I just don't think he is. I think he's coming in as a pure Utility Player, with Motu getting maybe one more year.



Motu staying.



I can see us keeping Cusack with Briscoe getting the centre spot.





Ofcourse, this is all my own opinion, I do not know anything that is happening within the club.

Reading between the lines I think its a cert now hes best mates coming.

I don't get why everyone is convinced we'll be getting a prop, i honestly don't think we will sign a prop.

Think Luauki will be the bad ass impact prop everyone keeps going on about needing.

I reckon we'll extend the contract of the 'project' Moa and i reckon with him and Luauki you have 2 impact players that given a little bit of time could match any teams in the league.

Props

8. Dowes
10. Cusack
18. Thackray
19. Luauki
24. Moa
25. Maloney

Hooker

9. Berrigan
20. Houghton


Second Row

15. Fitzgibbon
16. Manu
12. Tickle
11. Radford
22. Burnett

Loose Man

13. Washbrook
14. Whiting

FullBack

1. New Player

Wing

2. Calderwood
5. Raynor

Centre

4. Yeaman
3. New Player

Stand Off

6. R. Horne

Scrum Half

7. Sean Long

Utility Back

21. Briscoe Wing/Centre
17. Tansey FullBack/Centre/StandOff/Scrum Half

Utility Forward

26. Hodgson Hooker/Loose Man/Second Row
23. Lee Hooker/LooseMan/Second Row

26 man squad, I'd be quite plaesed with this.

What would people think to the squad.

If having 26 player would be an issue, which i don't see why it would given if players had turned up this year we'd of had 26 but, if it was send Hodgson out on loan with a clause to bring him back if needs be.

This would give plenty of scope to have a good rotation in the forwards game for game, keeping everyone fresh and also create plenty of competition for places.

What handling ability do you expect to see from a kid who has only played on the wing?

Its been good upto now but i agree we still need a top centre and a prop

Ideally let Cusack go and then bring in a prop who has more go-forward than he does and maybe a bit of biff. O'Meley would be fantastic, as would Kite or failing that I would be very happy with Lynch.

Top that off with a top strike centre and next season's squad starts to look pretty good !!!!

A real bonus would be if we could find a way of "paying off" Radford and King. Their salary cap space could give us another quality player to add to the squad. If our recruitment keeps heading in the current direction, even I will start to become a very happy and optimistic fan !!!

Ruddy hell, I'm off for a lie down

With Agar at the helm?

It's about time that our recruitment made us all feel a little more positive isn't it !!!

Christ knows that we've spent way too long scratching our heads and wondering what the hell is happening to our squad in recent seasons !!!

I had written him off as being out of his depth etc... but if he can make the couple of big signings that we all want and expect for next season, on top of what we already have, then maybe I'll change my mind. Things are certainly looking upwards for the first time in a while !!!

Indeed. With a few notable exceptions (one of whom fell through, of course) our recruitment has been poor for a number of years.

Maybe lessons have finally been learned and things are looking up.

still think we need another halfback to go with horne and long, you never know if we decide to see hornes future at fb and will we get a full season out of long? whiting has to be signed, hes a talented player who has always played well. a couple of props to replace some of what we have are a necessity too, our props, although work hard enough, just dont bent the line as much as they should.

i think the board have finally woke up and realised the discontent amongst the fans, the panic button has well and truly been pressed.

There's certainly hope at last !!! I don't quite know why it's taken so long but we seem to have shifted our recruitment focus to where it should have been a long time ago. I just hope that it continues !!!

Don't think Lynch is the right player for us personally.

Very good player but more like Dowes than the type of player we need.

That player should have real size and be of the "enforcer" type.

I don't get why everyone is convinced we'll be getting a prop, i honestly don't think we will sign a prop.

Think Luauki will be the bad ass impact prop everyone keeps going on about needing.

I reckon we'll extend the contract of the 'project' Moa and i reckon with him and Luauki you have 2 impact players that given a little bit of time could match any teams in the league.

Props

8. Dowes
10. Cusack
18. Thackray
19. Luauki
24. Moa
25. Maloney
'"

So basically for me:

1. New Full back
2. Calderwood
3. New Centre
4. Yeaman
5. Raynor
6. R. Horne
7. Long
8. Dowes
9. Berrigan
10. New Prop
11. Radford
12. Tickle
13. Washbrook
14. Fitzgibbon
15. King
16. Manu
17. G. Horne
18. Thackray/New British prop
19. Lauaki
20. Houghton
21. Briscoe
22. Tansey
23. Lee
24. Whiting
25. Maloney
26. Burnett

