dont think it would really be fair expecting briggs to play with a broken wrist

Agree with that. Sammut always looks good on highlights because they show the flashy off the cuff trys. They dont show his bad bits. Its more telling IMO that Crusaders fans dont seem bothered in slightest about losing him. Would lose ah van before herbert and even that would depend on us having someone better to bring in who needed the quota spot.

think jeffries/herbert with gale as backup (swap jeffries/gale depending on opposition) looks our strongest lineup at moment. wonder if we're looking at briggs going to quins on loan for a year/permanently given theres been no mention of fee for the last year of Gales contract.

Would be crazy to let herbert go with the half backs we have, including gale. He looks the most likely to be a standout player, so unless there are TWO quality quota players coming in it makes no sense.

Everybody seems to agree that bj is ideally a back up and Briggs hasn't shown potter enough to rely on him, so the 1st choice half back this season just leaving would be strange.

I don't usually criticise but comparing sammut to chase is insane

Personally, the signing of Gale in my opinion means one half will be leaving. Read it if you wish, but rlhere's my thoughtsrl on who could go and the Gale signing itself.

I'd go along with all that. Good summation IMO. I'd add that I am convinced that there are players playing for some clubs who MUST be receiving income in addition to that counting under the salary cap. I believe this can happen quite legally if the paperwork records that the player's agent managed to stack up some image rights or similar deal with an unconnected third party. If that third party happened to be a mate of the owner, that would doubtless be just a coincidence. As well as being outside the cap, such payments - if made offshore and not remitted to the UK - escape UK tax because the player is a non-dom.

I suspect that we are unlikely to have any such players on our books (although that won't always have been the case) whereas some clubs must surely have several given the quality of their squads?

I suspect that, going forward, we are only likely to see marquee players from Oz - especially half-backs, given the dearth of really outstanding ones in the UK - signing for clubs where there agent has managed somehow to stack up income from a party unconnected with the club. Either that, or the player taking up a totally disproportionate amount of the cap space.

I fear that anyone looking to us signing some sort of messiah is likely to be disappointed. Messiahs come at too high an asking price nowdays. But we used to do a fair job in signing up-and-coming little-known antipodeans and developing them into top-class players (Robbie, Withers and Hape, anyone?) so it must be possible that we can do something with some current such players?

thats undoubtedly the way to go. But to go down that route you've got to have the patience to allow the player to develop. Thats why I'd be disappointed if now let Herbert go just when hes starting to show what he's capable off. Dont think a 1 yr extension is unreasonable on his showing so far. If he isnt developing at end of that extension then fair enough we let him go but think people wanting him out now are being a little premature.

Very well written post Aaron, and not simply because it pretty well sums up my thoughts too

In fairness though Mat, time is not on our side. Whilst I fear those seeking a messiah will be disappointed, I can fully understand their desire - because I share it. I think the jury is still out on Herbert and Ah Van, even allowing for their season's being messed up by injuries (own or to others) or being played out of position. I would love them to prove to be even half-decent heirs to some of the giants of the recent past, but if the club think other options are more likely to generate quicker results - with the clock ticking - I have to accept that.

Anyway, given the current finances in the game (and I see Hull FC now look to have joined the clubs with a seemingly well-off owner) if we SHOULD happen to develop a young antipodean, doubtless someone with a big chequebook will come a-calling...

We do have a track record of signing Aussies of Maltese origin...

Where have these Sammut rumours surfaced from?

An Orford-type player (preferably though one who has been weaned...) is definitely what we could do with pretty badly.

Unfortunately, for the reasons I gave above and elsewhere, I very much doubt it is the sort of player that a club without a rich owner will in future ever be able to afford. But if I prove to be wrong, no-one will be happier than me!

Although not as pro-Herbert as some, I disagree with much of the flak he has been receiving and tend to agree with how Mat put it. I DO think he has considerable potential - potential still being the word; for me the concern is whether we have the time to bring that out. He seemed to be doing a lot more organising last week, but I guess the question is whether it is too late?

Jeffries - unless I totally mis-read the code, he clearly came here from Wakey because he needed the financial security that this season and next season here would bring. That suggests to me he did not come for a shedload of money, but also that to try and get rid of him now would make someone feel a right shìt. Bearing in mind that if he chose not to go we would be in the frame for compo that would count against next year's cap.

At the moment I really cannot guess what will happen in the halves. I suspect...fear...that we may be letting Herbert go. At present, and given that I am quite pleased with but certainly not ecstatic about the Gale signing, I admit to serious mixed feelings.

We signed a cracker of Italian origin once too...

The same source that told a certain Roger Dailly that Gale was signing a couple of weeks back.

Caught between a rock and a hard place seems appropriate phrase. We don't have luxury of time to develop a player who has more potential so have to bring in a player who's better now but probably hasn't got as much potential.