As i have said he is better than some of their props in their starting 17, so I think he would.

I agree with the rest of your post.

I wasn't having a go at Dowes and I do rate him as one of our better props (not that there is much to be better than).

I was having a go at another aspect of our retention/recruitment which has resulted in probably the smallest group of props in SL with the least go-forward but a willingness to work hard. Very boring/frustrating to watch.

In today's League Express that Cusack had started negotiations on a new deal before his injury.

FANTASTIC !!!! I had a strong feeling that this would happen. So much for our clear-out for 2010 and bringing in quality with our space in the salary cap. Agar must have a real vision for our squad next season if he sees Radford and now Cusack as integral parts of our pack. Let's get everyone signed up now Agar!! All the forwards that don't go forward and all the mediocre utility players that we have in abundance !!

Who will it be next Agar ???? Thorman ?? Byrne back after his injury is sorted ??

This man has no idea what our squad needs in order to compete again at the top of SL !!!

We really aspire to improve don't we?

Quota drops again for 2011 though. A 1 year deal for Cusack given his good start to the season is not outrageous in that context, with other overseas players (Lauaki, Berro, Fitz) all signed up already on longer deals.

The only people aspiring to a quality squad are the people on here. Radford and now Cusack are obviously the first parts of a jigsaw that will ultimately result in another average squad for the 2010 season.

We have become a laughing stock !!!! Agar is obviously going to continue on this road to cementing us into total mid-table mediocrity.

He is the opposite of what we need in our front row and, for me, was the very obvious forward to make way for a big go-forward prop. But no, Agar obviously wants a hard working pack rather than one that actually takes us forwards.

First of all, I fully agree that our pack is in desperate need of some go-forward and impact. However, looking at the other side of the equation...

You need more than one workhorse prop. At the moment we (nominally at least) use Dowes and Cusack. When Cusack goes his role will need to be replaced. That would mean using Radford, King, Thacks or Maloney. IMO Cusack is a better workhorse prop than any of those (although Maloney is still developing of course).

I guess it would depend on who else is being signed and/or released, but having Cusack here for one more season isn't necessarily as daft as it sounds. Although I would question whether it's the best use of a quota spot.

We have already stregthened our pack - Lauaki has been described as a "human wrecking ball" and Fitzgibbon will improve us.

We have Berrigan, Fitzgibbon and Lauaki already signed up for 2011 as overseas players. The quota, I think, is 5. We therefore have 2 spots left for 2011. We need a scrum half and either a FB or Centre for the other 2 -class overseas players will only come on a 2 year plus deal therefore to offer Cusack a 1 year deal for 2010 was not a bad call. Since his serious injury, though, I'd hope we were exploring alternative options.

you need hard working props grow up and realise this

So with a "9 year" SL licence (as some spinners like to say) we are signing 32 year old Aussies on one year deals. Fantastic building of the future that

I'd forgotten Fitz was just a one year deal

Good thinking by the club that as it leaves options open for 2011 when the overseas total drops to 5.

Not sure we can write off the club's plans of "building for the future" until we see the full squad for 2010, although you must admit, with the homegrown requirement increasing every year, it's good business to have signed up Briscoe, Burnett and Houghton.

Grow up ???? f$ck you !!!

Very grown up.

Oh yes !! Grow up is a real sensible and grown up thing to say isn't it !!!

If that's all some halfwit wants to say, then he'll get nothing but my very grown up response.

What's it got to do with you anyway ???

Terrible decison it this happens.

It would be a very terrible decision. If this is Agar's version of strengthening our squad for a real tilt at SL 2010 then I am very underwhelmed indeed.

he's probably sounding out luke dire and tangata toa as we speak

Whitestar I'am in full agreement,what we need is staring us in the face,we have absolutely no go forward we need at least two rough house props to get us on the front foot,this is our priority,last year I thought we needed to add to our pack,instead we get rid of our best prop and replace him with????

Until we rectify this we could have Thurston behind that pack and he would get nowhere.

We didn't 'get rid' of Carvell - he walked out on us after first signing a new contract. He did this so late on that we weren't able to sign a replacement in good time. We then signed Lauaki to replace him - who got stranded with visa problems.

We have certainly had more than our fair share of bad luck in various ways but I do agree with Carlotti that we just don't help ourselves when it comes to recruitment. It seems like our squad's inadequacies are there for all to see but we just don't do enough about it.

What sort of business gets a future employee to fill out their own visa applications?

And I think carvell went because he knew agar wasn't up to it

Oh I agree that our recruitment and retention since McRae left has been pi$$ poor for the large part, but in this particular case we were stitched up.

The most annoying part of it is that I think we [ido[/i identify our weaknesses but then just completely stuff up our attempts to address them.

You're right !! On a number of occasions, I have heard Agar and Peter Sharpe say exactly what I wanted them to say with regard to what our squad needed in order to be the best but then they seem to do almost the opposite. Christ knows why ???