He looks nothing like him.

Think that probably sums it up quite well to be honest.

Although as I've said previously, at least you know you'll get effort out of Joseph. Unlike someone of the bone idle buggers we've had recently.

For some reason I was half expecting the announcement to be news on an assistant, I know they've only just finished but it'll be pre-season again soon.

I expect Chev to be given the gig once again but I'm not sure where he stands (besides near the subs bench, fnar fnar).

As for Joseph, meh, he's a forward and hopefully a cheap one. From what I remember he's a decent tackler too.

I didn't realize Longo had quit after a week as general manager or whatever role he was appointed to

In the T&A piece this morning about Joseph's signing, it's mentioned that Chev was the one who contacted him about coming back. Suggests Chev himself will be around too.

This sets alarm bells ringing for me more than anything else we've heard recently. You don't quit a job after less than a week unless something is seriously wrong.

Getting paid late on your first pay day would do it for me.

At first i was a bit disappointed with the Joseph signing, but we've only signed 5 props for next year including Kirk, plus 3 back-rowers and then Wilkinson and Bentley. So we need some depth. Joseph could go OK at 13.

Don't want him as interchange hooker, but if Rohan wanted to give OB more minutes and not waste a bench spot on a hooker to only do 10mins, i could live with him doing a 10 min spell at hooker to give OB a breather and then Joseph can play rest of game at prop/13.

If we consider Joseph as a straight replacement for Lauaki, then I think we'd agree it is a significant upgrade

More minutes on the itch, more impact, less wages = win

What if he's a straight replacement for Lauaki and Clark...?!

In the T&A article it mentions players staying but AOB is not in the list. Hopefully it is an oversight and not a hint he is on his way. Glad to say re-checked article and AOB is now added to list.

What I like about Joseph is his attitude. He is a bit small for a prop but he comes with a bit of mongrel, something we've lacked too much over the last year or so. However we view it, he's been knocking around SL over the last two seasons and we haven't, so it's welcome back Phil, from me.

Wasn't there a point where Joseph was taking up boxing too? Or was that someone else?

Edit: Never mind. Answered my own question with a quick google search.

[url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/01/widnes-vikings-phil-joseph-boxing-oliver-harrisonDoesn't suggest he'll be a soft touch[/url

I think everyone liked Joseph, he looks small - until he runs at you. Shame not all the team had his attitude, if you ask me.

I mentioned on a different post about needing some reassuring messages from the club, but was told by the oracle "Did I want the club to lie". Imagine the sales pitch to Joseph - Come to the Bulls, they are a legendary club who really ought to be in Super League. We can't guarantee we will always pay you on time, oh and by the way we have a winding up petition to sort out. OK says Joseph, where do I sign. Some salesman Rohan or Duffy must be! To me the mixed messages are totally confusing. We are signing players. Why would they come to us if future wages are uncertain to be paid? Unless they are given some reassurance that signing for us is not really a risk!!! Yet Longo comes and goes at the speed of light for whatever reason, and we can only presume why he would go.

The Ross article today paints an unhealthy scenario of unpaid wages and winding up orders, yet the club will soon (presumably) announce season tickets details and want the supporters to commit, without really offering too much in terms of reasoning. Surely something along the lines of "watch this space things are happening behind the scenes" "Stick with us its being sorted out" "Things are tough but we are getting there" Anything would be better than the nothing that we are getting just now at a time when the club surely ought to be on a major PR push.

Communication hasn’t been a strong point of the club in the past couple of years. That said it’s doesn’t take a genius to work out what’s going on. We’re in a pickle financially and it’s touch and go until we get some season ticket money in and some big earners off the books. This situation is going to last some time and I can see why Green doesn’t want to give a running commentary on it. If he comes out with titbits of info that “we’re dealing with it” then he’ll have to do it every pay day.

You're missing the point, so I'll spell it out: If money is so tight that you know you're going to struggle to pay all the wages on time for the foreseeable, then what "reassuring message" can you honestly put out, without lying?

So come on, in that case, what would you have them do?

The point is that one Green first arrived and we had those big fan meetings - there was one at Cedar Court where I ended up in the overflow due to the huge numbers, for example - there was a lot of stuff from him about 'I'm as honest as the day is long' and 'You'll find me a pretty straight kinda guy' (It's from memory but I [ithink[/i they are word-for-word quotes)

Now, I know a lot has changed since then, but you really can't ride into a club and make those kind of statements, and not have people reminding him that he said those things if he then chooses to go completely silent and say absolutely nothing for months on end.

I don't exactly know what kind of 'statement' Marc Green could or can make right now, or what he could do to assuage the fears. But somehow he needs to do something to rebuild trust with a whole section of the fans who appear to be losing faith with the club.

In a few days we'll be hearing about the season ticket offer. It won't be enough to just rehash the line about 'if you want a Super League Quality Squad then you have to be willing to pay for it'. He fed us that line for the last two years, and we've got steadily worse!

He's got to do a bit more than that to get me buying a season ticket again, I'm afraid! It's a case of twice bitten, thrice shy...

It's going to be innovative though, supposedly. So that'll be fun. Perhaps it'll be a ticket to entertainment, or something!

How he hasn't made Australia's team is beyond me. He was class in the first 30 in the NRL grand final and has been a standout performer for the Sharks all season.

Yep, sign him up. Two year deal.

Jamie Peacock as captain?

Seeing posts about PJ as a backup hooker - what's up with Lumb? Is he not good enough? Has he been moved out the back door? Is he long term injured?

What part of my post didn't you understand? I clearly said some reassurance is needed along the lines of, " we are sorting it out, or stick with us its tough but we are getting there. I then went onto comment about the Phil Joseph signing. I can't believe they are not giving some indications to potential signings of something is going on to stabilise things. If that's not the case then why would a professional player on a super league contract with a year still to go, come to a club who (we are told) cannot guarantee to pay wages on time. I wouldn't do it if its my primary source of income, and I suspect neither would most people.

I also went onto say they are surely going to have to say something to help to sell season tickets, a point backed up the Paul Walker71 post.

I think it was meant as a fill in if say Smith feels one game we have to go with 4 big forwards on the bench for certain games and OB needs a 10/15 minute breather