Physical maturity plays a much bigger part in RL, though. Too many kids (unless they're physical freaks) in one squad mean they'll just get pushed off the park.

Am I correct in thinking that who ever you sign from now on has to be British, because you overseas quota for next year is already full?

I think so - Perry/Lance/Laffranchi/Soliola/TP = 5 non-fed.

Flannery/Meli signed pre-08 so don't count on the non-fed quota.

Anyone know what the 2008 non-fed cut off date was? TP signed in April 2008 I think. If TP is exempt, then we have a space, otherwise we're done.

I hope we're done anyway - 7 is 2 too many in my opinion and the sooner the exemptions all expire the better.

Other than Griffin I'm not aware of any "decent" British props available for next year. So if he does indeed choose Leeds over yourselves, I'm intrigued as to who you'll sign, if anyone.

Because looking at Saints squad next year, your certainly short a prop IMO.

They don't need a game breaker, we just need someone who's heavy and hard working to carrythings on for 40 minutes a game. That why I mentioned Dowes, who's OOC.

Perry/LMS/Laffranchi/Clough are our front 4 and we certainly need someone else alongside Magennis/TP who can step in.

Starting pack and bench still v strong IMO, but sorely lacking after that (sound familiar?!)

Perry
Roby
Laffranchi
Soliola
Flannery
Wilkin

LMS
TP
Clough
Moore

2 or 3 injuries in the pack would cause problems.

Dowes is not a bad call. Does suffer from quite a lot of injury's though. Is that a quality you look for in new recruit's?

A little underwhelming if anything though after losing Graham to the NRL and with it being your maiden season in the new stadium.



Yeah you right you've no real depth after that. Like you say good starters.. Correct me If I'm wrong but isn't Laffranchi a backrower as opposed to a prop?

When I read that you resigned Flannery I was a little mystified. But having seen your short on numbers as it is, I can fully understand why he's being kept on.

Has played both at Gold Coast, been signed to play prop though.

I think it's fair to say he's best known as a back rower and most of his rugby has been played there.

Will be interesting to see how he goes for us at prop, haven't seen much of him at prop in the NRL (flaming Virgin Media doesn't carry Premier Sports).

I think he can play both, but Royce likes to start a prop at 13, so I think you'll find Laffranchi starting here and playing up the middle, perhaps for extended minutes. Our lack of depth combined with the fact that royce starts 3 props means we're getting very little impact off the bench from our junior backrows.
You could get by with 3 props starting and 1 on the bench if your had 2 muscular backrows to bring on, but at the moment our bench is scott moore (who does up the auntie when he's introduce), a back and then two of Ashurst/Dixon/Magennis. This lack of strength is crucifying us in the big games imo.

Good post. I think looking at your pack next year, the above's the only way to go for you guy's.

OT: I know it's a tactic that's slowly creeping into our game, but I must say I'm not a fan of playing props at 13. I know Gallen plays it for club and country in Auz, and successfully. But good loose forwards are hard to find as it is. I really hope this isn't the death knell for lock forwards. It really would be a shame to see the likes of Farrel, Sculthorpe and Lockers disappear from our game.

After all there's already concerns that our games becoming to monotonous as it is. Another grunter at 13 isn't going to help rugby league's course.

Incidentally there's cracking article by Millward in this week's League Weekly about Lockers and the role a good 13 can provide to a team.