Hope AP has a 8 year deal ready to offer

I'm really not sure about us concentrating recruitment on another outside back. To me the real hole in the squad is clearly for another prop, or else we're gambling heavily on Paleaaesina and/or Green/Bowden to really shine. In contrast, unless we have an outside back leaving I don't see where we need one. Raises a slight concern with me if we honestly think our props are sorted and another backrower and an outside back were more urgent requirements.

There was also a pointed remark about it not being like last year when they 'came in in dribs and drabs, particularly from Australia when they wanted to.' If that wasn't a clear pop at Holdsworth and possibly even questioning his commitment then my subtext reading is on the blink. Another thing he picked out was our kicking game still being hit and miss, which is almost all Holdsworth and pretty much all he did quite often.

He may not have gushed about Miller like he did Horne, but he didn't throw out any veiled criticism like he seemed to about Holdsworth, either.

AP pretty much said that Gentle sealed his fate by taking off Houghton and Hezza at same time at Udders

Sounds like he really likes Danny (like he had massive respect for Lynch

)

I'm no fan of Holdsworth, but, to be fair, he got married at the end of last season in Australia and Hull honoured his agreement with Salford to have extra time off.

Absolutely right. I just can't see how we're going to get over the top of other packs. Last season when we "performed" , Cats away and the cup semi for example , we did it by sheer graft and scrambling defence. I don't see this pack being as good at that type of game or compensating for that by having size and enough of a nasty edge to dominate other teams.

In respect of being at full cap , what would we have done if Briscoe had accepted the huge offer we made?

We wouldn't have been able to offer as many upgrades and extensions.

To be honest, If Briscoe had left 12 months ago, I'd have been bothered by it, but the way he touted himself to NRL and the way he underperformed last year, I couldn't give a flying one.

I'll get behind Tom Biggs. He's here for 3 years and is FC through and through, regardless of where he made his name. He'll try harder than most.

Could the look for a new half be to replace Horne as there was talk of him going into coaching the academy.

Scratch that .. Just listening to the replay. Holdworth packing his case then .
Thompson a future centre ?, Wasn't he in the mail saying he wants to play backrow ?

Adam Pearson also referred to our recent signing from Castleford as a centre. I am aware that he has played there before but I was under the impression that he was probably going to play in the forwards.

With Westy getting a rumoured 2 year deal, Jordan Thompson will be centre I reckon. Ellis needs to run out wide.

Really hope we move Yeaman on now, we can't keep him out of sentiment. He's not going to repeat that record-breaking season several years ago.

We dont keep yeamo out of sentiment hes been one of the best centres in SL, + hes FC through & through, what we want at our club, hes long spell at the club means part of his salary stays off the cap, so you tell us where we can get a world class centre from? who can play like him when hes on form and we will get rid of him for you!!! hes not going to repeat the record-breaking season several years ago as he dosent get the service as our HB recruitment as been poor in recent seasons. you drip!!!

It's £50k per club and covers Horne as well as Yeaman at present so unless Horne is retiring then Yeaman leaving would not affect us in relation to this rule.

Briscoe did'nt get any service either, but his stats are far superior. Yeaman offers nothing going forward. He doesn't run lines and relies on bash and barge. It doesnt work anymore. He has been one of the best centres in super league, he certainly isn't anymore. Whilst I appreciate Crooks has had better service, its what he's done with that service that shows Yeaman for the old stager he's become. And did you really call someone a drip?!

With crookes, crooks, biggs, yeaman, lineham and arundell, I don't see the need for another outside back when you add in McDonnell and shaul as wing cover. Presume at least one of those is on his way out

Outside back to come in to cover wing centre full back.
Shannon DJ trade for a half???

Regarding the cap I thought we had been told that there was cap space left for if someone stood out at the world cup ??

Horne can cover those 3 positions if needed plus Thompson can play centre if thats where Radford sees him.

What happens when you have a massive chunk of cap on one 'waste of space' player in Mr Ellis!

What a daft post, how is Ellis a waste of space signing?

Did i also hear him say Hudgell favored a 10 team super league?

Gollum is such a tool. First words he utters and he gets the day wrong.

It's starting to look like we invested a "marquee" amount of money into Ellis with the partial intention at least that his signing would be the signal of intent that would attract other big names BUT then we don't have the cap space left to pay them enough to get them in! We seem to have been down this path for quite a number of years now where we stumble from one years recruitment to the next and never seem able to draw a line under the previous year's "mistakes". And I still don't understand what the plan would have been had Briscoe stayed. It suggests that players would have had to have left to allow upgrades or that we would have lost those players and that there would have been no space for some of the acquisitions made . If we are actually at full cap at the moment that is.
It'll never happen but it would be so interesting to see the actual contracts values.

Very good and very positive always speaks very well.

It was AP who said we are looking at outside back and the halfs. And he said Horne struggles with injuries that's maybe why they want another back.

What about Whiting ?

The rule aplies after 10 years service does nt it, not at the end of the testimonial year?