. Inglis couldn't get away with some of the blunders he makes over there. No way.