Thinking about which player/s we should let go to bring in new better players? Personally I think Dobson isn't the same player he used to be or Hauraki and BMM has been a disappointment since his explosion onto the scene at the start of the season (can't work out why he has gone missing) We really have to be sure who we bring are gonna make a real difference.

The team has been crying our for a top quality 9 for years now. I also agree about Dobson. He has improved this year but his best is now behind him and I think the club should try and come to an agreement to cut his contract short. (At the end of the season) Dobson may have the odd decent game but I think it's time to trade him in for a young, top class overseas halfback. Further to this we need some better forwards and there's a few average joe's I think we need to show the door to if we have aspirations above a middle 8 side. Too many of the young one's haven't progressed enough and allow themselves to get bullied and have poor discipline, defence and lack of speed. Weller Hauraki was out for some time but he now needs to step it up several notches and show a lot more than he's shown since returning. However on a positive note we do have some quality and I actually think we are closer than we have been for decades. I actually think 4-5 more Sheen's inspired signings could take the club to a totally new level. Scoring points isn't an issue but we must work a lot harder on our defence to achieve this. Can you just imagine where this team would be now if they had the same commitment to defend like our no frills and workman like 2006 squad? It would be happy days!!

This team for me just lacks a bit of fight and that extra dogged determination/resolve when a game is tight and in the balance. It's so frustrating because we've lost so many games this year that were there for the taking. Wakefield, Catalan, Castleford, St Helens etc

Dobson isn't going anywhere. The amount of pi§§ing about with half backs we need at least two years with consistency in this position.

Decent thread. If I was to deal with transfers and signings I'd be swinging the axe Bigtime. And bringing in a better standard than what we failed to do last year.We seriously have some deadwood to replace within the Forwards, aswell as promoting a conveyabelt of Academy players each year. Well I've come up with this.

Second Row - Weller Hauraki. Out. Luke Lewis -Cronulla In
Scrum Half - Michael Dobson. Out Sam Williams.- Canberra In
Hooker - Logan Tomkins. Out: Kriss Brinning - York In.
Prop - Phil Joseph. Out. Cory Parker - Brisbane In
Prop - Olsi Krasniqi. Out.Billy McConnachie - West Tigers In - British Passport Holder.
Prop - Adam Walne. Out: Luke Burgess - Manly In - British Passport Holder.
Prop - Jordan Walne. Out. Potential Academy Player - In
Prop - Carl Forster. Out. Potential Academy Player Promotion - In

Our overseas quota = 7. Lui, BMM, Sa'u, Vidot, Lewis, Williams,Parker = 7.

So the team would look something like this.

1. O'Brien
2. Carney
3 Sa'u.
4. Jones.
5. Vidot
6. Lui
7. Williams
8. Kopzcak
9. Lee/Brinning
10. Griffin
11. Lewis
12. Masila
13. Parker - Captain- Kicker
Sub - Lee/Brinning
Sub - Burgess
Sub - McConnachie
Sub - Flanagan

Doesn't matter about passport holders. Fed and Non-fed trained. So the British passport holders would still count on the non-fed trained quota. Unless they had been registered with a SL academy side previously, as in Luke Burgess case.

You couldn't play that team, Stan.

Unless you were called Catalans of course.

I see the Dobson knives are out. Firstly are we forgetting his fantastic performance v Rervers? Secondly he has 2 more years on his contract and is a good ambassador for the club - Just ask his sponsor. All part & parcel. I agree with Twist above.

Why does no one mention widnes they have 11 overseas players in runciman hansbury sa leuleui thompson houston buchanan manukafoa cahill heremaia and ah van. Whats the difference?

Michael Dobson is a defensive nightmare. He must go if we're to improve.

Cahill, Leuluai, Heremaia and Ah Van have been in SL/ Widnes from before 2008, which exempts them from fed trained ruling (part of the original agreement to bring the fed rules in place).

Catalans use the same rule with Richards and L Anderson iirc.

All those widnes players came over between them all from 2010-2012. Not sure on the cats players but answer me this why does dobson count for us but not richards/anderson?

rlInteresting Articlerl

cheers for that: a good read
I missed it desite having the site as a favourite

Good link cheers,

a fairly even & astute report apart from maybe this ..


Didn't realise Josh Griffin was OOC and would presume we are doing our utmost to hold onto him.

He probably shouldn't on two counts:

1. During 2006 Dobson played for Catalans, a club in the RLEF, as a 20-year-old.
2. Dobson played for Wigan the same year.

The first point would make him a federation-trained player, and both points should make him exempt anyway. However, given that he was on-loan at both clubs from Canberra – a non-federation club – perhaps that skews matters.

as an outsider the times I have seen Dobson play either against us or on the telly he has done ok, still looks the part imo