FFS. Back to the old "lets slag off a Wigan player before we've seen him play"?

Luxury signing or not, Hoffman is world class. You cannot and should not turn down the oppurtunity to sign a world class player whatever thier nationality.

Who is slagging him off mr high and mighty?

I can understand why people would wonder if we really needed another backrower due to the depth we've got in the position already but Hoffman isn't any old backrower! He's top draw and will play a big part in our season next year aswell as playing a big role in helping guys like Farrell, Tuson and Mossop develop their games.

He'll be here for a year imo and will take Phil Baileys role on as a pack leader and will be asked by Maguire to help mentor all these fantastic young backrowers we've got.

Hoffman is a brilliant signing, any other club's fans would be ecstatic if he was at their club. Younger players will learn from him without question, HH and Joel may well find they've come across a player who is an established and experienced backrower who adds a great deal to the whole squad.

As for him staying or not, that may well be a domestic decision based on whether he and his wife can get used to living here.
Whilst not of blind faith, all three signings from Melbourne are matters that I will certainly trust MM's judgement on.

The front row is quite clearly the area we need to strengthen and we have done that by letting Feka go and bringing in a class talent in Lima. We are fine in the backrow but we needed Lima.

People wondering whether Hoffman is worth it. Wasnt he named in the Melbourne Team of the Decade? Must be very good with the quality of players they have had over the years

We dont have luxury signings. We have strength in depth and competition for places. Long may it continue

So are we just forgetting those long, long years of you linking the club with every single big-name Aussie, or Brit for that matter, who happened to be off contract?

Or a better version of Clint Newton.

The bar for "world class" qualification seems to get lower every year.

3 appearances for Oz some time ago, three (?) starts in SOO then didn't make the 2008 world cup squad and has fallen into City/Country since. If he was world class, surely he would be playing for NSW and Australia? Chris Flannery had played double the Origin games before joining Saints, I wouldn't mark him down as world class by any stretch of the imagination.

I think I'll wait until he's played a few games over here before adjudging him the best back rower in the league.

Hoffman is a quality signing, banding around world class tags is an irrelvance. He will be your best backrower, without a shadow of a doubt. Which, in turn, will force your youngsters to up their game.

To those who say it will be fine to let him go in twelve months; you will be gutted. If he replicates his Melbourne form, you will be begging him to stay. He is what I would call a model professional; makes very few mistakes, reliable and healthy. Add to that he has covered centre and prop in his time, only adds to his asset to the team.

As he has proved by being distinctly average even in Super League.

I feely admit, if Hoffman turns out to be as poor a signing as Flannery, I'll be very upset.

I don't think anyone can seriously call Hoffman world class, he'll hopefully be a very good player and one of the best in the league, but he hasn't been near the Aus side, or SOO lately. That in itself is probably part of the reason why he's over here at a youngish age regardless of Melbournes situation.

if he had a SOO and Aus regular spot he would not be plying his trade in Super league would he?

Same could be said about every Aussie that has come over here. Not sure what point you are trying to make?

To be fair, I wouldn't say Flannery has been a poor signing for us. He hasn't set the World alight admittedly, but he makes the hard yards for us and his versatility has been an asset at times.

Reminds me a lot like Phil Bailey puts the effort in and rarely has a bad game but players like that don't really get the attention or limelight.

just saying none of the Aussies in SL are world class, doesnt mean they arent top class players and better than anything we have in the UK

Hoffman is quality. Nothing wrong with luxury signings when they are that good.