Don’t understand why Roberts hasn’t been kicking all season! Now he’s doing a bamboo back to Australia who will take over kicking duty? Thought Stef looked sharp early on any thoughts?

His goal kicking certainly seems decent - possibly didn’t kick earlier due to the knee injury he came over with?

He can’t knock over a drop goal for toffee though can he?!?

Kicked 29/35 in SL so far, 83 per cent rate. That will do me.

Good return that, wonder what the drop goals is, 0 from 7?

Don't forget we brought him over as a play maker of a half back and seen very little of that side of his game...and as for the other part of the duo he's as bad.still on a positive note we've made a final clinched a top 4 spot...if I was offered that after the hudds game in February I would of snatched your arm off..

I don't think Roberts has been terrible by any means he's been decent for me. However he definitely hasn't been marquee quality.

and that's the problem 'Dec Patton' performances on 'Andrew John's' pay

Is it Andrew John's pay though? It's got me a bit worried for superleague to be honest, if the salary cap differences mean that what we will end up with in terms of imports is the likes of Roberts as our highest paid players we have problems. It would be far better if that marquee money went in to academy coaching. To be fair in terms of academy coaching the Anderson appointment seems to show we mean business.

His positional kicking is fantastic, and most of his attacking kicks are too. I'm just not sure whether those two elements are worth £1m over the course of three years. Not that we have to worry about that anymore anyway.

More importantly, where do we find a decent all-round game-managing halfback?

I've no idea whether it is Andrew John's money just used that example to highlight a point, hence the inverted commas.

In my opinion it's about value for money and balance, a successful academy will help with the overall squad building and a successful marquee import (although they don't have to be imports) will put bums on seats the two aren't mutually exclusive.

We are blessed at the moment, as it looks like the club are serious about the Academy and trying to sign the best from home and abroad

This thing about putting more money in to academy coaching comes up a lot.

Say for instance, we agreed to not sign any more overseas imports for 10 years, and go below full salary cap but instead spend that budget on the academy, where would you put the money and what sort of impact would it have?

Is it about paying the coaches more? Is it about poaching coaches from places like Wigan/Saints/Leeds? Is it about better facilities? Is it more scouts? Is it more sign on fees so we can sign more young talent?

Getting lucky with a certain crop, has a great deal to do with it.

In 92-94, we had Penny, Harris, Roper, Wainwright and Hilton maturing at the same time, add to this Sculthorpe, a couple of years later. Simply flinging money at it, won't work.
We now have another ex SL coach looking after our younger players. I imagine our facilities at Padgate and Victoria Park are amongst the best.