Not getting on Paea's back, I can fully understand if a better offer comes then he's fully justified in his choice. I was purely playing devils advocate and offering a counter argument to the one that said we have treat him appallingly.

IMO why Paea (or more his agent) couldn't have come to the club and said I've looked at the offers, I'm going to Hull. The club could then say he's leaving at the end of the season. Job done and no need for further comment. Yes the rumour and such would come out but thats inevitable. The down fall was the sincere agents statement of moving back to oz, SL is a 2nd rate sport and unstable etc which was really unnecessary.

Hudge's statement was badly worded and does look bitter, he shouldn't have mention Gentle or FC coming out and saying if they have or haven't signed, as I said before they'd be damned if they did.

I'll support MP for the rest of the season, he's had a v.good year for us and will no doubt do well at FC, obviously I will do all to note how his performance will have slipped once he's there but thats wahat we do...

Really? I didn't think Mickey Paea was on twitter.

Fair play.

Their position wasn't going to hold, there wasn't much point in making even minor PR sacrifices in a futile effort to prop it up a few days longer. This draws a line under it as best as realistically possible.
Poop was going to fly at some point, in fairness even if it had been handled properly. Not that I think it is at all justified, and hopefully it'll blow itself out swiftly.
The club could allow themselves to look daft or they could bring it to a head - tbf, they've mainly painted the agent as the villain. Outing some no-name is kinder to MP. Why should we take the hit for his (Mather's) gabbing off?

Whilst I'm delighted that Mickey has signed for us, I have some sympathy for NH and the Rovers fans. The manner of the move leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth and is not the right way to do things. However, there is little we fans can do about it and hopefully Mickey will continue to do the business for you guys. I've got to say in Rovers' defence that they have unearthed some real gems for us in McDonnell and Paea and if CS can find us any more, it will be much appreciated.

I don't see how Hudgell coming out with this in the media is helping Rovers attain and secure a place in the top 8 when you want everyone pulling together both on the field on on the terraces. The majority of Rovers fans will still support Paea whilst he wears there shirt but there will be a minority that will give him abuse as is happening on twitter now by all accounts.

In fairness his agent hasn't told untruths as he is right that SL is unstable at present with what has happened recently with Bradford, Salford and to an extent Rovers with Hudgell declaring he nor Crossland will not be bank rolling the club any further from this season, plus the farce of the ideas & possible changes to the league set up. Also Paea may well have agreed to join FC but only if he can not get a NRL gig after a certain date.

Also I can just imagine Hudgell going off the wall if Gentle or Hull FC had announced the signing of Paea whilst he is still gainfully employed by Rovers and thrown accusations of unsettling an important player during a critical time of the season etc.

Unfortunately this is the beast of professional sport and agents, wont the the first or last time this happens.

You need to know the rules of the game before posting things which are 100% wrong.

It was half way out anyway. Even East Hull FC Fan knew ffs.


They could have waited passively as it crumbled. Smashing it down quickly means we can start to tidy up the rubble and get on with things. It mightn't help, but it doesn't make things dramatically worse either, from a selfish point of view.
I agree about Gentle - I don't see any reason to be be critical of Hull FC. White lie at worst, and with the right intention, I'm sure.

I never said it would



If the reports are true and I assume we are saying they are now then he did state untruths.
He said Mickey was going back to oz to look for NRL offers, If Sl is so unstable why sign a SL contract a day or two later. I'm not criticising the move just the blatant untruths of the statement regarding his intentions.



Thats what I said

I'll again say that a 'no comment' statement was what you do if you want to keep it quiet.
If that had happened that I very much doubt that NH would have said anything.
You seem to be missing or avoiding this key point. The reason for this is down to you but calling NH bitter for clarifying Micky and his agents untruths is a little silly.

It was never going to be easy and I can't see that Hull have done anything particulalry wrong. You've signed the best OOC prop (arguably this years overall best prop) in the competition and some point you'd want to announce to sell tickets for next year.

I agree with a lot of what Mild Rover has said about Mathers, but agents work for their clients, not the clubs and he's got his client a better deal than the one he's currently on at a club that's on the rise. I'm disapointed but if Rovers had wanted him to stay they should have offered him more money or alternatively stopped gobbing off in the media about how potentially unstable the club is.

If my employer kept making veiled references to the fact they might be in serious trouble then obviously I'd be loking for another job.



You scoundrel, fop and parsnip nose, I shall see you at twenty paces at dawn.

But the only people who know for a fact at this present time that Paea has signed a deal are Paea himself, his agent and the club that has signed him everything else is just hearsay.
It maybe that Paea's preferred option is an NRL deal but maybe like I say Hull FC have agreed with Paea to sign if he can not find an NRL team by a certain date, hence FC's statement they have a offered him a deal.

Think it has been badly handled by Paea's agent to an extent but Hudgell has just ignited something that wasn't even smouldering which I can't understand at such a critical stage of the season when trying to make the top 8. Time will tell if he made the right call I guess.

I guess the 'bitterness' tag comes from the completely unnecessary reference to Peter Gentle and Hull FC in Hudgell's statement. I don't think that reference has particularly surprised anyone though.

I'd have gone with - 'A few clubs have expressed an interest and we'll get back to you when we've an announcement to make.'

Technically truthful, shuts down the conversation, doesn't beg too many questions or seek to justify a situation you're (presumably) meant to be trying to hide.

But I'm sure MP is happy with whatever % he's paying Mr Mather. If it is a big deal he's secured for his client, it'll be a fair old whack, and I'm sure he's worth every penny.

If he's got him a good deal, that is his main job.
But working quietly behind the scenes would perhaps be where he should focus his efforts.
That he's secured an attractive package for Paea at Hull - good work (not from our pov, but we don't pay his wages, as you rightly note).
The wonderfully detailed background story, that wasn't y'know... true. Well, I understand the intent, but that was some very poor execution.
He better be very good in the boardroom, is all I can say.

Will Hudgell come out with another statement when Carlisle announces he is off to saints? Keeping your fans in the dark Neil

Could you possibly make it after lunch. Now I'm retired I don't like getting up too early.

Can you send a link to were carlisle said he's leaving due to instability and is going back to oz to assess his NRL offers?

If Carlisle's agent starts making stuff up then yes he probably will.
However ATM I have heard nothing about this apart from this post.
Must try harder would I guess be my advice.

May I just say it makes a nice change to able have a pretty decent discussion on a RL issue between both Rovers & FC without it turning into insults.

Can you send me a link to Mickey Paea saying this? Just saying your chairman only obsessed because its Hull fc. Why isn't KC staying then when Withers not getting a new contract? Come on Neil...

He's British

I know, I was making the point about Paea's agents statements .... its like care in the community sometimes on here.

There is plenty in the press from Paea's agent, think its documented enough.
I would assume KC isn't staying because we haven't offered him a new contract, just as an aside if you look back on the Scott Taylor to Wigan transfer it was fairly similar and pretty certain that didn't involve FC.