I still can't see the issue with the actual signing.
He wouldn't have been on my list but now he is here what harm can it do?
If he shows his top form he plays. If he doesn't then we have the same half backs as last year that people were crying out for.

Good signing should sort out the lack of direction we often had last season.

Why would the signing of a half with a quality kicking game "suck the optimism" out of you? Even if Brough didn't sign you're still left with the same options and at worst we have more depth now that he has signed.

It's sort of where I stand now. When it was first rumored I didn't think it was a place we needed to waste the precious funds we've got especially on a 36-year-old Brough, once Renoylds was signed up.

I'll post what I said to someone on VT who said Brough was basically gonna lose us games being carded - Tbh I'm not sure we need him but he's played really well for Hudds during their wins this past season and has only seen one yellow. Also, tbf to Brough, he might not be at his best but even now he's still one of the best halves in the League. So we'll see how he goes.
He's still got an excellent kicking game, something we've lacked at times especially in close games & where we've needed to see them out. ATEOTD if he doesn't play at the top of his game and be on his best behavior, it's not as if there aren't others that will take his place at the drop of the hat.

Compare our current squad to our squad at this point last year.

Liam Finn - good kicking game and a decent rugby brain.

Danny Brough - probably one of the best kicking games in the league, equally blessed with a good rugby brain and has pace over 20-30 metres.

Possibly his only downside is his temper, id say cut that out and we’re fine but he’s been like it his whole career so I guess the only thing we can do is embrace it, every team needs a grub! Lol

Danny is talking the talk (owes Wakefield fans etc) let's see if he walks the walk. Undoubted talent and I have a sneaky feeling he'll do ok for us.

Are you really, how fascinating.

Baldwinson hasn’t gone anywhere??

And there was never a +1

That's sorted then. Welcome back (again

).

Fingers crossed for a fantastic 2019 with all our half back options.

Just makes the Ben Reynolds signing totally pointless.

you mean the direction you often said Grix and Finn brought

I don't think so he'll make a very good back up with the possibility of taking someones place if their performance start to fade, its team building in depth

Could be that CC isn’t convinced by Hampshire (nor am I) so has bought Reynolds in as a second project player and will use Brough as a standard to measure them against and see which one will be ready to replace him in the next few years.

In pure RL playing terms there is none finer in SL to measure against than Brough.

As for the bad apple thing well I suppose you could argue that any players who succumbs probably arn’t up to scratch anyway. Somehow can’t see TJ, Batch or Crowther pinching the team bus - different breed these days.

No need to stoop to them levels now is there

Happy with the Brough signing, now if we were to sign a 38 year old Matt Peterson back, I'd have my reservations!

Let’s not forget Brough’s passing game. Another area which will be improved by being speeded up. So many times do we see those lazy awful looped passes that give the defence time to pin us back. Personally I think Brough will speed up the movement of the ball, which can’t be a bad thing really. I see nothing but positives with this signing. Being on 2019 !!!

I too am optimistic, for the 2019 season, albeit with an air of caution, given to his, what had been at times questioned attitude.

I do recall him.being good for us in 20008 and 2009, and even the start of 2010. What is exciting is that the players he has around him now are, without being disrespectful, better than those as a whole in 2008 and 2009

mmm! massive gamble !!!!!!!!!! if it works it will be genius - its a organizer we need I just hope a 35 year old still has it

I dont think its that much of a gamble at all, he's still a quality player. I'm less convinced about Hampshire than Brough.

This is something that's been overlooked by many. He'll calm things down in the oppo 20 and open holes up for us. The younger halves would do very well to learn from him.

At home to KR last year, McGuire opened us up with a pass I just didn't think we had in our team - Brough brings that to the table for next year.

I went to every Wakefield vs Huddersfield game last year and a few other Giants games and it's safe to say Brough 100% still has it. He's the type of halfback we need and the type of halfback who's going to produce the quality on the last tackle play rather than what we saw last season which is one major thing that I think Rocky (if he sticks around) or Reynolds will really learn from Brough over the next 2 years.

did not want to see Brough back but hes here now hope he helps us to a top 5 finish

Seem to remember saying I would love to see McGuire at Trinity last season and got shouted down that Trinity was no longer a retirement home

Having said that eyebrows were raised when Trinity turned to Ray Price ans Allan Agar in the past too fantastic signings at the end of their careers.

As he has got older he seems to have developed in all the right areas for me.

I remember watching Jason Smith play for Canberra and one of the commentators asks "why does it seem like Smith has so much time to execute his play" to which the other commentator says "He takes his time, it`s a dying art".

It can very easily go unnoticed unless you watch these players very carefully, Sinfield was very good at it, Paul Cooke`s game was based on it whilst at Hull FC - He took his time and had the ability to delay with ball in hand and pick a great pass, there is so much more to a half backs game than meets the eye.

If you watch some of the highlights from last season where Brough plays, you can see lots of occasions were he just seems to have all the time in the world and just picks the right pass from a line runner at the last second.

You were one of the main ones raising the eyebrows!!!

I think if you can be bothered to read the thread it's not his age that bothers anyone.

Correct, and both were gems for us.
Broughy still has it, there's no doubt about that. He has arguably the best football brain in SL, IMO, and that makes up for speed many a time!