....or Mason

We could manage a six figure upfront fee for Westerman with ease, so why not?

Perhaps they'd have been better trying to prize Dobbo away from Rovers, after all they need the cash and you need a decent 7

And Royce Simmons was in Hull yesterday..............coincidence or what ??????

played in he went missing or his kicking was average...
Imo he will have pretty much the same outcome this season so we will just struggle through (again)...

I imagine Sean Long was at home.

I wouldn't care if long went. Other than a couple of games last season, he was either injured or below par. I'd rather spend his large salary tempting a decent young player to sign for the club for 3 or 4 years and build a team around him and get away from the constant quick fixes we go for

In principle I agree. I think the problem with this, assuming you are referring to an organising HB, is we are reliant on Webster to do the developing with no Long around. I've no idea how good Webster is as a coach - he might be excellent, but it's a big ask to bring through a young half to one capable of steering a Top 4 (our aspiration) team round the pitch. Sounds like we're going for a big name half in 2012, so to sign a young player now in place of Long would be a good long term bet, but would mean we might struggle in 2011. I'm fine with that, personally, but would just like some confidence that we have the resources to do the development of a young half back to a high level.

FC are always going for a big name the year after next. The problem is as they sign up one quality player, another leaves without being replaced but if the fans want to constantly take in the drivvle the club feeds them and are prepared to right off yet another season for this illustrious scrum half to come in then they deserve all that theyre gonna get which is feck all (history is on my side with this one)!

Im a fan and always will be but i cannot accept the current complete averageness that seems to be so acceptable by everyone at the club and probably about 50% of fans. If you want to win things you go after the best players whilst retaining your best ones too ala Saints, Warrington, Wigan and Leeds, not just sit back and plod along.

I'm all for us making a big half back signing for 2012 as long as it isn't someone else who is at the tail end of their career who will only be a round for a couple of years. The teams who have been successful since I started watching the game have had settled half back partnerships over a long period (or at least one mainstay).

I also don't subscribe to the belief that long will take up a coaching role with Hull when he stops playing. He will have plenty of options much nearer his home. I also have concerns about him making a 4 hour plus round trip 4 or 5 times a week if he has given up his house in Hull

Settling for mediocrity is entrenched in the mentality of people from Hull

I don't often make predictions but I'm laying my neck on the line here...

I have heard from a good source Sammutt to sign next week... nailed on.. so go get your shirts printed captain jack is coming!!

ps... don't worry.. it wasn't expro that pm'd me so it's definately good info!!

Seems likely given the speculation in the press. I'd be pleased if we tie him down for 3 years but he doesn't seem like an organiser to me so I hope we have one in our sights for 2012

Have you forgotten what position your head coach played all his career??

The signing of Long on a two year deal was a mistake in my opinion, we went for the name rather then what we needed. I don't even subscribe to him being injury prone, he was unlucky last season with injuries but even when he was fit at times he didn't give us what we needed, possibly because he has never really been that type of player, throughout his career he has been regarded as more of a nippy player with that quality to break the line rather then a playmaker, That's not questioning what a champion player he has been or is (he showed a few times last season he still has that speed and ability) because overall I rate him as the best in SL era.

I think what we needed the most from a halfback was a good long range kicking game and someone who could get the ball wide, not Longs best assets, I don't buy into him being finished, but I still think we are lacking these attributes.

you mean like coaching sts under 20s.

Not at all, which is why I said he would have a better go at developing a HB than Agar. Webster himself was a handy NL1 scrum half and reasonable in a bottom half SL team before Morgan stepped on his face to get to Dobson. The point being, as an unproven coach, does he have the ability to take an inexperienced half back and coach them fairly quickly to delivering at SL level? I don't know, do you?

TBF Webster played most of his career in Oz at hooker, so based on that i doubt he would be any better than Agar at developing a HB.

Jake has it right about Sammut he not an organising hb and i doubt he's the sort of player Hull need at this moment particularly if the rumours about Long are right.

Well, based on approaching 3 years of Agar as coach, I've not seen Lee, Washbrook, Thorman etc developing their games signficantly in the halves, so it's not unreasonable to say that if we were to bring a HB through, Wesbter as a recent SL HB would have to be the man to do it.




Sammut's not an organising HB, but not sure who is that would be available at this point, particularly if we have someone lined up for 2012. Myler's said he's not coming in the HDM today (not sure he fits the bill either anyway). Options pretty limited it seems.

Washbrook isn't a half back and Lee was ruined by Sharp who saw him as a hooker. Thorman was just pap.



You make a pretty compelling case not to sign him there, particularly with the likelyhood of a transfer fee being involved. Bottom line is Hull are going into the new year with severe doubts surrounding their key playmakers. Hardly the best of preparations.

Sammut is not the answer IMO, and I hope Hull dont waste a quota space on a bloke whos looking to get back to the NRL at the first possible opportunity.

He was a very average full back at Penrith, and when they decided to move him into the halves, due to injury (and the emergance of Coote), he was very hit and miss. He does some great things, but he more than made up for that with plenty of dumb plays and a complete lack of organisational skills. He's very much an off the cuff type player, which aint what we need, I reckon.

I would much rather Hull go after Sammuts team mate, Michael Witt. He's a far better player. Looks very composed in the halves.

IMO,

The best scenario,would be to sign both Gareth Moore, and Sammutt.

Both are young,and durable and would give us continuity at 7 and 6.

The club have proved, that ANY player can be made available,(eg Westerman) if the price is right.

I'd be fine with it for a year until we bring in someone on a longer deal in 2012.