Big assumption over Roberts, I think that issue is a long way from being settled. Dec Patton would have to improve a great deal this season to be first-choice 6, and if teamed with Eastmond (though I would take a gamble on signing him) we would be starting 2019 once again with an untested half-back combination.

Sally's got the old crystal ball out again. Plenty of assumptions. My crystal ball tells me that Patton won't be in the first choice as a half-back.

I hope not unless there is a dramatic improvement in his ability to create opportunities and lead the team around the field. I laughed when I read that "Future of Warrington" nonsense, people seem blind to his limitations and forget how we play when he is at halfback.

This!

IF Roberts goes (which is pure speculation) I want to see this money spent on an equivalent out and out half back. Eastmond isn’t the solution to Roberts leaving, and although I’m glad Patton is staying I think Price sees his value in the role he is currently utilised, not as a replacement for Brown.

Maybe I’ve just got my maths wrong and we can afford to have a decent half-back pairing PLUS Eastmond hanging about in the background slowly readjusting to the game.

And this too!

I suppose the big issue is cost, and particularly wrt the salary cap. Someone posted on here that he wanted £400k. But if he wants that kind of money, why isn't he being snapped up by a RU club ? If the figure is correct, I would guess that the figure was what his agent wanted and that £250k tops would be more realistic for a 29 year old (July) with a penchant for the injury room. That would mean a salary cap figure of around £125k in the first year of what I guess would be a 2 year contract.

Looking at the pros and cons, £125k would be fine, it would be pretty close to the likes of Hill and Clark I would have thought. On the debit side, he was renown for his speed off the mark and ability to break the line and that must surely be slower at the age of 30. Then as mentioned, he is injury prone. Also, how eager is he to play RL, and specifically Wire ? I may be doing him a disservice, but he sounds as though he is chasing the money to round off his pension - particularly as he has already turned us down a year or so ago.

Nobody seems to have seen him playing recently to judge his abilities, so you would have to go with the view of the coaching staff ...but he doesn't exactly look like a compelling buy.

£125k may be fine and affordable to a rich club, but it’s the amount of cap space we are using that worries me. Eastmond could prove the doubters wrong and be fantastic from day one, but it’s the less likely scenario. Decent players in Super League come much cheaper than £125-250k per season and we could probably get a couple of decent younger backs than that.

I have a feeling this is purely a publicity stunt to allow the headline ‘Former RU international joins Wire’... I don’t like to be negative about stuff at the moment but this sort of thing reminds me of when we were rubbish and would get excited at the prospect of a new player being the saviour of the club, only to find that we were just as rubbish with a highly paid former star getting walked over every week looking disinterested.

Dearly hope I’m wrong on this one though

This may be true. Who do you have in mind for Half Back that could be available under transfer (or is off contract) for 2019 for £125-250k ?

I think Roberts will see out his contract. He's improving, as is the team. If we get to a final (or two) why would he move back? His family will be settling now no doubt...he isn't a flakey, Sandow-like character.

You'd think that the better we and him play the more at home he will feel. Playing a big part in a good team is what most players dream about.
Sandow seemed fine and then he got the dreaded injury.

Fair enough then, I guess it’s not such a gamble if we can afford it. I’d still like to see some money spent on assuring we have a decent experienced half-back pair, whether that’s from the NRL or transfer fees, whatever. I just don’t want to rely on the hope of Eastmond suddenly being a top RL half back after 7+ years out of the game.

We had enough long term rehabilitationistas under Mr Smith to last a lifetime. Not good to sign players with injury problems.

Every player gets injuries. What difference does it make if he so happens to aquire it preseason