also What 2nd rowers are out of contract at Hudds that Brown might want to bring with him..??

Laffranchi holds an Italian passport and is not on quota according to his player profile on Saints website.

Laffranchi is a non-federation trained player. We have five such players and can't sign another one unless one of the current crop, all of whom are contracted into next year, leaves early.

Finch and his agent were both seen up at Langtree. He was also seen in the Griffin Pub. Rumours also heard is that Perry, Meli and Shenton are on their way out.

Meli's out of contract and Shenton looks to be being offered around Super League at the moment. But who would we replace Josh Perry with? We couldn't sign Finch (Not that I think we will, he's just trying to get more money out of Wigan) AND a new prop.

Finch/Manu/Turner would be pretty close to the ideal signings.

A class organising half, a line breaking back row and a powerful/speedy centre are EXACTLY what our squad needs.

If we could ship out Perry for a top class prop, we'd be there.

Then again, I doubt this rumour is true.

Where are we going to get this top class prop from exactly? We couldn't do that AND sign Finch.

Even if we did somehow do as you mention the squad still wouldn't be good enough to win Super League.

No thanks

He did say if we could. Surely even you with your negative views on everything Saints can see that with the 3 rumoured signings plus a quality prop that we would be a quality team?

If Brown has canned the Manu deal he gets +10 intelligence.

Stupid idea signing a 33-yo.

Agreed.

Funny how we get booted out of the CC due to an inept halfback and then all of a sudden we are signing an ok halfback from the rivals who booted us out.

I'd rather us go with Gaskell and Lomax, properly coached, than sign another bloody antipodean.

more worrying that it was even on the cards without Brown's say so in the first place.

Who made the decision? Why didn't they check with the coach that he wanted the player?

Someone who pays to sit in the stand.

But being serious, I think Carl Forster was unlucky to lose his spot in the team to Perry for the semi. Perry did not show that Rush was right to bring him back in. By the end of the season I would hope that Carl will be pulling his weight as a regular. If he is going to be a Superstar or just a squad player is down to him but I imagine he has a long future a head of him.

Not many of the names that have gone around have excited me I have to say. Given how good the other players overseas players we have at the moment are I would think twice before getting any more in. The best part about signing Finch is Wigan will lose both half backs in the off season. I do not think Finch is a great player but having said that, he does have what we are missing at the moment and could bring a lot to us.

Best thing that can happen is we force up the value of his next Wigan contract.

How do you know it was conducted without Brown's say so?

This is exactly why I cannot see this being true.