They do play that way week in week out in the NRL, otherwise they don't get picked. There is enough competition in the NRL that you only make the Kangaroos squad if you are a world class player that does the business every week.

As for coming at the end of their careers, Chris Hicks joined us at the end of his career. Brett Hodgson joined us at the end of his career. Michael Monaghan this season is in the last season of his career. If you sign the right players its not a problem, you get a player that's on top of his game because of years of accumulated experience, then if you sign some players they are past their best.

But I don't want to knock Waterhouse too much in me saying I was disappointed because he was not quite what I expected, because thats more a reflection on me than him. The frustrating thing is sometimes he was exactly what I expected, when he was in form he was a commanding figure, big, totally confident, he looked like if you had an 18 year old playing in an U15s team.

I agree with Cat on how people underrate Gillies, I never understood why it was fashionable to say Gillies was rubbish, he was a real handful and the players seemed to respect him as leader. For most of that 1999 season when he was captain we were punching well above our weight, maybe he paid the price in everyones memory for a bad end of season when the team just tailed off completely and we finished 7th having been in the top 5 mix most of the year.

That for me is the bottom line. Sometimes he ran the ball in hard and looked the part. Unfortunately this only happened a few times a season. The only thing you can put this down to is effort.

I must say Sally that, not having sky sports or otherwise ,i have never seen any domestic NRL games so, if like you say they play like that every week, no wonder they are quite good in internationals as well !

I wonder if the inspiration on fitness has waned since Morley left?
Are we seeing more injuries this season because these big men are not as fit?

only saying!

No mention of Kevin Penny leaving? Has an extension been announced? I thought he was on a 1 year deal

I've got it on very good authority from my contacts that the club have only just remembered they re-signed him

Smith was quoted in the Guardian saying the reason Riley's off is because he's only a year away from the end of his contract with us and got offered a longer deal elsewhere, yet Skysports are reporting this morning that he's only got a 1 year deal from Wakey...

Isn't that true then if we didn't offer him a deal at all?

The point being he's going to be out of contract at the end of next season whether he stayed or went, thought he'd have got more out of Wakey.

Can add Glenn Riley and Brad Dwyer to the outgoings, both off to London next season. Dwyer on loan, Riley on a permanent (I think).

Are they any good?
Have to admit I've not seen too much of either.

I have been wondering about this as well as the wording is a little ambiguous. But I think you are right, it says Dwyer is on a one year loan, but talks about Riley being 'transferred'. Then later on it mentions Smith monitoring their progress at London. I suppose if Riley is genuinely transferred on a one year contract with London we might still have the option of re-signing him at the end of 2015 ?

Riley is a big prop - I think he is 6'3 / 4", but he has not yet learned to use his size to the best advantage (footwork / angle of attack). However he has only just turned 22, so there is time for him to develop. Dwyer is the more promising of the two, he is a hooker that will take on the line and is pretty nippy around the ruck.