Unless Currie has fallen out with the coaching staff then you would expect that we could retain him simply by matching any deal on offer. Warrington know better than any other club where he stands with regard to fitness and whether they believe that he will regain his pre-injury form. If they choose to let him go to another club (I keep hearing Wigan) then it is because we either do not feel that he justifies the price tag or else we believe that the salary cap is better spent elsewhere.

I would be sorry to see him go but we have to work within the cap and a front rower must be our next priority.

All good thanks Mr Goldblatt.

I’m not seeing it with Livett. His superb days total 1 from my memory - several years ago at Leeds. Think he’ll find his level at a lower super league club and be a reasonable utility player.
I’d be disappointed to see Currie go, I think he could get back to where he was a few years ago. ‘Tis a risk either way though, big decisions indeed.

The main knock on Currie is that he hasn't done anything since 2017.

What about McMeeken? Admittedly I'm reliant on TV games to judge but I don't remember noticing McMeeken much since the 2017 season either. Has he maintained his form or did he have a drop-off in the last two seasons as well?

Seeing has Inglis is carrying plenty of timber, which is much more difficult to shed as you get older, is it not possible that he could easily play in the back row?

Or perhaps, Inglis comes in at centre and Toby King, often mentioned as a possible backrower in the future, be moved there?

Ashton at 1, Ratchford and Inglis in your centres, with King, Hughes and a new signing (I'd take Josh Jones, thanks) as the back row isn't a shabby line up.

Throw in Austin, Widdop and Clark and that isn't so bad?

Looks like the Thompson move is a sign of the times. I am not too sure we will be playing in front of crowds until the play offs if at all. The match day revenue that is lost will be significant and clubs will be looking to reduce their costs. Saints may have just reduced their costs by £100k-£200k when you factor in any fee that bulldogs have paid.

With regards to Currie / McMeekan. Second rowers tend to have a couple of seasons where they are touted as the best thing since sliced bread. I don't know if that is media hype or if they hit a patch where they have a great combination with their half back/centre on a particular edge only for that combination to end. I think McMeekan played on the RIGHT edge with Ben Roberts and Jake Wester, if so both his halfback and centre have moved on. I have mentioned before that on the edge combinations and timing is crucial. Currie has had Atkins, Goodwin and now King at centre with Sandow, Brown, Patton and then at the start of this season Ratchford and then Widdop. That is a lot of changes to our left edge in the last 4 years.

I don't think that this is a bad move by Saints. If Thompson was refusing to take a pay cut, as has been claimed, then that sows unrest within the club. Add to this that you can cut your wage bill this year and bring cash in then it's a good business. I know that it's early days but I think that people will look at this season's eventual champions and think that they didn't win a proper competition (watch it be us now). Better to put yourself in a good position for 2021.

Yeah i was thinking this aswell, if we did finally win it this year opposition fans would throw that around saying it doesn't count as a proper win etc

Why. From what I understand. We are most likely going to lose the loop fixtures. So 22 games. Plus the playoffs. Finnish come november or december. Jobs a gudden. However you put it. The winners this year will be rightful champions and earnt it.

The rumour is he was going to refuse to play because of concerns over Covid 19 anyway, so the club had little option. Sounds like a typical case of a relatively young player being swayed by a move and his agent giving him really bad advice in terms of maintaining a relationship with your club, but good advice if you are a selfish and cynical person.

The suggestion is that there will be no attempt to replace him this season, to cut costs and there may be another couple leaving early in a similar way. Seems like they're almost writing this season off if they do that.

Which makes me wonder about the current situation and Warrington. How would you feel if the inevitable end of the title drought was this season and in front of no crowd or a very small crowd in a makeshift Grand Final somewhere? Would that ruin the moment or would you not care?

I wouldn’t care, I am a firm believer once we get the 1st out of the way a few will follow in the space of 5/6 years anyway. We just need to get over the line and get the first one crowd or no crowd.

Couldn’t Kare less, how and whenever we win the grand final.Oppistion fans will be on here telling us how we never really won it anyway.

The Roosters are giving the Doggies a torrid time this morning. Thompson must be thinking WTF am I getting in to here. He maybe back before the end of the season!

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Thought you lot were announcing a marque signing...

We've signed Joel Thompson from Manly, presumably to replace Zeb Taia and are meant to be close to a couple more forwards. I don't think it'll be a marquee signing, but hopefully someone who's not far off replacing Luke Thompson.

There could still be absolute chaos in Super League. The likes of Wakefield and Cas can't be finding the current situation easy to cope with and it could be that there are some very good players available for next season later in the year if clubs decide to recover some cash.

Neither of those 2 should be in the league anyway, so I don't have much sympathy for their financial plight.