Exactly. Tatupu had the odd moment, like that home win over Wigan but generally not in the same class as Puletua who has been the best forward in Super League so far this year IMO.

Like your sig by the way, one of the funniest shows on TV...

The Rhyme-nocerous and HipHop-apotamous. Genius.

Puletua is indeed a big unit but IMO i dont think he is anything other than decent.

If you have other opinions of him then thats great.

Lets not get over excited about it tho

Tatupu had oodles of talent. Unfortunately, he had much more can'tbed.

Surely you pay the market rate, the influencing factor is going to be on whether the player is at or going to a club where he fancies his chances of winning trophies and enhancing his international aspirations.

Eg Saints Academy player comes through the ranks, plays in the first team, offered a new contract on £45000 a year. Warrington offer £50000 a year, he probably says no whats the point. Warrington offer £65000 a year, maybe he's tempted. He comes when we offer him £75000.

Reverse situation, Warrington Academy player comes through the ranks, plays in the first team, offered a contract on £45000 a year. Saints offer to match it at £45000 a year and promise him first team action. Do Saints need to offer a premium because he's not trained 'in house', or does he say cheers for the memories guys, I'm off to get some medals.

For most players I think money is important, medals and trophies probably come second.

If Wire offered a player £100k a year and saints offered the same player £70k a year Im sure you would see him running out in the P&B.

However, if saints offered £90-95K per year it may be a different story.

ie, it will be the whole package that the player looks at with money being one of the key factors.

Couple of things:

a) we're not talking about Saints recruiting our young talent; and

b) on tv Sunday morning (Tim Lovejoy general/cooking show) they had on the show an ex-basketball player called Amaechi(sp) who turned down $16m from the LA Lakers to stay for less pay at his current less successful club. He explained for him it wasn't all for money and he felt loyalty towards the club that had given him the chance. Not saying everybody is like this for there are some people (eg bricklayers) who will change employers for the smallest of increments.

You second paragraph exactly indicates what I'm on about. The truth is you will be able to secure your own youngsters for less (eg re-new contracts well before they expire and other clubs come sniffing) than you will be able to buy-in youngsters of an equivalent standard from elsewhere.

Come on Mark, we all know what he is refering to.

If you wanna keep your head stuck in the sand and ignore it then go for it.

There is no doubt that Briers is a talented rugby player but we all know he aint no saint

just not very good at basketball.

maybe or maybe not, who knows?

probably only the lad himself.

I wasn't very good at basketball either but the LA Lakers didnt offer me a $17 million contract

You can only dream of having the Tomkin Bro's but it will never happen