This is what I dnt get,everyone said we had dodged a bullet not signing costigan cos he was injury prone,and we then sign a player who has played 13 games in 3years including 2games this season before an extremely serious injury,dnt tell me Phil Bailey is signing next!

Think we're taking a big gamble with our forwards and their fitness if I'm honest. Morley, McPherson and Steve Rapira!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Costigan- 28 ""good but chequered career with injury and his best days are clearly behind him."
rlcostigan-wont-be-offered-a-new-contractrl

Weyman- 28 "good but chequered career with injury and his best days are clearly behind him."

rlWeyman-not being re-signed by the St George Illawarra Dragonsrl

I see your point , definitely not fringe.

Roy Asotasi is the only signing you could quote IMO

Think Rapira and Costigan (and McPherson) may have very similar seasons next year.

I wouldn't necessarily get too excited about signing someone just because they have played in a GF. Salford fans will tell you about Mauro. Will Keating be as good as Dobson? The fact that Dobson is going to NRL as a back up after being one of the best halves in SL supports Butcher's point.

Weyman is a bit of an unknown. He may turn out like big Ray did for us, or he could be just average.

But really the players signed from NRL are players the clubs don't mind losing.

Don't think for a moment we will sweep the board next year. I'll settle for some progress and the youngsters continuing to show up well.

But if you think swapping Dobson,Patterson and Paea for Keating, Weyman and an injury prone Costigan will improve Rovers, you are being very optimistic.

How very selective of you.

Costigan-"there had been some interest from other NRL clubs but finishing his career with an English Super League club was the most likely scenario."

Weyman-"Weyman was a chance of a start at the Newcastle Knights under his former mentor, Wayne Bennett." but he chose us instead.

Costigan and Weyman are hardly the sort of signings The Butcher was alluding to. Good signings who I'd have been happy for us to get and definitely above the label of being simply 'fringe' players but they're not huge coups by any stretch of the imagination.

Paea and Dobson couldn't get a game in the NRL yet they rip it up in SL.
Patterson was surplus to requirements and ripped it up as well.
Costigan has played far more NRL than Paea did.
Weyman has played more NRL than Patterson did.
Keating has played more NRL than Dobson did.
Patterson hasn't played enough games this year to be classed as having a great influence anyway and I have a feeling we are going to have a running 7 next year as Dobson has done more running at the line in the last 12 months than he did under all his time under Morgan and Keating is more of a running HB with a good kicking game.

His statement was 'NRL fringe players are the best that SL Clubs can pick up from down under due to the amount of wages top class stars can earn in first grade.'
As you say my 2 examples disprove this.

I’m reliably informed Steve Rapira is a really good signing for Salford and had it not been for injury he would have been in the starting 17 week after week, despite contending with 4 international props. He’s described as a hard hitting and straight lined running prop. Obviously he has a poor injury record in recent times, but he is only 24.

You are being pedantic, or fail to understand the point I was trying to make. The names you've mentioned are not top quality NRL imports. If they were top class, they'd still be there. Ok, fringe was maybe not the right word to use in context, but my point still stands. There's nothing wrong with picking up NRL cast-offs. Chase being a good example. Salford have also had quality 'fringe' signings in the past with the likes of Cashmere and Rutgerson for example. A couple of examples of NRL players that are no longer wanted in Australia do not disprove it. Even if Thurston signed for someone in SL it does not disprove it. The most any SL Club can get from Australia are those players no longer needed/Got into trouble/or Fringe. Whether you judge certain players to be world beaters or also-rans is your judgement. It doesn't negate the fact that no big name NRL Star will come to SL unless he falls into one of those three areas.

Suppose it depends on what you really classify as a fringe player. Is it someone who plays the odd 1st grade game here and there, or can it be a player who plays quite a few games but mostly only gets limited minutes and comes off the bench (like Costigan does and probably what Rapira would have been doing if he hadn't have been injured).

I'm a little less sure about this. It seems that the much maligned previous administration were able to pick up decent players (Hodgson, Robinson, Myler, Smith, etc. from the UK, Houldsworth, Patten, Moon, etc. from Australia) but our new, ostensibly more professional administration, is struggling. The signings of Morley and Rapira have got me concerned that one of the major announcements next Thursday will have to be about an extension to the treatment table.

Still, let's stay positive. There are (presumably) more players to come in, so, as a dismal songwriter and public slashery onanist once sang "You gotta have faith". However, it's getting harder (which, I believe, is what he also said).

The guy is still only 24.Yes,he has had some injuries,one of those being nearly having his ear ripped off,but injuries can happen to anyone.
He only made his NRL debut in 2009 and was named the Cowboys rookie of the year so he obviously has a good amount of ability.
At least the club are now signing young players from the NRL who are coming here with something to prove rather than just a last pay day.
So give the kid and the club a break and lets at least wait and see him play before everyone starts passing unfounded judgements.

Hodgson, Robinson and Smith were pretty much unwanted at their old clubs weren't they. We got lucky with Myler given the situation Widnes were in.

Holdsworth and Moon were what could probably be described as 'fringe' players. We signed those players before the NRL salary cap was increased and it's set to go up again soon (I think). Couple that with the fact that they're also in talks to introduce a marquee player rule and we're faced with a situation where UK clubs don't stand much of a chance of enticing star players over here because of the larger amounts of money that clubs over there are allowed to spend. It's a shame this situation coincides with us coming into a bit of money!

I'm not saying that fringe players are bad. Far from it. But the days of SL Clubs signing the Golden Boot winner (Gary Jack for Salford at the time anyone?) or tempting a first grader away when he's in his prime are some considerable distance away. If at all.