Welcome aboard Wade, hope your bringing your tin hat, you will need it here

Happy with this signing. Lots of experience at FB, better then Phelps and will be a good mentor for our younger FBs to learn from. 2 years with 1 year option is about right IMO.

Welcome Wade!

How much you actually seen of him Tom ? Only last week you were saying you were a big fan of Phelps

You've got to ask why has McKinnon been released early by his last two clubs?

A knee construction and tight hamstrings obviously!

Gonna be 31 when he arrives too!

If we are absolutely honest...this was the sort of quota signing that franchising was meant to stop!

He was released by nz because they had a better player in Hohaia, he's been released by wests because we've offered him a longer deal.

So if someone came along and offered Tom Briscoe a longer deal we'd let him go?

Nope but it's a bit different.

McKinnon only has 1 or 2 years left at nrl level.

Wests know this and have let him get a final pay off in sl.

When fit he'll start for wests.

wests know he's injury prone and they can get someone better. they wouldn't be letting him go otherwise

Wests signed him after his knee reconstruction.

Sheens said he wanted him to stay but wouldn't stand in his way of a longer deal.

I doubt, unless they get Boyd, they'll get a better fb for next season.

Come on Sheldon, I admire most of your posts, but you seem to have lost your critical faculties on this one.

Just look above at what you've just written and tell me you honestly stand by that?

That wouldn't even apply if you were talking about McKinnon at his pre-knee reconstruction best would it?

He has never been [ithat [/igood and the knee reconstruction and ensuing hamstring problems have stripped him of all his pace and reduced him to half the player he was!

He was only at Wests because he was a cheap option and, after further injury problems, his agent has worked miracles to extend his career by another two years!

Are you a Hull FC supporter? Not disagreeing, just curious.

Seen bits and pieces, from what I have seen he looks a lot more classier player.

I still am a fan of Phelps, I've already said I would have been happy enough if he did sign another deal, but I am also happy that we have signed a good FB with plenty of FB experience at the top level.

From your encyclopedic knowledge of NRL, how would you rate him?

I'm sure there's a stack of criticism on here can't be d to read it. No one knows how it will turn out. we could have signed a 23 year old who could get cruciate ligament damage in game one. Welcome to Hull FC Wade I hope you are another Brett Hodgson.

Wash your mouth out son.

So right Staffs, if he is any way as good as B Hodgson he will do for me. Slightly worried if he is injury prone but have only seen that he is on this forum??

agree give the bloke a chance,

I was hoping for him to be more like billy slater myself

Stand by what? There's only Boyd of any real quality available! Bowen's reportedly staying with NQC so who's are Wests going to sign who's better?

144 games over 10 seasons! do the math, its not pretty! but hey who knows

Interesting to note McKinnon has the same agent as Rangi Chase....

Come on Sheldon...you know the game!

There will be a clutch of younger, hungrier and fitter full-backs ready to roll off the Toyota Cup production line at season's end, off of whom would be better options than a 31-year-old McKinnon.

Of the available 'old guard', What about Preston Campbell or Rhys Wesser for starters?

I honestly don't know why you trying to 'spin' this signing - It's Adam Dykes all over again!

Let's hope we've thrown a 3 year contract at a crock as a sweetener for the chase deal

Personally I'm not hoping that's why we've done it, but I found it interesting to read the link, especially as Chase's agent will have a long list of clubs both here and in NRL to choose from should the player leave Cas.

I've already posted they'll probably look to their youngsters, Wests have just said as much, but at this moment in time their not as good as McKinnon hence he starting as fb when available.

There's no spin on my part, Sheens has said he would have liked him to stay but didn't want to stand in his way of a longer deal and when fit he is west tigers first choice fb.

Wesser and Campbell?

Wesser is 2 years older and missed 2009 with a knee injury.
Campbells 4 years older and is missing games with hamstring and knee injuries.
Both are rumoured to be retiring at the end of the year.

I am a Hull FC 'supporter' yes...not a rabid, anti-KR, one-eyed fanatic I grant you, but yes Hull FC are my favourite team.

Does that cause me to lose my critical faculties when it comes to signing a 31-year-old Aussie journeyman with a reconstructed knee and tight hamstrings? NO.