“The salary cap means that we cannot keep everyone that we wish. We will have an abundance of second rowers next year with the emergence of new young talent within the club, along with the signing of 22-year-old New Zealand international Sia Soliola, who will play back row/centre."

That paragraph does imply we won't be signing a direct replacement for him, although mentioning the salary cap makes me think there must be another signing in the offing otherwise with the players leaving - and us being under the cap this season according to the club - surely the cap wouldn't be a big issue.

That he USED to be great and a big hitter...

I guess if fully fit and played back to back rugby for a year, even yawnion variant, he could well get back to what he did best, break people in half, burst through the gap and score or put in the try scoring pass, scare the livign sugar out of the opposing tem etc etc... the elast we can do is get in the papers and look like we tried to buy him, its newspaper worthy and gets us in the press and makes sure nobody forgets about the redvee machine

Does suggest that Wheels will get an extended run at Centre with Soliola plugging the second row gap. We have still to see the best of Dixon and Ashurst also.

IMO the key are we need to strengthen is prop. We are have no depth there at the moment.

Has she given it back yet?

He be your top earner and then some.

Does anybody really think he went to France for the challenge of RU? If it was all about the game, he would be playing for a Super 14 Club in Aus or NZ. The fact Toulon were offering a a deal rumoured to be in the region of $600k per year makes me think that may have influnced his decision.

Big lost IMO.
and i, am very annoyed at his...very good player and one of my Fav's

He was offered one year but wanted two.

Similar story to Longy I guess...

Neither were offered formal contracts. They were talked about but nothing concrete was ever put into writing.

Well I for one want a MUCH cheaper season ticket for next season, given as though we'll be watching what will look more like a Lad & Dads charity event than an experienced squad.

Perhaps we are struggling with the new cap/HMRC regulations. If we are (And we're bound to be) one of those clubs supposedly being hounded for millions by HMRC, perhaps we've had to cut back our spending and this has resulted in a lack of cap room for anymore than 15 or so senior players.

I still think we're putting too much money into too few pockets. I think we're in dire need, not only of a top quality prop forward, but of three or four average Super League bodies, players like Hargreaves, Bennett or Cruikshank. Players who will not cost too much but who can be relied on to put in a strong stint when required but then not cry when dropped.

Another season another big drop in squad strength and depth coming.

I'm sad that Gilly is going, you can always count on him to defend well and get good yards forward. Very good signing for Huddersfield.

Considering we have got so much room on the SC, it makes you wonder who we will sign

Disappointed he's going. Always rely up Gilly no matter how many times he's knocked down.

Good luck and enjoy Shudds

I't will be like watching the senior academy next year



Hope they get plenty of Soliola names for the new shirts next season as there will be no one else worthy to put on your back

"We will have an abundance of second rowers next year with the emergence of new young talent within the club, along with the signing of 22-year-old New Zealand international Sia Soliola, who will play back row/centre."

why would we sign anyone when the Chairman thinks we have an abundance of second rowers?

If you read between the lines of Mac's statement on Gilly we're certainly not signing anyone for the backrow.

Hopefully this means he is regarding Tony P as a backrower because we have signed a prop for next season. But it would surprise me if he thought we had an abundance of those too.

We have
Wilkin
Flannery
Clough
Puleatua
as a back row with 1 interchange
Plus Dixon and Ashurst as back up (and some lad called McGenniss who's better than both of them, apparently)
Not the end of the world, espescially if we can shift Soliola into the forwards in dire emergencies.

Assuming we've got some sort of Prop-Plan, then I'm happy enough.

If you take Mac on his word Gilly has been replaced directly by Soliola and Talau by Wheeler.

just because we have space on the salary cap, doesnt mean that :

a) we need to spend the full amount, or
b) we have the money to spend the full amount.

dont forget that the likes of Eastmond, Wheeler, Ashurst, Dixon and Lomax are on new deals - plus Soliola (an international) will be on a decent whack. In the next round of deals, the likes of Clough will be asking for more now they are first team regulars.

I know we don't have to spend all the money or even have it, but we desperately need a prop. That's all I was thinking, I probably should have expanded more into that

Maybe Mace the Ace will be coming the other way??

No, that's too much to wish for.

Maybe even Korkidas

The thing is, you can have all the young talent in the world floating around in the backs, but without a solid platform built by the forwards (especially the props) they'll be facing a perpetual uphill struggle.

On the other hand, with a strong pack you don't need much more than a modest set of backs to be very competitive. Especially in SL. Look at Bradford post Newlove.

Personally I think we need 2.

Mase the ace is too good for your mob now,and you could not afford him

On the basis he is world class