phelps has certainly improved and is doing pretty well so far but going forward a player in the vain of matty bowen would be fantastic, the fullback posistion is now more important then ever and you look at what hodgson has done at hudds and wire and i would certainly look at bringing in a top fullback but its great for us to have phelps performing and trying to earn a new deal

I'd like Long to set up a half backs academy, were the top halfs in every age group can spend a few hours a week with him, a bit like Johns does but more in-depth.

He's getting better every week. Apart from his brain fart of kicking on the line I can't think of a single mistake he made on Friday. His kick returns are solid, he looks so comfortable under the high ball and he comes into the attacking line well.

Signing a 6 and a 7 for 2012 is just unrealistic.

Long has been decent for the games he's played, but we can't have the salary cap space he commands sitting in the stands for half the season. Horne I think we should keep for another year, a new 7 is a must.

Lauaki needs to step it up in the next few months to warrant the quota place, at the moment I'd release him, is performances are nowhere near consistent. Moa - get the guy signed up, 3 year+ deal I hope. Fitz, we'll see how he gets on and who's available to replace him. If we do keep him, we can;t rely on him to do the amount of work he has been. Phelps, again it depends on who's available. If we have a chance of a top fullback, then we must go for it.

Priorities:
1 - Scrum Half
2 - Full Back
3 - Prop
4 - Second Row (youth to step up).

Has anyone seen much of Mike Burnett, hows he been getting on?

sounds very good maybe look at ex players for certain posistions like radlinski obviously for young fullbacks, cunningham for the hookers. i certainly think the 1,6,7 and 9 posistions should be done been the most important posistions and the lack of players weve had at these posistions

I'd agree with you here, if we have O'meley, Moa and Obst we'd still have three quota spaces spare for those positions.

Roberts looks set to sign with Eels, so having already signed Sandow will this leave Robson or Mortimer as a potential target? www.zerotackle.com.au/eels-set-a ... anks-2044/

Roberts looks set to sign with Eels, so having already signed Sandow will this leave Robson or Mortimer as a potential target? www.zerotackle.com.au/eels-set-a ... anks-2044/

Mortimers contracted so Robson will be leaving.

I don't know why Roberts would go to Parra, he could be spending more time in the NSW cup.

Can't say I've seen much of Robson, what's he like?

Bang average.

Kicking game?

What was your opinion on Dureau though before he came across?

Some players are suited more to SL than they are to NRL

A average one, Robson won't let you down but he won't win you games.

Sounds like he fits the bill then!

I didn't mind him but thought we should have being aiming higher.

Good idea. He could do it while the 1st team are playing

How many overseas spots will we have next season , say if we don't release no one ? Or do we have to lose one from this year just to be ok ?

Depends how many no ones we don't release

If they've clocked up that many games and are still fringe players will they be good enough?

I'm not saying that there are zero candidates but I reckon they're a lot thinner on the ground than some seem to think. I'm also pretty sure, given our attempts that got blocked by visa issues, that we [iare[/i looking. Whether we have the right contacts to be looking on the right places is another issue.

Quota

O'meley
Fitzgibbon
Phelps
Obst

Non fed

O'meley
Fitzgibbon
Phelps
Moa
Lauaki

All, apart from Obst, are ooc.

Obst wasn't even a fringe player in Oz and some on here hail him as the new messiah. green, dobson, dureau were hardly 1st team regulars in oz. We just need 2 solid half backs with decent kicking games who will each play 20+ games a season. If we can get that and start backing up the ball carrier then we'll improve. Get a decent coach and we may even be challenging.

When NRL teams get an injury they have little hesitation in bring in the equivalent player from their Toyota cup team and even if this is in an important position 1,6,7,9. They would rather play an young 7 than bring him in at centre and put the first team centre at 7. I saw Canberra play a young fullback Massey as Dugan was injured, he played well in a struggling side in torrential rain. they lost but I don't think they will have any hesitation in using him again.

Case in point the giant lad Pearce who seems to have been lost in the reserves, pretty sure ow he will never get a game in SL or he already would have surely? The amount of under 23 year old forwards in the NRL is scary.

It would benefit our league if our reserve grade was of a higher level. I feel a little bit as if the lower leagues dilute the talent that we have in this country a bit. If there wasn't a championship league would academies and reserve teams have a better standard of players?

I think he only started playing RL last year so maybe not the best example.

But if he was already playing union it can't take over a year to adapt can it? Or is he flopping on every tackle and doing throw ins?

If he was an ex-downhill skiier then maybe.... or am I being harsh?