I think this would be best for the club in the long run but i just don't know if he's up to the job (hope i'm wrong) granted he's never had a run at any position let alone his supposed best.

Is ward no longer considered our 13?

If he didn’t have the injury history then I think 13 would be best position for Ward. However, I wonder if we now see him a slightly wider running second row with good hands. I think he will look good next to Gale as they are both smart players. If you play Ward in the middle I wonder if you just increase his workload and raise the possibility of him getting injured.

In terms of Smith I think he should be our 13 and I think if he gets a good run he will get more confidence and fitness. The only problem I can see is if you go with Smith at 13 and Ward/Martin second row then a lot of pressure on props to do big yards and not sure we have that at the moment.

In terms of brining in another player I am not sure anybody suitable is available and I would rather we waited and got the correct player longer term. Boyd looks great on paper but questionable attitude, questionable fitness and not sure he really wants to come to the UK. Could be with us a season and then back to Aus which isn’t what we need.

On balance stay in the market and if somebody comes up take them, if not start looking for next year and line up a really high quality addition.

Totally agree regarding recruitment. We need the right player and if that means waiting so be it.

I'm yet to be convinced by Smith but in fairness to him he hasn't had a good run in his favoured position.

Wrong. Was stated if Merrin goes we have a replacement. In Agars words (we won’t be left short that’s for sure). So are we forgetting once again?

Course we aren’t forgetting. However, who we had in mind may have had a change of heart. We may have had a change of heart or felt we have enough. We could simply be waiting for a few things to fall into place before we announce something. Lastly and more importantly we may have done some further work on a deal with a player (Boyd for example) and decided it isn’t worth the money.

Last thing on that is a what are you meant to do with Merrin if he wants to go? Say no stay as our captain, in fact we will force you to stay? Doesn’t seem any point to me, need people who want to play And want to be here, if you don’t want to be here then don’t be.

Obviously all the above is just my opinion but as somebody who has decided to post more on the boards after reading for a long time I do wonder why some fans are so into signings signings signings. We got ourselves into a right mess signing the wrong players as they were available, we need to wait for the right player and I don’t mind waiting for that kind of player instead of clogging up the squad with an Aussie forward who isn’t that good. Quality over Quantity for me.

Excluding Boyd name an NRL forward we could realistically sign now for the coming season who would make us significantly better and we wouldn’t need to offer a 3-4 year contract? I can’t think of anybody who immediately springs to mine, can you?

Amazing how many are saying we should be paitent waiting for the right player despite being promised Merrins replacement had been identified but are happy to see a pointless addition like Evans sign on loan.

I can see the benefits of the Evans signing. It provides cover, he may surprise a few and their are no long term commitments.
I was disappointed to see Merrin leave because his quality shone like a beacon last year despite the dour season. It’s that type of quality we need to take the next step forward. Rushing the decision may prove very counter productive. With the sums involved the decision has to be correct
Regarding Smith, I hope he improves this year and is given a fair crack. However, so many of the younger players show promise and then do not deliver. Why?——- I have no idea. Sometimes they simply cannot make that big step from Academy to first team. This is especially the case with those who have the ball handling skills we need so much.
Let’s just hope that we are lucky with injuries in 2020 and take a big step in the recovery process. If we do 2021 may prove very interesting.

See post above. Identified does not mean signed, identified does not mean will be coming this year. Identified means just that. That identified player may have decided they actually don’t Fancy coming to the UK this year.

I will ask what I asked above, excluding Boyd which NRL forward who is available now would you like to sign?

In terms of Evans it is a one year loan to cover the outside backs where we have zero cover and players returning from long term injuries.

Sometimes you have to go with what's available. We don't have a lot experience in that back line.

Walker L.Suttcliffe have won GF's & played in relegation battles Handley has plenty of apps Hurrell is a seasoned international Newman is still a rookie but has earned his starting spot. Throw in A.Sutty has versatility & played a full season at Fev plis Mellor has exp playing centre.Now it does lack depth but is it desperate?
Imo too many look at the age of a player as a marker of inexperience or being a seasoned pro. Evans is the perfect example of a player on the way down at 27 IF he had lived up to the hype he would be atthe very least a well established SL Centre. Also where does this myth that he covers FB & Wing come from? He's a centre that played a few games on the wing when Wire got desperate.

Agree with this, I think the only mistake the club have really made is coming out at the time and saying they won't be letting him leave until a replacement is lined up - that was a mistake and makes them look daft now he's long gone and there's no sign of the replacement imho.