Let me sort this for you:

Wakey (could be anyone) are close to signing Lisone...

Agent briefs media...Other clubs interested...

Wakey - we're still interested...

Agent briefs media...Other clubs want him and his missus...

I hope we are smarter than the agents. Actually I'm sure we are.

If Lisone is right, we'll get him. If not, he can sign for the Leigh Centurion Snow Leopards. Or Leeds Idiots.

I was hugely impressed by Kalache. He looks to have a big engine on him and got through a ton of work in the middle whilst making good yards. He would be a good signing for us on that showing. Would be nice to see how he goes this week too though. Think he’s only 24/25 too!

I’m not sure on Lisone but if we did I think it would be a short spell impact prop.

I had my eye on Taupau for Samoa but I wasn’t impressed tbh. Seemed to lack any post contact metres and looked a bit limited.

That Antrobus looked pretty good for Wales too who plays for York. Has a big frame and only 23 year old second row forward.

Ashworth also hasn’t signed up for anyone yet and he’s a decent interchange second row option.

I mean there’s still some good players out there for certain!

Antrobus is very small and thin, every time he played against us last year it was painful watching him get folded like origami whenever he took a carry.

Pretty much it.

Also it’s not beyond reason that clubs also start these stories.to deflect attention.

Whether you like MC or not he’s been doing this a while. Would not surprise me in the least if we sign a couple of players nobody even thought of.

Nobody on here got Taufua until very late, ditto Tanginoa.

I understand why people are impatient and speculate, though some of the names being mentioned are a bit silly.

But at the end of the day you want them to be right not early.

All the players signed so far by other clubs won’t start training any sooner because they were announced in August.

We have another two weeks of WC RL to see what’s really on offer. So far most teams are on one game, wait till it’s three.

Any non WC signings will come when they come.

Leeds appear to have gone signing mad, bizarre for a team that finished a close second.

Finally worth noting that we have at least two hugely talented kids in Murphy and Eseh who need tying down ASAP.

Signed for Leeds according to SL FB page.

Another we're not signing

Assuming we ever were.

Looks like him and Smith go back a long way, he coached him at under 20's.

He looks to be carrying quite a few extra pounds.

Time will tell, but just like Magoulias, he may be a bullet dodged.

Well thats another quota spot taken by someone else. More other clubs fill up, the less opposition we have in signing overseas players.

That’s a good way to look at it PB

6 teams now have no quota spots
Leeds
Cas
Wigan
Hull kr
Shudds

The below have one each left
Catalan
Hull fc
Salford
Wire

Interesting the leopards haven’t have lamb come off quota yet (Yorkshire live) it says applied to sl for him to come off

So as it stands they only have one spot left


We’ve got three spots to fill

There are plenty out there still and as the WC draws to the semi final stage a lot more will be known quantities.

There is also some inevitable fall out pre NRL when you can nip in and get a decent player.

I’ve said it before but I’d be happy if we went into the season with one spot free. It worked a treat for Salford with Hastings and ourselves with Tanginoa to name but one.

Its impossible to guess who will get injured in a season or where the problem positions might be. That spot free could be the difference between a good or bad season.

If those teams who are "full" do want to get someone else in, they will have to release someone...there may be someone to pick up that way - with the added benefit that the releasing team may well pay some ongoing wages.

Further, when some players in the NRL find themselves on the outer, when back for pre-season, they may be willing to take a "good" deal with us to a) pay the bills and b) keep themselves in the shop window.

Whilst we'd love to have some big names signed up, we are probably in quite a strong position.

Said that earlier myself. As NRL teams start to train, some with new coaches, some well known players are suddenly no longer wanted. Why rush, it's not like we won't be able to put out a reasonably competitive team even now, we certainly won't be dragging some bloke out of the pub to make up the numbers.

Our other big advantage is our expectations. We will want to finish top six but it's not the end for us if we don't. So our coach can take a few on the chin to work out who is and isn't working and rectify it. This is far easier with slots still free.

