I dont know - I remember watching Alan Hunte and a few others make pretty poor replacements in the number 3 shirt when we lost Connolly - we suffered but we survived and it started to look up again ONLY when we invested in some quality players like Goulding, Newlove and Gibbs. The big problem we have in losing Jammer is if we think we can replace him with someone like Emmitt or Bryn , then were in the sh*t

It's alot easier to throw a quote like his around when your looking at the NRL talent pool.....

Perhaps not, but the problem is that we've been a prop short for four years now anyway even with Jammer in the side (we've been getting away with it in the main [ibecause[/i Jammer is in the side). If he were to leave we would need to sign two absolutely top quality prop forwards, and given our inability to secure one over the last four years I wouldn't be too confident.

But FWIW the Australian press has a habit of making up a load of old cock whenever it feels like it, so I'd hang fire before hitting the panic button.

Jack Gibson (BOW to your phucking KNEES when I utter his name) knew more about RL than the entire collection of posters to this forum put together (excluding me, of course).

He's right. Graham is not irreplaceable - provided McManus has his head screwed on. It may be a case of buying like for like (Graham is one of our highest earners, so it's not like we'll be short of cash), or we may have to strengthen in other positions - perhaps split the money between a veteran Aussie or Kiwi prop on the verge of retirement (something like Fairleigh) and a young, promising and BIG southern hemisphere back row forward. Or split the money between two simply GOOD props. Or take the riskier option of trying to lure a genuine hot- stand-off to pair with Eastmond and hope their combined talents can offset the loss of forward power. There are always ways and means. You just need to be smart enough to spot them. IS McManus smart enough?

I think you will have 2 bad years like we did.

05 and 06 were bad but for the last few years we have finished 3rd. Our recovery has not been as bad as some people think.

i dont see it as a done deal. Australia is great, but why the assumption that every single person in this country wants to live there. Leon Pryce certainly doesnt.

I enjoyed my holiday there a couple of years ago, and could see myself living there - but I don't think I would ever do it. Its a big step to move 12,000 miles away from friends, family and your life as you know it. Just because it makes sense professionally for players to go, doesnt mean it does personally.

Ahem ... you are only classed as "recovered" when the season has finished.

Huge loss for you guy's if Graham does leave, his departure coupled with the retirement of Cunningham leaves you guy's with a big hole.

No Doubt you'll have plenty of money to spend, but seeing as there seems to be a Rugby League wide shortage of high quality props you may struggle to recruit well.

From what i gather, nobody on here as seen this write up in any form what so ever. Nobody has a link to it, i've read rugby league world and it's not in there.

It's all $hit. Grahem will be here in 2011 and if we are still up there fighting for trophys then im sure he will resign. Just can't see him playing for anyother club in the world.

Even if the article is hokum - I fully expect Graham to go to the NRL at some point.

Get your head from up your a*se before you post eh? Life doesn't begin and end in Parr you know!

Far more interesting is the news that Cayless seems to have returned from the dead like Lazarus. Not so injured as we were led to believe.

I must admit that disappointed me a little. He's apparently 'tearing it up' in training, when he left us he was crying about chronic injuries and never being able to play again. Must be the sunshine.

As long as he isn't 'training the house down' as he would be shipped out in no time.

Not often you see 'St.Helens' and 'Wigan' in an article about a NRL teamsheet.

Cayless was the guy I was thinking of when I wrote [url=http://viewtopic.php?p=14997549#p14997549this[/url. I don't know why Saints chose to let him go. Perhaps the player wanted a return to Oz. Perhaps we thought we weren't getting value for money. Or perhaps the decision was based purely upon medical assessment. If it's the latter and he goes on to perform consistently throughout this season for Wests then doubts must be raised about the methods of that assessment. A fit Cayless would be in our starting 17 today. No question about it.

Agreed, but Cayless hasn't been fit for over 2 seasons. It was a wise decision not to renew his contract and look at other options, because there was no guarantee that Cayless would ever return the same player. Fozzard may not be the best prop around, but he's been relatively injury free in the last 7 or 8 years and gives us an extra body up front that we clearly lacked last year. He will always give you his absolute best and he is a character around the dressing room. The players certainly seem to like him.

I dont doubt Jack Gibsons redentials but it certainly helps that when you lose a Laurie Daley you can replace them with a Brad Fittler and when you lose him you replace him with a Darren Lockyer .... Like you rightly point out though some of it will be down to smart management and imo a degree of luck when it comes to possible replacement(s)

Then, by your rationale, we should have got rid of Tommy Martyn.

Which players are out of contract this year? I know this is KC last year but who else do you loose?

The difference is, Tommy Martyn was young when he picked up his injuries whereas Cayless is 30 and approaching the end of his career.



It gave a list on the radio yesterday but for definite:

Gidley
Cunningham
Fozzard
Hargreaves

Wellens, Meli and one or two others maybe out of contract too.

Meli and Gardner as well.

Not sure about Pryce?

That would be all well and good if it weren't for the fact that good props tend to do their best work at - 30.

Surley how pryce is playing his contract has to be up?

pryce and faasavalu are