manu generally misses tackles due to fatigue from being overplayed

If lauaki was as good as he should be he'd have never been released by the warriors

Agree with both points JTP

Well I really hope he does have a really good year and play to a good level...... consistently. In fact I hope all of our players have a good season. My point was just at the minute has under performed while he has been at Hull.

if hame is on song,no-one can cope with him!!!!just needs to do it on a regular basis,because he does frighten the opposition.

My thoughts exactly..

I agree. There are a lot of calls to play him prop but I personally believe that is wasting his effect. Give him the ball running wide angles against the opposition 3/4 line more often and he'll prove his worth. The only issue is he is prone to make at least one suicide decision per game which usually costs us possession or a penalty. Alas, we don't play rugby that puts points on the board so we have to play a very minimal game of errors to stand any chance of winning so players like Hame can be an expensive risk.

Agree with most off what your saying here, but looking back over all of last season I would say in most games, nearly everyone (not just hame) were guilty of some embarrassing/suicidal mistakes..
I.e laying on, offsides and kicking out on the full when it wasn't going straight down the fullbacks throat..
Imo there was a lot of unnecessary attention/treatment given out to hame last year so hopefully gets a bit of slack this time around and maybe we get to see the big lad open them up..

Having re-watched quite a few games this off-season, I do think he's over-penalised in the context of his actual infringements, some of which are marginal at worst. Part of the problem is self-inflicted because his short fuse makes him our #1 wind-up target for the opposition and therefore is on the ref's radar as soon as he gets on the pitch, but I do think he gets more than his fair share of penalties.

So the season starts 4 weeks today and although we have been rumoured with lots of players we still seem no nearer to signing anyone. Do people think we will start the season with what we have got, and then see who becomes available when the season starts, or make a real push to sign a Chase/Sammut type of player?

As much as I would love us to sign Chase, because he is a class act, and would take us to the next level, I cant see Cas letting him go this close to the start of the season. I think it would take an offer of £20000+ to prize him away and do we have that kind of cash? Then there is Sammut who I think would like to come here, but again Cru dont want to let him go, as Harris has made clear, and again I think a large bid would be required.

As much as I would love us to sign a British half back, there just dosen't seem any available that Agar really rates. Although Moore looks like a fantastic prospect, Agar seems to not think he is ready yet. If Agar really rated him he surely would have made a move for him, unless he is the 3rd option if Chase and Sammut dont come off.

Surely there is a young Aussie who is desperate to play first team rugby who could do a job. After all that is all Chase was when Cas signed him, and Dobson was when Wigan sgned him.

It's beginning to look like we are going with what we got, but I'm looking at it that IF we do sign anyone else its a bonus..

Players always become available mid season. If Cas/Crusaders don't want to sell, not much we can do about it. If they wanted, as you suggest, £200k for Chase and we paid it, and mid season someone in Aus of the same standard became available, people would be bleating on here about the board having made a "typical panic buy". They simply can't win. Personally I wouldn't get drawn too far into a transfer fee negotiation because essentially Crusaders/Cas hold all the cards. They want to retain their key players, understandably, we're on the back foot and they know it. Squad is paper thin, I know, but £200k on top of what we paid for Westerman starts to compromise our self-sustaining business model, and neither player, very good as they both are, can really get us round the park.

Agree to a certain extent Mrs B!!

But.................

IF an aussie from the NRL became available mid season, it could take 3 months to get a visa, then the season is over.

My main concern, is that the alleged rumours of a top NRL half coming
next season, with the new tax implications, would that hamper this deal??

Therefore if Long does retire,we are stuck!!

I'd like us to get Higham on loan,sign Moore from Batley for the future, or any good youngsters from Wakefield.

Considering what's available I think higham would be good option on loan take a bit of burden of houghton

Id like to see us move for Aaron Murphy at Wakefield and we could then move Tom in the centre and and allows to bring Reece on with no pressure,trouble is can't see teams offering Wakefield transfer fee when they know that they can get them for free at the end of the season

Any more signing news ?

Hame was on 'song' for about 2 games last season, which simply isn't good enough.

IMO he is overweight, lacks effort and gives away cheap penalties. He needs to drastically improve to even be considered for a new deal.

as someone has already pointed out in the thread, Moa came over as the much less experienced and hyped player...but has massively out performed Lauaki.

Moa is very good value and would imagine he's near the top of the list for opening contract talks.

The only worrying thing is that he may well be tempted to seek success at a different club. He wont be short of offers either.

Agar did a interview on Blunderside after the Rovers game, said we were in for some players and some rumours in the press are correct and some are wide of the mark. He also said there are no guarantees anybody else will be brought in.

Actually I think he said that there were no guarantees they would get their men (because he indicated we were possibly in for two) before the start of the season.

fair point but based on the above mentioned faults, how many other players last year does this statement describe??..
I would say most tbh..

Nothing to do with rumours but seen as though everyone is talking about Hame.....my mate went to 'meet the players' today and my mate said to Hame, "are you looking forward to playing against big Willie?"....Hame's reply " Willie who?!?!?



Go on big fella.

Nice one.

he looked like he had trimmed down a bit when i saw him at the kc today.