We are not building to win the comp this season, we are hopefully laying down foundations to do it in the future.

It's not the end of the world no,but IMG could be looking atthe league placings. Another fight near the bottom, which would mean 5 seasons in a row, could go against us. However a top 6 finish, added in with the completed east stand, and a fresher looking north stand, could make a difference. Remember 7 of our defeats last year were within a converted score, and points wise, we were closer to the play offs than going down. It really is fine margins. That bit of extra quality in the regular first teamers, could make all the difference.

I think we got lucky with Murphy, Hall and Taufua coming in for Johnstone and Toupou, so personally, those key replacements are for Miller, Fifita, Batch and Arona. I think all the other exits were really back up squad members.

Get it right for those 4 I listed, and I think we'll go OK, but as each player signs for someone else, the talent pool potentially drops a little.

Is it like those unfortunate kids at school that in PE gets picked last perhaps?

To me that makes no sense at all.

Funny thing is you are sort of disagreeing with yourself. If we do get Taylor and Proctor, are they not exactly the sort of short term impact players who might get us that top six for next season? As opposed to the long term investments who will come good a few years down the line? At least with Proctor you know he can play, you're not living in hope that one day he will make it.

Yes it is a balancing act.

I'm loving the idea of a top 6 finish but, it would be one hell of an improvement, especially given the number of high earners that have gone and not yet been replaced.
Hope you're right though

Unlike last season then, cos that's exactly what Lineham looked like when he returned against Leeds!! I honestly thought that night that we'd been a player short and found some fat bloke in a pub to wear the shirt.

Lad had just come back from a leg injury he was out for a couple of months with and from what I heard he came back early before he was match ready as we were struggling for wingers at the time. A bit harsh tbf.

He did look fitter at Fev.

I was trying to put a positive spin on things, contrary to what some believe, I can be.

Had we have won 4 of those 7 that we lost by a single score, we would have finished level on points way with Salford, who made the play offs. Also 5 of those came against sides that finished in the play offs. To me, that is an indication that we're not that far off. Could it be that bit of better game management we lack, or fitness. It is fine margins, and can that better calibre
of player, bridge that gap, and get us there.

Only time will of course tell

Regarding Leeds singing Lisone:

Wasn't Dave Fifita also carrying quite a few extra pounds too?
You Wakey fans seemed quite happy with him performance wise despite his excess baggage and I'm sure that Lisone will be a great impact prop for Leeds too whilst not being on Fifita's wage either too
Didn't Carter say that Fifita was the highest ever earner in Wakey's history?
Not a bad wage for a fatty then




If you think that you've dodged a bullet by not signing Lisone then you now need to dodge machine gun fire as you've signed Proctor

You never know which way it`s going to go with overseas signings or any signing for that matter, I've learnt to reserve judgement and not to make myself look silly, I remember Shabino and the gang over on your forum claiming Tetavano was going to be head and shoulders the best prop in the league when you signed him, he instantly made your pack the best in the league.

What I would say is that I think we have one of the best track records in the league recently of getting these sort of signings right when it comes to picking the right player.

As an aside Andrew Fifita has retired so we were never going to get them both here next year.

I'm not aware of Carter ever revealing anyone's pay status, though I would imagine the captain of the club Miller, would have been on more.

Regarding Lisone, I quite clearly said "time will tell" and the same goes for Proctor.

Lisone does look badly out of shape on the pic being used about his signing, that's indisputable.

Funnily enough, reading through the Titans forum, they seem pleased to be rid of Lisone, a few fans on there mentioning Jai Whitbread!

D Fifita was just above 100,000 £ your tea ladies are on more than that .How much is it costing you to rent the Stand on the cricket ground side .You got to rent it because it does not show on your bank balance when you see how much you are in det Remember a R U team called Wasps are you any were near there yet