I have grave doubts regarding the signing of Ben Barba, my concerns are he could well be Ranging Chase Mk 2

He may be, but then again he may not.

We could always just decide to sign average plodders instead. We would know what we are getting then.

He can be a bit of a maverick and only turn up when he wants to but hopefully Holbrook will show him the way. This is a big chance to get his career back on track. I agree with 'the chair maker' id rather sign the likes of barba then average plodders, we have enough of those at min. Pity Barba cant play tonight

So what? You only live once and I'd rather Saints were a bit more maverick from now on. If it succeeds, we've got easily the best player in Super League playing for us, easily, without any doubt. If it goes well we could win trophies off the back of this signing, he could revolutionise our attack. Barba would have had a field day tonight with the amount of ball we had in their 20.

If it goes horrendously pear shaped, so what, at least we can say we tried to be successful. This club has played it safe and been risk averse for far too long and has slipped down the league doing it. I'd rather roll the dice and come up short than watch from the sidelines as other clubs go for the glory.

Well done Justin, Mike and Eamonn for making this happen.

What's the bets he's gotten homesick and gone back to the NRL before the play offs ?

He may well do, but then he'd need to find a club to pay his remaining 2 years off. In that case, we've lost very little.

Have you been out in the sun saddo, Your actually being positive for maybe the first time ever.

Saddo has not been this positive since they installed cladding to block out the sun.

Rangi Chase has never been world class player. He was a nobody when he came over here and if we are being honest has had a good season and then a outstanding season when he won man of steel.

Ben barba is world class and done it in the NRL year on year.

Done what? the habit that incurred the ban.

He's won a Dally M and an NRL Grand Final. Most players would dream of doing either.

His nrl try scoring record ain't shabby either.

I hold my hands up; I have not a clue what a Dally M is.

The NRL's version of Man of Steel. As in he was given an award for being the best player in the NRL over a season. Think about what that takes when the likes of Jonathon Thurston, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater were amongst the top 10 but behind Barba in the voting. That's why he's worth the risk.

I have never doubted his ability, it is the drug problem that concerns me along with his sacking from Toulon. My concerns aside I am looking forward to seeing him play in the Red Vee

Was he sacked from Toulon? I thought they both agreed it wasn't working out ?

People keep mentioning about his problems and that he's trouble but apart from his drug issue has he had any others?

I've never heard of anything other than his failed drug test.

Despite signing a $2.5 million two-year deal, Barba has been reportedly axed by Toulon, having only just joined the French Top 14 club in February this year.
With Toulon’s season finishing in a matter of weeks French site L’Equipe reported that Barba will be one of five players not returning to the club next season.
Barba was signed until the end of 2019 by ex-Bath coach Mike Ford but the coach was sacked last month.
Toulon’s multi-millionaire boss Mourad Boudjellal told local press Barba did not fit in with the plans of new coach Fabien Galthie.

After reading that I think he was sacked.

It was leaving by a mutual dismissal agreement, more on adapting to the Union Code.

In OZ I think he had some alcohol behaviour problems as well, ironically I think he's realised he was heading to the "last chance saloon". He seems to talk about his families future as well as his own, the delayed start to his playing appearance might work better for his family to settle in.
If we can keep him here until the end of the 2018 season anything after that is a bonus, hopefully it will be a similar stay as per Jamie Lyon.

I hate our fan Base at times. We have signed a World class player the best player in SL and people worry because his taken coke. If he does it again hell get sacked and we lose nothing.

Maybe being in a much less high profile comp will do him a world of good, it worked for Jamie Lyon .
Cocaine as a drug is much like alcohol (bar the legalities) some people get addicted but many more don't. If it was just a recreational habit, I don't morally have a problem . But there certainly isn't a lack of the white powder in St.helens if it was more of a problem for him

PM me the details...

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.Hating someone for their thoughts is rather overboard would you think.

As far as the best player in SL; well has he even played in it?

Yes I hate. We have heard nothing but negative things about this club over the last 3 years and to be fair rightly so because of our poor recruitment. We now sign the beat player we could possibly buy and all I've read from certain posters is negative comments about the blokes character. Its frustrating and although people are allowed an opinion I am rightly allowed to hate that opinion.

Ben Barba is World Class he is a unrealistic signing for our competition yet somehow we've managed to sign him. Just sit back and enjoy how ever long his gonna be here for. I for one will be privileged his putting our jersey on.

People need to look closer to home about some of our world class players that won us lots of honours. They wasent angels neither.

No but they were

Saints

By that measure we have sacked Jack Owens and Adam Walker ... or maybe we let them go because they wernt part of the new coaches plans.