After all the rumours about him signing he has gone to the Bulls along with Carvel, so whos next to knock us back. Any more rumours or information I heard a Queensland Cowboy,Fakir from Catalan,any more

A cowboy? Yeehaw!

Including Spats I thin thatswhat they call them

Rumors in Newcastle that Neville Costigan is talking to Hull KR and Warrington.

Neville played for Queensland in SOO and is a premiership winner for Saint George as well as an International for PNG.
He is an 80 minute second rower or a 60 minute prop and even though he is a few years past his best, he is a brutal defender who few want to run at twice, and he can still make his share of metres.
He won't add a lot to your attack, but he'll give your defence some serious fear factor.

Looks like he's going to Warrington then

They have just signed Asotasi today so hopefully they might let us have this one!! Was very impressive against the Titans this weekend

You won't get a bigger cowboy than Travis Burns. He comes from a part of Queensland where his sporting choices would have been Rugby League or Bull riding.

If Costigan is an option I would snap him up. Would be a real pack leader. Perhaps Stanley Gene's influence could tip things in our favour?

Think Sandy will have an influence too but since i thought we were signing Carvell, Ferguson or Fakir i won't get my hopes up

Too many seem to think a name rumoured on here constitutes an approach from the club, it doesn't. I wonder if Rovers have even had any of these names as targets in the first place.

Sounds ideal tbh. Our effective overseas places will be 5+Lovegrove next year. Burns and ET taking 2 of the 5, so if Mika stays that leaves only 2, so they need to be high-end ideally. I don't think we'll get anybody quite on Dobson's level, so giving whoever it is and Burns a good platform has to be a priority.

You love this time of the year don't you when you can impress everybody with your grasp of the quota/non-fed malarkey?


I think that Mika will go and we will head Down Under for a scrum half, prop and backrower.

Question for Roopy. I Have only really seen Costigan play in the backrow. Is he at the stage in his career when he is likely to be moving up to prop?

Last chance, unfortunately. 5 with an exemption for Lovegrove is pretty straightforward.



Happily the new League structure they've suggested is so convoluted that I think I might find a new niche. My plan is to just say Rovers are champions irrespective of results, because if you...

He played prop for Saint George for about 10 games all the way to the grandfinal, and some say that was his best period. At the Knights he has been at his best playing lock and defending in the middle like a prop while having a few runs at the edge.
I don't think he likes the role of prop in the NRL, but he'll probably be OK with it in the ESL. He isn't a giant at 101kg and 5'10".

Really good effort MR, but unfortunately all you've done is given us the formula for Special Brew. Cheers!!!

I thought his size may be an issue at prop. If he came I would guess he would play the looseforward role for us that Mika currently fills. A significant upgrade I would say, without being disrespectful to Mika. He could also take young George Griffin under his wing assuming he extends his stay with us.

Rovers have spoken to a few players who have taken up contracts elsewhere.
There are lots of things to factor.
Money is usually king.
Location
Meeting ambitions.
Stability of the club etc etc

Would of been nice to get Ferguson but the club had a valuation of what salary they felt he was worth.
Bradford bettered it.

There will be other options.

Without knowing figures involved it is difficult to comment but there is an argument that whoever has the final decision on putting values on players is not doing the Club any favours. Bradford obviously think that Ferguson is worth the salary they settled on. Who is right?

Francis Cummins stated that Ferguson joined the Bulls despite the fact other club's he was more familiar with werein for him so that sounds like we made him an offer. Obviously bettered i understand this tightening the belt stuff but we have lost Paea, Beaumont and Carille cos of financial restraints and now we have lost out on someone who is tailor made to replace Paterson.

Shame about Ferguson. We'll just have to accept that with the club chairman being honest about the finances we'll miss out on people.

I for one trust Sandercock. He has improved just about everyone. Our props improve immensly the more he coaches them. Look at Taylor. Had a great season last year now seems to have gone backwards at Wigan having had a real chance to claim a starting spot there. Paea has played his best rugby under Sandercock
When judas, Blake Green and Galea left last year you would have long odds of replacing them with better. Sandercock got Eden Burns and Paterson who have been an improvement on all of them. If he repeats this trick with Dobson, Paterson and Paea we will have a great team next year.
If we continue this improvement we may have a lot of clubs after our coach!
He seems to pick good athletes with a decent skill set and get the very best out of them. All this said it may depend on money, though Burns and Paterson were offered better financial packages but wanted to play for Sandercock. Money just gets mercenaries....look over the river. How's Ellis' retirement fund looking. Is he with the same pension company as Long, O'Meley, Fitzgibbon etc etc.

=#FF0000edit - MR.

It's not just MR