I do, in a Catalans shirt. He gives his all for that club. Just not sure he would give that level to a non-French team at his stage of his career, nor want to step out of the Catalans bubble, where he might have an off-field role lined up for when he finishes playing.

suppose it goes down to money with our team, I don't think we got the best of of koppy sure he had more to give

It's just how I see it.
If Hohaia hadn't been knocked out everyone would have been cheering. The media made a lot of it because they had good images.

Hohaia ran and elbowed Flower in the face, I'm not sure what he expected to happen to be honest.

Well I don't think Flower would have been criticised as he has been if he had left it at one punch, I think what most people found sickening was the second punch inflicted on an unconscious player. What's become apparent to me is the tolerance some people have towards this kind of violence.

Not sure that stacks up with Gene as even he didn't know how old he was. Menzies I agree and that's the nub.

Being over 32 which seems to be the approx OTT age is only a problem if either you're crocked as per Anthony Tupou or you were never any good to start with. The former is pretty obvious, the latter not so much.

If you're still fit and have played over 400 games in the NRL then that's a pretty safe signing. If you're fit and knocking on but have barely played 50 games you have to wonder.

People will argue that having only played 50 games means there is still a lot left in the tank. I'd argue that the tank was never full to start with.

Stanley Gene was 36 years old for about 10 years !!!

Still dont get your point.
As for "images" it wouldnt have mattered the quality - what he did was indefensible - he was totally over the top.

Sure I read Moa had signed for one of the domestic league French sides, not sure he would have strengthened Trinity he is not the player he once was and seeming to deteriorate rapidly.

Flower I think would have been great, been playing some cracking rugby this year best in a good few years. For all those having a go about his past I assume non of you cheered Terry Newton when he wore the Trinity shirt.

Casty been a great player but I worry a lot of his motivation was generated from playing for his boyhood club. Not sure that passion will be there with another club.

One thing is for sure there are a lot of clubs looking for Props at the moment so I would assume the managers of available props are in a strong position given there will no doubt be clubs competing for players signatures.

Hoping Trinity can pull a rabbit out of a hat again and get some quality in off the radars of other teams.

I did cheer on Terry Newton in both the games that he played for us, as I supported Andy Fisher and other similar bad boys that have played for us previously and would have (reluctantly) done the same with Flower, should he have signed for us, because I support the team regardless of who the players are, but what Flower did was inexcusable IMHO and thuggery like that has no place on a rugby pitch (or anywhere else for that matter) !!

John Burke, now that was one dangerous prop but fortunately we calmed him down.

We didn't calm him down at Huddersfield just before tbe scrum erupted. His number went up and he was substituted.

I also remember John throwing the ball in to touch and having a go, not sure who we were playing though.
John lived one house down from me and was a perfect gentleman off the field and a monster on it.

The image matters because it makes it look like he saw an unconscious player and hit him.
What he did was react to someone attacking him and punched him. And just like many others he followed up with another. I don't think he knew at that point he was out. He stopped when he did.
I don't mind people being outraged but be outraged about them all if that's the case. Don't laud Peacock for hitting Willie Mason and hang Flower for his punch just because Flower through a better one.

You just don't get the point PT - I'm amazed!
Flower's first punch you could put down to frustration and similar seen many times.
You don't think he knew the player was 'out? - well he had a bit of a clue didn't he because he was laid flat out, and Flower had to bend over to hit him hard in the face again! I wander what your attitude would have been had that been someone you knew or a relative ?

Not sure the second punch can ever really be justified because the player was on his back at the time, whether or not he knew he was unconscious (although it is only ever replayed in slow motion).

It is certainly forgivable though, in the context of two minutes into a grand final against the fiercest rivals, fired up and fully revved, against a bloke who started the altercation. I'm sure he regretted it instantly and it was a brain explosion that does sometimes happen, and I wouldn't judge his ability on that one moment.

The inability to forgive him by some seems weird though, given that we are veering into a discussion about really hard past Wakey forwards, because let's not pretend that "hard" in the seventies didn't mean thuggery.

Ben Flower has been a good solid prop forward who had one bad moment.

Perfectly summed up.

Absolute brain explosion that probably cost his team a Grand Final and landed him
a long and deserved ban.

His form suffered badly too for a couple of years which I think was a result of that.

This year in particular he has put in some weight doing shorter minutes but very impressive impact.

Too good in my opinion not to be in SL.

On to the next one for us to speculate on I guess.

One of the greatest overseas forwards to grace belle vue in my near on 50 years watching Trin was lauitiiti ,IMO he had it all ,power of a forward and hands of a half .I know players like him are like hens teeth and Leeds got the best out of him but boy he was a joy to watch ,and had a presence on the park I’ve not witnessed many times in any team .

Can’t argue, only Solomona was better due mainly to us having his peak years, we were so lucky there.

I’ll add to this one more time. We live in an era of instant outrage yet I guarantee you that had Fifita done this most of the outraged on here would be constructing elaborate excuses for him. Probably be a subconscious act of loyalty but they would.

He did it, he paid the price, let’s him move on. Potentially he could have seriously injured the other players but the law and life don’t operate on might haves. A reckless act that resulted in no serious injury that was dealt with very effectively at the time, leave it there.

One more point. We as fans allow young men, some of whom are none to bright, to batter each other for our entertainment. Then on the rare occasion when things go wrong and they momentarily lose it whilst under huge pressure we chastise them for being human.

Just a touch hypocritical?

You are proving the point.
He didn't have to bend over. That's what it looks like on the still but he was holding him and falling forward.

LH ran in on him with an elbow off the ball and gave him some lip because he dropped the ball with an open line. It was a grubby thing to do.
Flower punched him in retaliation. Yes he should have left it at that but in a punch up in the middle of a crowd you don't have time to think like that. In any other situation he would have expected one coming back. It was a nothing punch because he was falling over and the stills make it look so much worse.
If it was my friend while I was playing I'd have defended LH just like Sts did but I would have left it on the field. He wasn't hurt.

Sorry PT you are wrong on the first bit, he actually got down on a knee to punch him the second time whilst he was flat on the floor, go watch the video.

Everybody makes mistakes, it was 6 years ago under grand final lights and immense pressure, we should let go of the past now and I would not have batted an eyelid if we had signed him, probably have been quite happy actually.

Ok PT we’ll leave it at that not worth falling out over!
A long time ago anyway

And when they play with a lack of 'intensity' we all complain. We demand aggression and sometimes it's inevitable that it gets out of hand. I think the worst offences are the ones that are more calculated, the sly ones, in Flower's case it was a rush of blood probably due to how pumped up he was.

It would appear we are interested in signing Gavet from Huddersfield. He is not so much a current NRL forward but he certainly was and to make way for the signing it is suggested that Tangata will be the one to go.