The Eternal Optimist is someone that always aims for the top and once that is unattainable they aim for the next best on so on always confident that the best outcome can be sought by always making the best of a situation.

First I thought we'd keep Burgess, then I thought we'd replace him with Moi Moi, then I thought we'd replace him with Fielden, then I thought we'd replace him with Richard Moore and now we have replaced him with Danny Sculthorpe. It could be worse at least we are getting to a situation where we are able to name a 25 man squad for next season.

I didn't say world class, and I said taking up our last quota spot.

Just for the record, I'd have taken Thackray, Feather or King over Svulthorpe.

He was talking about a quota player - and it'll be a back - no doubt Walker.

The fact that other SL clubs were after him shows the lack of talent around in SL.

It also shows what a c0ck up it was to allow a player like Peacock to leave. Despite the story that he wanted to play for his home-city club I do feel that if we'd made him a decent offer he wouldn't have needed to move.

We must do our best to hang onto our home grown products that come good.

Peacock wanted a better deal but the club said they didn't have neough money. Peacock was happy with that but then you went out and spent mega bucks on harris.

Peacock and many others felt let down by this and decided to leave.

That's from his autobiography.

peacock would have stayed had he not been shafted by caisley. came from someone very close to JP

We handled it badly and we lost a champion player - no doubt about it.

I think he said as much in his book. If he'd been paid what he was worth, then he'd never have given up playing at the successful bulls.

That side of 2003-2005 was awesome, and with the exception of deacon is all but gone.

Leeds have kept their core together for that whole time, whilst allowing others to leave for whatever reason. Saints have had a similar approach.

best hope for bulls long term is for a couple of the average journeymen to get injured, and allow some youngsters a chance.

the comparison here is easy to make. Both Huntley and Sculthorpe have had an unhappy time at Wakefield.

Excellent post IMO and quite similar to some conversations I have had today. I expect McNamara was looking for a hardened SL Prop as a bit of an insurance policy on Crossley/Burgess. If Crossley is to make it to SL then next season has to be it, however it would have been a massive gamble to have him as our 4th/5th choice Prop. With Sculthorpe we get a pretty average Prop but someone who is proven at SL level.

With the quota places reducing, our budgets seemingly getting smaller then I think a few Bulls fans will have to get use to this sort of signing. At least until our Academy is able to supply the 1st team in a similar fashion to Leeds for example.

I'd like to have seen the club re-invest a decent % of the Burgess cash into the 1st team, it is pretty clear now that we simply cannot afford to do that. That is a worry for me..

Isn't Sculthorpe a bit lightweight for a Bulls second row? Surely he'll be centre or wing.

Agreed, and the thing is peacock says if the club had told him they didn't have enough extra money because of the harris signing he'd have been happy with that as well.

Basically a lack of honesty was the reason he left.

Peacock is a champion and when he retires he'll leave a massive hole in the leeds team.