Indeed, along with people back in the UK believing that you need to sell your wife and one of your kidneys to be able to afford food.

Who can forget Banana's at 13 bucks a kilo!

I live in Melbourne and I thought it would be hotter , however I love the summer here and Jan Feb was average 26c and we had 2 days at 40c only.
Melbourne is on the same lateral line as north hemisphere as Lisbon, Valencia but doesn't have the same Balearic hot endless sunny days summer !!! not at all , in fact Melbourne hasn't strung together 7 cloudless days in the 2 summers I have been here.
But it's mid winter here and 15c today and shorts for me when I take my daughter to tennis in 10 minutes time

G Widdup ??

How are you finding living in Newcastle?

Enjoying it so far, it's a big change from England that's for sure! Haven't really explored Newcastle that much as we're staying down in Nelson Bay (which is beautiful but is like a ghost town with it being winter). Hoping to go to the Knights game on Saturday, my first taste of NRL in the flesh.

Only name I have heard on NRL fullbacks is Locke at NZW but can't see that happening.

I expect the 6 to be young and british then 3/4 big names on top like the halves/NRL prop.

Johnson played well for Wakey the other night I thought....

He can come to Hull and enjoy the annual ballet festival, Monet exhibitions and performances at the North Humberside Opera House (sorry, East Yorkshire).

Hull abhors a vacuum.

Would be a brilliant signing, but agree I just can't see it. Unless NZW fancy this young fullback they have coming through I can't see them wanting to let him go, never mind him leaving the NRL.

I just don't see it with Johnson Paul, he just looks ordinary to me. A step up from O'Carroll but not what we want or need IMO. I'd rather have someone like Larne Patrick or Scott Taylor.

It's Paul Johnson actually

I have to agree, doesn't look big enough and apart from injuries not sure he is better than O Carroll.

However with a shortage of good props available we may have to sign a project like him. If we signed a big NRL prop then I could live with:

Lynch
Watts
NRL prop
Johnson
Bowden

Thats 3 big props and two young props.

I'm still hoping with make a move for Kopczak, if Taylor is out of our reach.

Nice run and offload which they should have scored from. Of corse I would rather sign Taylor/Patrick/Eorl, but we can't sign 10 internationals.

Those 5 props would be very disappointing to me and not good enough to be a top 4 side. We need a quality nrl prop AND a very good established sl prop as a minimum IMO.

Some people's wishes maybe granted it appears. A first team player hinted to a friend about us signing Larne Patrick. He would not elaborate on if it was a done deal or we were just inquiring! I for one would be very happy.

Why can't we sign 10 internationals Wire do.

. Wire have 20 players on 100k plus but still manage to get below the salary cap.

Signed a contract extension with them this season so highly unlikely i would say

For the half back role it's Holdsworth and chase and if we cannot get them third choice Brough, looks like everyone knows Jason Crookes is signing for us and then i think that just leaves a spot for another big (NRL?) front rower. See Westerman and Ellis being our first choice second rower if tickle leaves, no disrespect to Westy but think you can really tell the difference when Richard Whiting is in at 13. Depending on how we end this campaign, would really like to see josh bowden given more of a role, see him as a perfect like for like replacement when Lynch retires. Although could seeing us maybe taking advantage of the Huddersfield exodus and maybe a few ore from Bradford.

1. Richard Horne
2. Jason Crookes
3. Joe Arundel
4. Kirk Yeaman
5.Tom Briscoe
6.Daniel Holdsworth
7.Rangi Chase
8.(NRL Prop ?)
9.Danny Houghton
10.Andy Lynch
11.Joe Westerman
12.Gareth Ellis
13.Richard Whiting

14.Aaron Heremaia
15.Liam Watts
16.Josh Bowden
17.Jay Pitts

Shannon McDonnell will be our fullback next year I reckon and think we will get Scott Taylor

Taylor defo

As for Shannon, there is better, besides, we've signed Widdup

Winking eck!

As many people have said, Smailes has come out and said that we will NOT be signing Danny Brough. Where also signing Crabtree, Patrick, a top NRL prop and a top NRL fullback. According to rumours on here. Doesn't add up myself.

Imo I don't think we'll manage to sign Chase nor will we sign Patrick or Crabtree, and an NRL fullback won't be coming either. I do believe we will sign Holdsworth, NRL prop probably Kite and Taylor from KR.
All my opinion of course.

I hope we don't go anywhere near Crabtree

Crabs dont grow on trees

If he cut his hair he'd be seen for not running his weight, he goes missing too often for me as well, we near a tear up rough 4rse prop.