Dean Halatau would be a good buy. He can play back row and hooker. He was in the Wests Tigers NRL Grand Final winning team of 2005, alongside Benji Marshall, Scott Prince and Paddy Richards.

MEN has us linked with Alex McKinnon from Newcastle Kights, having checked out some footage he would be a great signing. However, something tells me he's going to be wanted in the NRL.

Alex McKinnon looks like a ferocious tackler. And he's a ginner too so he must be good.

Alex McKinnon would be a great signing. Serious defender. Just what we need, but is pretty highly rated in Aus. Who knows...

We're also linked with Canberra's Josh Duggan as well as old boys Ratchford and Turner.

Massive issue vis-a-vis the visa.

I'll believe Josh Duggan when I see it, but what visa issues are there? So he had a disagreement with his employer, but unless there is something I've missed, he's not been in trouble with the authorities. Since, Crocker, Bird and Carney had their visa's blocked for their indiscressions with the authorities, it could be possible for Duggan to get his.

He’s been done for several driving offences, culminating in a lengthy ban. Depending on their severity, it could be enough to be flagged. Then the investigator only needs to search the lad up online and boom. Trouble. Plus he wears a rat tail. Surely enough of a reason to turf him on the next Qantas out.

Hadn't seen his drink driving offences, but didn't the Wakefield hooker, that we signed, get refused his visa for a similar reason. Can't remember his name now.

T'was Tevita Leo Latu, though not sure it was an ' altercation ' with his girlfriend , or his driving that put the skids on his contract ,I think we just cooled on him blamed a visa issue and got Godwin instead.


rlAlex McKinnon homes in on first graderl
McKinnon looks too good a prospect to come here , more likely to come from below

It came back to me after posting that. If I remember rightly, the girlfriend issue was in Australia and is what got him sacked from Cronulla. I remember pictures of him signing a contract being posted on the clubs website, he went back to AUS for close season and then couldn't get a visa to play for us. Hence, we went after Godwin. From a playing point of view, it was shame really as he could put in some big hits.

We desperately need 2-3 top class players for next year to generate some real genuine interest with the Salford and Manchester public but heaven knows where we are going to source them from. I can't help but think it's like walking into a shop with the money in your pocket only to find out the item(s) you really want are either sold out or have increased to a figure totally out of your budget.

Let's hope and pray the club have got it all in hand and are able to miraculously pull a few big rabbits out of the hat for 2014. I think 2-3 years back it would have been much easier but it's a different ball game now at the current cap level considering the aussie exchange rate and rugby union's financial power.

Not raising the cap for those clubs that can afford it will only lead to an exodus of top talent and inevitably bigger contracts for less elite players. This would be a disaster for the future of Superleague.

This is the issue that many assume Rangi Chase is facing. He needs to apply for a new visa if he wants to play for a different English club.

Would the same rule apply if a club paid a fee for him and his wages to Cas, and Castleford then paid his contact and loaned him to that club? Or could Cas not loan him out at say 300k a year and continue to employ him and pay his existing contract plus a bit extra to make the move worth it for Chase?

Now that is creative thinking. Are you an accountant, by any chance?