I see we are getting the prelimanary digs in early.

Can we at least let him lace his boots first.

As for coming this year, that would require one to leave and for us to have cap space left.

Plenty cap space, it's the quota that would cause an issue.

One thing I trust him on is his assessment of Penrith and Matthew Elliot.

I think that's a bit of a silly statement to be honest.

I remember on here being impressed by a YouTube clip of Lance Hohaia and being subsequently ridiculed - as per usual - for my belief that he could be good in the halfback position. I've learned my lesson from that and would rather look criticially and with an open mind at a prospective player (and nothing has been said by the club at all on this - it's all speculation begun by Nosey Parker in League Weekly!) than be fooled again.

I'm no longer willing to gloss over potential pitfalls in a prospective player and that those who know him are saying publically that he doesn't take on the line and cannot organise (the latter being a quality we very deeply need) leaves me feeling uneasy.

But this is just a rumour and so maybe we aren't signing him after all but have someone else in mind who we don't know about.

I thinkwe need to keep a foot in both camps, let's not presume he's going to single handedly solve all our problems, but similiary, we should be able to assume he can do the job of a scrum half. If we compliment this signing by shipping the OOC deadwood and improving the two areas we're lacking (front row and the other half back),we should be fine in terms of a playing roster.

Like I said easier in this thread, I don't know what to make of Walsh. I have friends in OZ who say he's pretty decent and will do a good job for us but then you see the TV pundits Verdict on him.

One things for sure, we are in dire need of a halfback and he's one but this signing has to be the correct one. When we signed hohaia, I said at the time, this could set us back years and I was right!

The difference here, Luke Walsh plays the position we need and lance was trying out a new position.

Without being big headed, my gut feeling is usually correct with signings and young players coming thru And my gut feeling on Luke Walsh is that he will be good for us.

Silly statement or not, it seams somewhat unfair that people (most who have never seen the lad or heard of him), are already out with the knifes, before we have even confirmed (as a club) that we are interested, never mind put in an offer.

There does seam to be an agenda to rubbish anything the club may try to do. The signing of Lance would have been great, if he had come to play fullback for a retiring Wellens. The fact we signed him as a half, but then 'discovered' he was not a half. Is what was poor about that signing.

If we are signing a half, then I would not expect a Lance type error.

But there isnt a single person showing a knife anywhere! That's why I found your comment a bit silly. All people are doing is expressing concern at reports from those - including his present coach - who actually know the player and have known him since his junior days.

I'm concerned to read that he doesn't take on the line, except every now and again. But I'm more concerned that he isn't an organiser, as a recent report suggested. We desperately need an organiser and we desperately need to know that the 7 we are recruiting is an organiser. I'd have no problem with him being shy of the line (assuming we chose a complementary 6) if he was a great organiser and a good tactical kicker (but apparently he is limited in respect of his kicking too!).

You're right: we don't know this player. And that is why the comments of those who do are causing concern to some of us who aren't afraid to look at the realities.

If he is as bad as Leaguefreak and the pundits are making out then how has he held down the 7 shirt for 5 years and how did he become the Panther's players player of the year in 2011 ? Lets see him in action for us before we judge him .

Players can lose form and their performances can drop. When he player of the year he had the likes of Michael Jennings on the end of his passes and kicks. It can't be too hard to look good in that situation.

He was apparently a very promising young player. Leaguefreak admits himself that he had him flagged as a future international player.

Being all circumspect and philosophical about everything is very boring as well. It's far more fun as fans to be extreme. In this case if we all criticise the signing and he turns out to be as bad as people are making out, we can say 'we told you so'. If he turns out to be half decent we can swing wildly the other way and boast about him being the best in Super League. It's what fans are meant to do.

I have to say that paragraph quite neatly sums up almost all of your 24102 posts to date

P.S. by the way is there any actual evidence at all that we have even expressed an interest in this guy?

Not from the club directly. But it was mentioned on the TV commentary of a recent Penrith game that he was being released by Penrith to sign for us.

I think the key here is the issue of release. If he's being released now, to come to us for the rest of the season, then I'd accept that on the basis of a desperate gamble. If, on the other hand, he's not coming until next year, then I'd question it a bit, on the grounds that if we've already written off this season with no halfback, we don't need to panic-buy so much,and should take a little more time to look around.