Yes I did. Your rugby brain is such that a guy with many Oz caps/SOO caps and GFs would be classed as 'crap' while you seek to pitifully defend the signing of an NRL reserve grader. Keep digging

So what reserve grade player are we talking about then? Like it's been said and I'll say it again we have all our capable youngsters playing we are down to the bare bones. I would love us to sign a young capable english talent but there just not available at the moment.

I'm sure if Huddersfield had a mass injury and illness crisis mr uncle sugar daddy would have his check book out like a shot and sign any available aussie before he dipped into the Academy ranks.

dont need to dig it must be raining and you the worm has come to the surface this post is nothing but a dig at wakefield thats all too plain to see i think you should concentrate on your own team shuddersfield

why not go to RU or the championship?

Wow so this week you don't have a full team?! Or for the next month while FW gets his visa. Plus noone coming back from injury. Nor is there anyone at any other UK club nor any NRL players who are first teamers. Can you provide the link to this information. Will your games be declared null and void?

The post is about a long established SL club that has £100K for Greg Bird choosing to sign a reserve grader.

When the best argument you can come up with is to call Mick de Vere 'crap' you show your lack of rugby knowledge.

So why have Leeds got Australian players then fool. Or are you saying it's alright for Leeds to sign the ones they can afford but Wakefield can't. We have a quota spot free we can sign who we want.

And Simon Finnigan was produced in Birkby was he?

That's rich coming from the likes of you.

As I have previously said, the club have in the past looked to the lower tiers for talent, perhaps this time the calibre of player John Kear has picked up from here in the past might not have been there or available this time.

Wakefield have promoted the youth players ready for first team action from the academy into the 25 man squad, the fact that they have not promoted anymore suggests that they are not ready for SL or are not good enough. The better youngsters are often ‘poached’ from the Wakefield Scholarship scheme by neighbouring clubs who offer the academy players more money when it come to signing professional terms.

Regarding a French player, maybe the type of player Trinity wanted and for the money available wasn’t there. It’s far too easy to sit in an ivory tower taking shots at clubs without knowing the full facts of a situation.

Make no mistake I am not exactly pleased with this signing but I understand the reasons as to why it has happened.

I very much doubt it

That's rich coming from the likes of you.

and again, you keep up your streak for grabbing the wrong end of the stick with impressive gusto

Leeds shouldnt sign players who dont add to the league, i have consistantly said we shouldnt be keeping players like Lueluai and Donald because as good a player as they are, they arent vastly better than the youngsters we can find and put in

as for players like Webb, Lauitiiti, Eastwood and Buderus, these are world class players whose presence is of benefit to the league and young british players

and Wakefield would be able to afford a better quality of import if they didnt need 10 of them

I would imagine any capable Championship player would be under contract and would involve a transfer fee. Has for RU, what English RU player of any decent ability could we afford? Even of we could it wouldn't be practical, he would need a large amount of game time to get up to SL standard, time we just don't have.

We are in a desperate situation and this is our only course of action. The fact this signing wasn't made in the off season tells a story itself.

During the SL era Wakefield have produced a lot of home grown players who have pied their trade in the Sl and one who plays in the NRL.

Cheers, I stand corrected.

No they wouldn't! imports or home grown, they still need paying....arguably the reason we can afford the 'top' imports is because we HAVE some unknown imports on less money than there English counterparts would be!!

thats the price clubs need to pay for not having the requisite talent in the academy structure,

whilstever importing average import squad fillers are allowed, youth development will be secondary



then wakefield need to offer more to keep them! we live in a competitive world, Wakefield need to compete.

And the fact they arent ready or good enough is a failing of wakefields youth systems



Adel Fellous wouldnt have been massively expensive and he has done a job for Hull and Les Catalans or Borlin, why not try and pick up a youngster on loan from an SL club, someone like Ambler? or a young player from the championship Michael Haley who is playing championship rugby this year having played for the rhinos last year



i understand the reasons, its easier, and thats the problem, and its also the reason many clubs are still failing to develop enough youngsters

thats the price you pay for not having the requisite talent in the academy,

until you pay that price, there is no need to put the time and effort into the academy and we are left where we are now

what would you class as a lot? 30? 40? 50?

so why arent you bringing in any 'top' imports? why are you still scratching around the 2nd and 3rd string NRL players?

I.E our top imports! Drew, Stotic, Peterson.

Just admit the point you made is wrong!! How can we attract a better class of import by having less of them??? Would really like to know?

they arent 'top' quality imports are they, none are close to international class, and its telling, even you only class 30% of your imports are top quality, even you accept 70% of your imports arent really that good



its fairly simple, you pool the money you are paying to bring Martin, Peterson, Latu, and Henderson together, you bring in 2 or 3 young british players in who would be cheaper, or you break with tradition and give a youngster or two a first team squad place, and you buy one 'top' quality overseas player in

i thought that was simple enough not to have to explain it, it seems not

Come on, look at the young British players who have played in our openeing fixtures.

Halley (loanee)
Gleeson
Atkins
Ferguson
Bibb
Pitts
Blake (part timer)

Luke George, Cain Southernwood and Aaron murphy are all in our squad but out injured and of these George and murphy will probably get another taste of first team football this year, though its probably a little too early for Southernwood.

Add to these the likes of Blaymire, Grix and Snitch who aren't exactly old and I'd say that British players get as good a chance at our club as any other in the league.

Smokey, you make the assumption that none of the avenues you have detailed have been explored. By the nature of the signings Wakefield have made in the past (bargain basement, players no one else wants, etc) the club are more then adapt at findings players who can do a job for Wakefield from a variety sources for a modest fee. If they were available and of the required standard then they would’ve been recruited.

With regards to retaining youngsters, well that is an issue for the club but unfortunately in this competitive world of ours there is always someone who can afford to pay more. Until the club increase its turnover and improves its profits then this is an area Wakefield will always struggle in.

Also I fail to see how signing an overseas import is any easier then signing a top player on loan from a SL club or signing up a free agent form France. For starters, fed trained and French players do not need a visa!