Released:
Motu Tony - too injury prone, and not the star full back we need. Good servant to the club though and will be sad to see him leave if he goes.
Todd Byrne - Already gone.
Chris Thorman - Because he'd rubbish. Would have maybe kept him as a back-up half-back, but we've got Tansey in now who can cover this position (unless we've signed him as a permanent FB, in which case I'd consider keeping Thorman as back-up).
Peter Cusack - Need to use our quota positions better. Cusack has been solid, but so have all our props. We need more than solid. We need tackle busters and yard gainers. We need to replace Carvell.
Craig Hall - I know he's contracted until 2010, but he just isn't good enough. If he's as good as people say, I'm sure someone will be willing to take him off us. His future does not lie at Hull FC I'm afraid, and with so many people in front of him in the pecking order for centre, not to mention I never wanna see him at FB again in my life, what's left for him?
Sam Moa - Could do better. Maloney is also a project. We don't need two projects.
Possibly Thackray if we sign Lynch, but only because he'd out of contract. I'd prefer to keep him over King, but we'd struggle I feel.

Not seen Josh Hodgson play so won't comment.

6-7 out. 6-7 in. All better players in. Could even say 7-8 out if you include Crocker!

Before the injury last April he only missed 4 games in over two years, one of the best records at the club.

Fair point, but I stand by the rest.

I cannot understand why anybody wants the club to sign Mark O'Mealy, he has been terrible for the last 3 years and is living off his reputation. The Guy cannot even get in the 2nd worst team in the NRL at present. Plus he has a bad reputation off the pitch as well. AVOID HIM !!

Beat me to it!

We need someone like Kite.

Lauaki is a second rower. If we play him at prop, we aren't guaranteed a big tackle-busting prop.

Yes I know Luauki is a second Row, i'm saying i think that is Hull have signed him to use him as an impact prop. Hence i don't think we'll get another.

Moa is a project, but so is Maloney. How many projects do we need? Only so many squad places.
We also have King until the end of 2010.

Moa and Maloney are 2 props from different moulds, both defo worth keeping for a couple of years minimum as i feel they'll develop there games well imo. Especially if we are to continue the out with the old in with the new after this season too. ie end of 2010.

I think King will defo go some how some way.

I'd release Cusack and Moa and bring in a big bad prop on the quota to replace Cusack. If we sign Lynch, I'd still look to bring in an Aussie enforcer prop (and then don't sign up Thacks if we do). Thacks has been good for us, but Lynch is better, and given the option of big Aussie prop+Lynch or Lynch+Thacks, I know which I'd pick.

8. Dowes
10. New Aussie prop
15. King
18. Thackray or Lynch
19. Lauaki
25. Maloney


Don't forget...

23. Lee

I never forgot Lee he was down in the utility back slot with Hodgson.

Not to mention Lauaki, although we're probably gonna play him at prop.
Do we really need 5-6 second rowers?!

Like i say i think Luauki has been signed as an impact prop. So 5 for Second Row, yes why not. It would keep all of them on there toes fighting for a spot in the team, enough to cover injuries even if we get a couple, all of them are capable of doing a job so wouldn't need to worry. Keep them rotating throughout the season so they remain fresh for the full season with nobody burning out half way through or come business end.

It's a shame that loose forward at Hull now means "third second-rower". Whiting will never get a shot there as they seem to prefer a second-rower there before either of our actual loose forwards.

Agree with this but, i can see us reverting back to a ball playing Loose as opposed to an extra Prop/Second Row for next season.

Wonder how much we have left to spend on next year's cap?

In

Fitzgibbon
Long
Tansey

Out

Crocker (his wages at least)
Byrne
Motu?
Cusack?
Thorman?
Thacks?
Hall?
Moa?
G Horne?

Byrne, Motu and Cusack will have been on a decent wedge, with thorman not far behind I reckon, but the other 3 won't be on a stack so unless we can offload some more then I'd have thought we'll only see 1 more top class signing with another lower profile one maybe

I don't think we will keep all the props we've got, which is why I think we'll get another. And we need one. We never replaced Carvell.


I think we should release King, but like I say he's contracted. If someone comes in for him, great. But we'd have to pay him off otherwise.
Suppose it's the same with Hall.


He's pretty much a hooker now. If not, we'd have to question what role Berrigan has out of hooker and utility




Yes, 5 second rowers fighting for a spot is good, but there are only 2 spots (3 if we have one on the bench), where as we always have 4 props in the 17. Having more props in the squad is better than second rowers IMO.


I personally can't. We've got Radford (captain), Tickle and now Fitzgibbon, with Manu off the bench. I can't see us dropping any of them.

couple more to come in and a few to go out,as the saying goes you cant polish a turd

we will be very strong next year in all positions and should be up there competing with the big boys with agar in charge,the team will then be the one that hes assembled and he will of got rid of the players he thinks are holding us back,then we can judge him.

before anyone says owt this is only my opinion

I did read somewhere that we were close to signing a well know prop.. and the deal was almost done

I have look for it but cannot find the statement ..I think the next 2 signings will be a prop/and centre ..just my opinion