What if such a player never becomes available for next year?
Sometimes you have to make a decision when an opportunity presents itself and then run with it.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Why sign a player, who has the same qualities, as players already in the squad??

There IS somebody available!! - Check the players I mentioned in my post.

Is james webster was still able to do a job at super league level I'm sure a team would have snapped him up

You'd give Webster a playing contract despite him having not played in SL for two seasons - in fact only one top flight game since April 2008?

We need a back up half...so looks as though we are getting one that is young,hungry,playing for a contract and has experience of the NRL and we still fecking moan.....how about giving him a chance before you all start with your words of wisdom.

Well said.

Apparently he's a star in the reserve grade over there, which means he'll be a world beater over here.

doesn't matter who we sign or who we are linked with, nobody is ever good enough for us! really does my head in



i remember when people on here were doubting the signings of fitz and o'meley last season!

i think at one time widnes were holding his players registry ( don't have clue if they still are ), so when he came as agars number 2, he'd not be playing at fc also

I'm usually accused of being a club apologist, but he's 27 and has no kicking game apparently. Our recruitment of Sharp and Westerman for Calderwood and Cusack is pretty good. Will support him obviously, but not convinced he's the answer to getting us round the park against the likes of Wigan if Long's injured.

Oh FFS....he will be a damn sight better than bloody Washy and Berro.So he is 27...jesus thats still young and as for kicking game...we havent got one now so he will fit right in.

Why dont you try and watch him play and not go on newspaper reports and hearsay.

So who is the answer...........no bugger else out there and he can cover houghton as well or do you want the slug and 1 trick pony that is Washbrook covering hooker.

well said, hes not even here and where moaning about him, he my come here and be brilliant, who knows??? if/when he signs, lets give the kid a chance

if its a 1 year deal, its a risk i'd like us to take

I agree.

Why sign a backup for Long, when allegedly he has no kicking game.

If Long gets injured, we'd be back to square one.

If Rovelli is non quota, fine. - he'd be ok at 6 or 9. - but we still need a 7- IMHO.

He's better than nothing, agreed, and very likely better than Washy, agreed. I'm not going on a newspaper report, just comments from people who've seen him play. As an example, the Roosters messageboard was wearing a virtual black armband when Fitz left, and people who see players week in week out sometimes have a more informed opinion than I do, as I've never seen him play.

He is maybe as good as we could have got for a short term sticking plaster. But let's think about 2012. Rumours are Horne may retire and Long will be 35. We've no obvious HB coming through the academy who'll be a first choice HB then. To me, Briggs under the guidance of Long for a year would have been a better option, or better still Robinson (although his fee would probably be prohibitive). He might end up being fine, but this is an opportunity to use Long to bring someone through that's nearly ready IMO.

Been told by a club source, we are in for a big prop from Oz? Anyone fancy a guess?

Shillington according to some people

Why another prop from Oz?

Maybe the club feel that Nicklas and Williams are the best long term option, and signing a top 7 & 6 for 2012,13 & 14 is the way to bring these 2 on. Therefore, in the short term, Rovelli is the best cover we can get.
Who's to say Long won't be here after 2011 in a coaching capacity anyway?

Stop it now. Unnecessary teasing.

So you're basically writing the lad off before he even gets over here, if he is too. You say he has no kicking game apparently so you've either not seen him or hardly seen him play? I'd wait until we see him play for us before even attempting to make a judgement before he arrives. He may be crap, he may be excellent and be here for many years, no one knows let's give it a chance. Plus I'd say out recruitment of Calderwood and Cusack for Sharp and Westerman is a bit more than good.

I specifically asked Sheldon the kicking game question as he is in Australia and watches a lot of NRL and he said Rovelli's kicking game is "very average". Believe me, I'd like nothing more than for him to rip it up over here. But IMO it's not a signing to get giddy about - this is more Todd Byrne (who I also liked BTW) than Craig Fitzgibbon and with a reasonable possibility that both our halves may not be here in 2012, I think it's fair to question whether we could have done better from a long term planning perspective.TBF to the club, we're trying (Myler, Briggs etc) and if this is all that's available, fine.

I've never seen Grant Rovelli play - indeed I'd never heard of him until a few weeks ago. However given that this would almost certainly be a Treisteresque short term deal I'd be OK with his signing. I don't imagine there are too many imports willing to agree a one year deal.

If we are targeting a high profile half back for 2012 then Rovelli - with around 100 NRL appearances and a point to prove - for one year as cover is fine with me.

On the other side of that I can't imagine too many being available now and on the terms we'll be offering, maybe a one year prove your worth type of deal, you wouldn't get too many jumping at the chance of it. Plus they will be a backup half, when fit Long/Horne will play so we need cover for when they don't so to the player that's probably not too attractive. Get a player who's wanting to play, wanting to prove his worth when he gets the chance and we could end up with a fairly decent player on our hands. As you say this time next season we could be looking to replace both of them so then I'd expect us to be looking big and a signing to get excited about, right now it's just cover.

Shillington for 2012.