Quote smoking monkey="smoking monkey"To be fair Wakey haven't recruited what I would consider to be a bad player as yet....but have they recruited anyone their existing club even tried to keep??'"
Isn't that the case with most signings, your comment means very little these days. Very few clubs by in contract players. Hence the choice is almost always down to the player at the end of his contract. As far as I can tell Ellis and Wilkes were simply offered better deals by us that Quins could or would not match, they were however offered deals. Fox is clearly an out of favour player it happens. Southern is a typical Aussie signing that may or may not pay off, we have all been there Cas included. Lauatiti is clearly a player who we could take a flyer on because for well documented reasons we have a load of space in our salary cap.
I think most Cas fans would have Lauititi given the chance. I personally wouldn't but I'm not typical. Ellis, Wilkes and Fox would easily get a place in your team as I'm sure many of yours would in ours.
As Slugger says it's not a todger measuring contest. It's a team game and sometimes the teams with the best individuals are not the best teams, it's how they gel that matters.
Ellis may be about to have the finest season of his career and be pressing for England honours by next September. He may also turn out to be a total dud. You can't judge how good a signing is until the end of his time at the club not the start.
I don't recall Rangi Chase having many if any offers whilst down under, yet you all seem to feel him a good signing.