Gaskell is class, and would do the business in any SL team. Pryce is waaaay short of SL standard any more, he'd do OK in the Championship in a side where he didn't have to graft or do any more than his occasional cameos. He's not going to get anybody promotion but much less in a team with no scrum half. I already am resigned to promotion being a hopeless case this year, and Pryce for Gaskell is like a Porsche for a venerable Granada. And would confirm settling for part time Championship mediocrity. Which is where we are headed

^
Exactly this

You are wrong about Pryce, I've watched him in every game for Hull since he signed and is still a SL quality halfback, when fit still good enough for a team currently in the top four of SL. We really missed him went he was out for a few games. Just too bad knocks these days.

Playing behind that Hull pack alongside Sneyd with the likes of Shaul in the backline running off him is a different world to what he’d experience with us. I wouldn’t like to think how Pryce would go behind our pack (minus our better frontrowers who might be tempted to leave) with Oscar Thomas as his halfback partner. I can see him not fancying it much at Batley in February. He never was one to dig deep when we were in the mire.

If we were to sign Pryce in place of Gaskell we’d better sign a very decent scrum half or watch season ticket sales dry up.

I think Gaskell would be a really good fit for Hull. Sneyd doesn't need anyone alongside him to help pull the strings, he can control a game on his own. What we need is someone who can get on the shoulders of the big men and turn those half breaks and chances into points. Shaul aside we still aren't quite clinical enough in attack, and someone like Gaskell would go a long way to sorting that.

On the flip side, I do think Pryce still has alot to offer, but from what I've seen and read of you this year he'd be something of a square peg unless you put an organising 7 alongside him.

Tom Armstrong anyone? www.loverugbyleague.com/news_218 ... ip-34.html

Tom Armstrong anyone? www.loverugbyleague.com/news_218 ... ip-34.html

It's a yes from me. I was hoping to sign him up this year when they signed Tonga and it was reported he was unhappy about losing the no.4 jersey and moving down the pecking order... A great player!

not a patch on the player he was last season so far this season

That's probably why we are 'saving' Tonga - for next season! He's only played one game for us, so far!

Seriously, Armstrong has been something of a shadow of the player he was in 2014. Last year he was studying for his masters degree, (yes, a RL player with brains!) and this season he has been injured.

Well he's better than Purtell & Blythe, so would improve our squad. When looking at potential signings, surely the primary question is always "Does he improve the first choice 17?". If answer is no, then you can ask is he a worthwhile backup player. IMO with Armstrong, the answer to that primary question is Yes.

Can we read anything into the fact that Marc & Robbie seem to have headed up the Skype interviews in Australia? Ferres sidelined on this? or Robbie just better reputation down under?

Robbie and Marc in Australia?? Am I in a time warp?

Oh sorry, the sonic boom the other night- that must have been the pair of them overhead. My wife just reminded me.

Isn't Ferres going to the Wolfpack next year? Maybe his influence is now on the wane?

Smith is gonna have the shock of his life when he gets here and evaluate some of the dross currently on our books.

Going by the T&A he's already started doing his homework by watching videos of the players.

My guess is that when he arrives there's going to be a number of departures announced followed by a few incoming new faces.

Doubt that. (a) his dad and his uncle will know all of them (b) he will have watched them all on Bulls TV (c) he will already know some of them

Just because a new coach comes in, doesn't change the fact that you can't just release a player from his contract and not pay him off (therefore still counting on salary cap). He'll still be in the predicament of having to find a new club for the players he doesn't want, in order to get them off the wage bill.

At the end of the season, sure, some players will no doubt be off. But I can't see it being immediately after he arrives. What club in their right mind would take Lauaki off our hands?

No, but you can sit down with a player and his agent and say "You're not going to play here again. Feel free to go find a new club and we'll do whatever we can to help"

True, some won't move on, either because they're on a sweet deal or because they've no where to go. However, if your contract was up at the end of this year and you've been told your not going to play again and therefore aren't going to be able to put yourself in the shop window for next year then players are likely to push to leave as they've got themselves and their families to consider.

Smith’s certainly got a lot work to do to go through the 35 different players we have in the squad. It’s amazing to think we hve so many yet no halfback.

We have 9 props by my reckoning, 5 wingers and 7 centres.

we' can make a fresh start and hope a few background things change.

I do expect that there will be some signings for this year, possibly even a half-back, but whatever the official policy, I'd expect any major signings to be for next year, though announced this season. Would that bother a lot of fans? Well, yes it probably would, I'm sure, but, as a long term fan who'll be here whatever, I'll be quite happy to ride with that, to be honest.

Might not need to be promoted things could be a changing.

Oh aye. You need to hang a little more meat on those bones.

Does a players' salary still count on the cap once they make an appearance? Because we've a handful of players who have only played once or twice.

once they make an appearance they count towards salary cap. not sure if that just applies for the current season or for every year they are contracted for though. Eg Walshaw played last year but hasn't featured yet this year ( he seems to have disappeared without trace TBF). He counted towards salary cap last year but does that also mean he counts towards cap this year,or does he have to make an appearance this year to count?.