Joel at centre . Penny on the Wing
Ratchford at centre . Penny at Full Back
Even Currie at centre

Very funny post - but I actually have no issues with our recruitment policy. Sure some have not come off, but you've only really cherry picked the "bad" ones to illustrate your point.

Alongside Hill & Ratch, You can't ignore J. Monaghan, Myler, Hodgson, Solomona, Mathers. Some of them are not world beaters, but that's not what makes a good signing.

Sims & Clark have been here one season, but I see nothing so far from either of them to call them bad signings.

In terms of our "bargain bin" mentality, until recently, we've been operating pretty close to the cap, and while Gary Barlow's continued success provides us with the resources to sign Inglis and Thurston, the rules don't let us. We sign the players we can afford within the cap. Also, don't forget that we've twice signed the reigning MOS during Smith's tenure. No other club has.

I do agree however that we should have done something sooner once the Moz, Monas, Briers, Hodg axis all left, the succession planning wasn't the best - but we took the tact of promoting within, which to an extent I respect - however that experiment has failed, and we've now rectified our lack of creativity and leadership for next season.

And finally onto punts. 33yr old Hodgson, and injury prone 32 yr old Solomona were both punts. Some work out, some don't.

And as Columbo says, just one more thing - look at the player's we've "not" signed - Currie, Dwyer & Ormsby particularly would probably get into most other teams, and while it's too early call on some of the other youngsters, they've all given pretty good accounts of themselves when required. Recruitment is not just about the players you buy.

That involves a lot positional shuffling. Wheeler played centre against Wakefield and went okay.

And to be entirely honest he wasn't the cause of our defeat on Saturday in any way whatsoever.

Hodgson was a test and origin standard player he was the reigning man of steel when we signed him and had also captained Huddersfield to a wembley final. That's not really a punt. ..that's pretty much top notch pedigree. ....

Similarly Gidley is not a punt. ....he's an experienced test and origin star and also has captain credentials. ...

Wheeler had no credentials of the sort and is a biscuit. ..... I know a biscuit when I see one.

Though solomona was a real bonus ( tbh I didnt know he was injury prone prior to coming to us. ..I just knew he was fat!!!)

after signing for bradford, he was injured for nearly two years straight, knee issues. i think he was released prior to the end of his contract.

Had a leg break in Australia during pre-season if I remember rightly?

that was 2012, his last season with us, i'm on about 08 and 09 at bradford. They released him after getting bugger all game time and their fans were complaining about how much weight he'd piled on whilst out injured.

I think Brett was absolute class, and one of our best ever signings, but he must have slept in a Tupperware tub in the fridge, as he lasted far longer than he should have. Hudds, who no doubt knew his physical condition pretty well, were only willing to offer him a one year contract despite his obvious class and service to them. We also lost Mathers as a consequence of the deal. The signing of Hodgson itself wasn't a risk, but we were replacing our younger, fitter fullback with him, when his current club didn't want to give him any more than a year, which is a risk in my book.




I was going to say that having Wheeler as a fringe squad player isn't doing us any harm, but then I remembered Saturday.

he had one very nice little step in the first half, got tackled afterwards though.

Wagon Wheeler

I think Peter Kays biscuit sketch explains Wheeler to a tea and a rich one at that

if i was off sick similar to which wheeler gets injured i think id be on the dole..do you think different..ask yourself this would leeds or wigan just to name 2 sides have him in their squad...

But you don't play a professional contact sport.

No player is more likely to be injured more than any other. It comes down to physical preparation and just plain luck.

And quite frankly the way some of the people on this forum talk about players when this is their livelihood is quite simply astonishing.

true it is their livelihood so let them earn it elsewhere..we suppose to be a big club,we wont buying 2nd raters and thats not just a pop at wheeler theres a few who just dont cut it..but if your happy with these inept performances.good luck to you

I apologise then. Never again will I criticize "the waste of skin in the 15 jersey", simply because he chose RL as his vocation.
I'll forget the fact that he's not even tried since he's come over here, simply because it says Professional Rugby League player on his passport. He really is a thoroughly nice chap, and I hope and pray the club offers him a new contract.

Going back in time, I'm aghast that Andy Currier never achieved Knight's Garter recognition, for his time in a Wire jumper.

I'm truly an awful judge of character, as these two obviously "busted a gut" for us, during their time playing for us.

Crap players, I can handle. We can't field teams full of Hanleys, Johns', Langers, Meningas. Non tryers are a different kettle of fish

Astonishing indeed.