If true, I'm not over enthused by this signing.
He's been playing at FB which we have Ratch for.
He hasn't been playing HB for a while now and its a HB we desperately need.

Who was the Aussie PC signed to play HB for us around the 05/06 season and within a few games it was obvious he wasn't a HB, he eventually played hooker and broke his arm. I don't want history to repeat itself.

Come on Irish, as it's not been officially confirmed he is signing for us, then people can at least have an opinion about what they make of the rumours. Me personally, I'm a bit underwhelmed by it, mainly because of his age, but if he does sign with us, then I'll certainly give him a chance to show what he can do.

I'm assuming if this signing does go through, then Agent K will be taking his neuralyzer to all the Wire fans and erasing any memories of us going in for Cooper Cronk....

He has also gone onto the VT saying he's signed for us.

Strange, I've not heard anything from Tony Smith or the club about that, unless our 2016 recruitment has been offshored to the Daily Telegraph in Australia.

Michael Sullivan. Those were the days.

Won't go down in the annuls as one of Wire's greatest signings......

Until The Mole puts his name to this, I will treat it as the speculative punt that it is.

totally agree ratch and bridge were our best hb pairing results prove that any one dis- agreeing are just being stupid...atm tho myler and patten are making a very good fist of it so leave them there and just hope and prey that patten doesnt get injured or its back to obrien and myler and that does not clearly work...for next season who knows who our hb will be it could be gidley cronk maloney and i heard off a super league player kyle eastmonde will be here next season

It is coming from Barry Toohey.
Without going too much into grubby politics involving Nathan Tinkler etc, a few years ago the Knights decided not to deal with the local newspaper and Made the Sydney Telegraph their official news outlet, and now funnel all rumours and "scoops" through the Newcastle based Telegraph journalist Barry Toohey.
He gets info straight from Matt Gidley and writes a weekly article that isn't available online and just appears in a special Newcastle Supliment of the Sunday Telegraph, and I have to admit it's the only reason I buy the Murdoch rag at all.
Anyway, what that means is that Toohey is the guy for Knights news and is very rarely wrong.

Maybe a good signing for you on what Roopy has said.
You have some decent young guys coming through and Gidley may just be that senior pro who appears to have a great work ethic that will help these guys develop into first class regulars.
Slightly off subject Ratchford for me would make a great 13. He's tough and a natural. Maybe Gidley at FB would enable him to move to 13?

I know Harrision has the 13 shirt this year but you don't seem to have a settled man for loose forward. Perhaps Gidley will go to 13, Patton & Myler half backs, with Ratchford at 1.
With two good 9s that does seem a very good spine with a mixture of youth and experience.

I wouldn't move Ratch in to the forwards just yet although I agree he has a build similar to John Pendlebury.
I'd say move him in about 5/6 years when his pace will dictate his direction.

We play with the third prop style of loose, but were he fit, grid would be starting loose.

Myler would have to be offered & sign a new contract to be in our halves next season.

Today Myler back to his poorest kick game. Patton was good but it was a game where we really needed ball in hand and we ought to have had Ratchford closer up in attack play.
When he pushed up he was a real threat.

On a day like today you realise why Ratchford needs to be in the halves and on the ball more.

Im sorry RD but Patton was a passenger today. ..myler worked his balls off in that first half. Patton got his hands on the ball late in the second half but wasn't very effective. ..

Most people will probably only remember mylers poor up and under in the last few minutes (like the bloke behind me) but other than that I didn't think he did much wrong. ...

But if we are having Gidley then he's going full back for me ratchford is so bad at getting to any kicks he gives the opposition ten or fifteen metres before he's even picked it up. ..

Patton kicked a whole lot better than Myler. Both wasn't great but I though Patton was good if nothing more lefty.
But yes...I don't want to get on the R&B horse again but I know who are our 2 best players with ball in hand are, regardless of the positions they are in presently.

I always believe you have your best players closest to the play of the ball.

Agree with the Biscuit, young Patton after a couple of decent performances was anonymous today re-enforcing our need for a "general" at 6. If Gidley is that man then let's get him signed up and let him help with Patton's development. As for Myler, I thought he played well today and although his specialty is supporting up the middle he did try and guide the team around. For me I would sign him up.

Ratchford is a conundrum, arguably the most gifted player we have but where do you play him? For me he is at his most dangerous in broken play / drifting into the line like Hodgey used to do which suggests either FB or 13 but as the Biscuit says I would also like to see a little more urgency is collecting the ball and making metres ala Russell ..... where is he by the way ?

According to TS in that Q&A in the south stand Russell is close to being back.

A big Plus one from me.
I thought Richie worked his socks off & Declan was no where to be seen. No offence intended against Declan he is only 19 and very much learning his trade.

Agreed. Patton was poor today. Nowhere to be seen on last tackle plays. Westwood mom by a country mile. Hill was absolute quality too.

Alot of rubbisg being spoken regarding Pattons performance today.

It was clear Smith sent Myler out as the 'lead' half back, more often than not we favoured Mylers side, and favoured Myler at the end of most of our sets.

Patton was shouting for the ball all game, countless times we had numbers down his side and we should have put the ball in his hands.

Exactly. Patton did have a quiet game, as nearly everything went through Myler. I can recall about three times where the ball went to Patton on the last tackle.

Good to know someone was watching the same game as me.

Agree with this fully felt sorry for Patton but he didn't do much wrong as he seemed to be missed out quite a lot on the last play.