I can live with that result

Nah that's not true, he's put the best pack in super league together

According to one of our biggest but not accurate blaggers its Burns.

If it's burns Pete will be making a mess of himself.

I thought burns rumour had been quashed? And I'd struggle to see McManus' position in the wider arguments surrounding rugby league at the moment strengthened by paying a transfer fee for a 30 year old import - as good as he may be...

Interesting times ahead though if McManus is turning to the chequebook ...

Dogma should not be used in the practical world. It's maybe something to aim for in the wider sense but you don't get anywhere by only having one plan of attack.

In our best squads, there were 1 or 2 class homegrown players.
3 or four average SL players and then squad fillers.

The rest were a mix of very good SL players and ex-NRL players.

I think there is something of an overblown expectation of the academy. They have churned out 4 or 5 halfbacks in the last 5 years. Yet people are wanting more.

In the last 20 years we have produced 2 world class hookers, 1 world class prop and 1 world class halfback.

Then a range below that.

I'd say our current team is doing well from the academy, but expectations that the academy produce top standards in every position, plus have more in reserve is too high.

Agreed entirely, but that doesn't stop actions being twisted to suit arguments.

Anyway, even if the Burns rumour is true, I doubt it's what St.P was referring to, according to the hull Kr board we put in a formal offer today, St.P was implying the deals close to being done (so in an ideal world both are true and separate rumours )

I can't see the Burns one being true.

It's not entirely impossible.

There is a huge chunk of money coming off the cap this year. Laffranchi, Sia, would be potentailly big earners and with so much academy in the squad they must be getting maximum dispensations.

Not to mention Wheeler, Gardner, Clough, McDonnell, who will probably cover increases to youth contracts.

McDonnell and the contract extensions we have handed out over the course of the year probably removes Gardner and Clough from consideration. But, Manu could also be added to the list as there's been no word on him.

My guesstimating/ listening to rumours about how much players are on (never reliable!) reckons we have somewhere between 25% to 33% of the cap to play with this year, which coupled with the kids coming through makes us very flexible this year

McDonnell is only to the end of thhis year isn't he??

I've just searched travis burns' name on twitter and nothing much comes up in relation to us. Considering how much of hull's business is conducting on there it seems odd that there's only two mentions of him coming to saints.

I like that we tend to do our business on the quiet. We beat everyone to Amor and got Walsh too. Theres no reason we wont get a couple of good signings for next year

One of them is nearly in the bag but the is another club fighting us for the other. I'll be happy with any of them but be over the moon if we get both.

If we get both, it will be interesting to see if a player will leave to make way for the two.