I think this whole situation stinks.. The longer we let this rumble on the more it will have a detriment to our 2020 season. I was happy when I discovered that Merrin had agreed to return after he was unable to make his move during the agreed date set by the club. I was also happy with the potential prior signing if we could work him into our cap alongside Merrin and Konrad as marquees BUT if Prior is a direct replacement for Merrin on marquee money I would be very underwhelmed. I'd rather we went to St Helens and temped Thompson or Walmsley with big money. Or go for players such as Liam Watts and David Fifita and offer them big money. They are players who are already based over here in super league

Defo take Walmsley or Watts.

Watts and Fifita might be more realistic, but it's still a push, requiring significant transfer fees, cap space (quota space for Fifita), and agreement from the club and player. For the Saints players, given salary cap constraints, what makes you think Leeds are in a position to prize away one of the best players in the competition and out-bid the current SL champions?

Even in past big-spending eras we could arguably only sign Wigan's cast-offs in the 1990s (Hanley, Gregory, Goodway etc), Union project signings (Gallagher failed, Innes went well), players on the outer in the NRL in the 2000s (Lauitiiti, Leuluai etc), asset strip poorer SL teams (e.g. Ellis, Harris), or pick up players out-of-contract (e.g. Peacock - and let's not forget a big part of this was him playing for his hometown club). Remember even the cash-strapped Bulls wouldn't let us sign Vainikolo, however much we wanted him.

The point is that as wealthy as we may be relative to other SL clubs, there are, and have always been, limits to what the club can do by throwing money around. It's not fantasy RL.

I don't think Prior's worth marquee money. I've no idea why Leeds want him so much tbh.

We love underwhelming, injury prone, light quota Props. Kylie and Ali have been the only two greats.

Has there been a credible suggestion that Leeds will offer him marquee money?

Looks like Aussie journalists looking at our public interest in the player (Prior) and putting two and two together. If Leeds go for a deal like this I would expect them to push to get a lot more out of it, as others have pointed out.

More chance of Curly watts.

I've no idea what he'll be on. All I know is he's a solid prop who's over 30. I don't know why we've seemingly targeted him. Ava shows that if you do decent research you can get quality.

You make some fair comments. I only meant we'd be able to compete for these players if the marquee spot was to become available if Merrin was to leave - without an available spot I agree they may not be achievable. I don't know if saints are using their marquee spots but I imagine that between Coote / Thomspon / Naiqama / Roby and Walmsley there must be 2 of them that are on it. if either Walmsley or Thompson wasn't in the marquee spots I'd go after one of them.

It was reported that he has multiple offers still in the NRL so to come over here, he would want marquee money. Ava is nothing like Prior. Ava is big heavy metre maker, Prior in my opinion is a 2nd rower tough nut, good defensively, but not what we need.

Saints have lost Morgan, Douglas, Richardson and Swift this term without replacement. Rumour has it this was so that we have no current marquees, to sign a big name Tongan and re-sign Thompson (and more signings at the end of next year IF the marquee rule is increased to 3). Whether its true or not I don't know. We certainly didn't announce any signing as a marquee, like we did with Barba.

Walmsley re-signed at the start of last year until 2022, and I can't see Walmsley interested in doing anything other than seeing out his contract (hes spoken at length at his gratitude with the club for supporting him through his neck injury last year). That leaves Thompson, whom will either stay at Saints or go to the NRL, I dont think there is any other decision, irrespective of money (Lifelong Saints fan, put his grandmothers house down on the town team forms to play for Saints as a kid, his Dads company are shirt sponsors etc).