Trouble was, when he arrived, he played like Tyrone from Corrie

Serious about rl have a post about social medias reaction to the highlight reel posted. As pointed out here it would have been better to leave it off really.

Personally I don't really care what he has done before, only what he does for us. So let's hope he's a good signing.

When did we last have a ball-playing 13? Westerman? I’m all for having someone with a bit of passing ability & able to keep the ball in play as oppose to just another prop grinding up the middle. I’d expect us to play a much more expensive style next year under Powell anyway.

Suppose it will free up Philbin to be an out & out prop rather than starting at loose forward and keeps Hughes available to cover a few positions. With preference I would have Currie, Holmes and Magoulias as a back row, we all know from Hughes you just get a workmanlike performance but not much going forward. Don’t think he’s particularly shown the presence of a captain this year for me either.

On Magnolias, he’s obviously very keen taking on the challenge and seems he has something to prove. He’s on the brink of being a regular at Cronulla, played roughly a dozen games this season. Although his ‘highlights’ aren’t much to go by, it might be he turns out to be an uncut gem and gives us something a little different going forward, a 13 with clever hands as oppose to another battering ram.

Don't get me wrong, I WANT him to be a massive success, but, if that's what we're going to get (his showreel), I'm not holding my breath., unless he's torn it up in the reserves, and our social media crew are playing a blinder, and lulling the rest of SL that we've bought another pup. In the last decade, we do have history in this area.

In which case, I'd rather we'd kept the overseas spot open, saved his contract money, and played someone from the youth. There's enough on here championing the youngsters. Give them a go.

The warrington guardian page I posted the link to earlier again suggested that we are expected to keep Jason Clark. I really don't see the point of having him and Hughes cap space tied up on the bench or even out of the 17 and neither of them can make a position at prop either.

Strangely 5he Guardian hints at Hughes moving up to prop.

I read that, I can't see him punching many holes in defences or getting many offloads or even quick play the balls, he doesn't do that at second row! Still credit where its due he is a good defender and would handle anything from a defensive point of view. Ultimately though he'd be well down my list of props at the club and so would Jason Clark. For me if all are fit the order of preference would be: Cooper, Philbin, Mulhern, Bullock, Butler, Harrison, Clark, Hughes/ Doro in that order until form proves otherwise. Its not as good as last years line up. Still at least the starting pair won't be as good, so the drop off won't be noticed as much when the interchanges come on. The prospective addition of Hughes or J Clark in the front row totally underwhelms me.

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Yeah that guardian piece was weird included clark but then at the end said his future was still up in the air.

At the moment, we don't seem to have anyone touted as a 13. And one would imagine the academy 13s would follow on from price's structures and pretty much be an extra prop.

I'll take this as a change of ethos.

I think J Clark's future should be up in the air - ie on a plane heading to Australia. Thanks for your contribution JC, but time to move on. Same with Hughes.

ANYONE who mentions Tyrone Roberts on this forum going forward should be banned, one month minimum. Second offence, life ban!!!!

I'm getting an Andy Currier in, before it becomes illegal on here.

I have a bad feeling about this signing.

Does not feel at all like the kind of signing a team that is going to be competing to win the GF would make. It's the kind of fringe NRL first team signing that will be a millstone round Powell's neck if he doesn't perform. The obvious question people will ask is, is there nobody coming out of our Academy who could have had this spot in the team and why not?

I was definitely pleased when we appointed Powell but having seen the signings that have come in so far it just feels like the squad is being weakened relative to the Price era.

The only source of hope is that Powell at Cas signed a lot of relatively unheralded players and they did for a while perform way above their previous reputations under him, so we will see. But right now I think we will be a team that's around 7th in the table with an outside shot at making the playoffs.

That's a very pessimistic view. The only weakness compared to this year is Hill going and I'm not sure that makes us 4 places worse. Who has improved their squad?

So we still have no update on Jason Clark, Riley Dean, Ellis Robson, Nathan Roebuck & Keanan Brand. Must say, I’d prefer we were looking to retain any outside backs given how light we are in that area. Dean is an interesting one, Will he get any game time?