The issue for me with Asotasi is why did we release Morley?

Presumably the argument was, yes Morley was a great player 2 or 3 years ago, but it's about 2014 and he's not what he was. Fine I can accept that....as long as we don't sign a player who fits exactly the same category.

As for Carvell leaving that was a terrible blow for us. With Carvell and Hill in our team, the opposition was always going backwards. Taking Carvell out meant we needed a seriously good replacement. Assuming Asotasi is the like for like 'once great but now past his best' replacement for Morley, who is the replacement for Carvell....England?

We are not the team we are because we have just let the quality go down.

It's annoyed me that Carvell has re-signed for Hull. He's my all time favourite Wire prop even above Morley. Who knows what went on with contract negotiations or whatever but we haven't come out of it well in the front row and there's a heck of a lot of pressure on Hill now to carry us when he should be spearheading a feared front row.

Its a good Job Roy didn't offload straight to Danny Brough last week. he'd have been found hung outside town hall eh ?

Carvell leaving wasn't a blow SC.
Can count on 2 fingers how many he has played.
Recruitment is the blow.

That's nearly a good point.

When players try things and they come off then that's great when they don't come off you take a balanced view that everyone makes a mistake now and again but at least he's trying.

Asotosi isn't making mistakes but doesn't appear to be trying either so he's either not got the talent that we expected or doesn't care. I really hope he proves us wrong and is sussing out the comp, playing a little bit within himself to provide us with some better performances later on in the season.

FWIW I think this 'settling in' excuse is a cop out he's a senior professional that has played at the top level not some young kid going to boarding school for the first time...Come on Royston show us what youi've got.

The thing that niggles me more than anything is that he must be costing us a quite a whack. And at the moment, he looks as though he is here purely to boost his retirement fund.

Then it's the chairman fault for giving a player of his age the salary he is probably on!

I think if this fella was genuinely not trying . The fans would not be the first people to point this out

I agree, hence the use of the word "appear" in my point as a reference to the untrained eye (mine and others on here)and without seeing the guy at close quarters and in training every day....

I'd still like a bit more ooomph to be honest and I don't need him to running round like a mad man just a spark, an indication that he is in charge, a top dog will do for now.

Don'e get me wrong i'm not sat he thinking hes playing particularly well. I'm just thinking he has not played bad enough to warrant his own thread. And yes I know hes probably one of the biggest earners and with the biggest rep. But he seems to tackle well , He's scored more tires than the other forwards and he's not really put a foot wrong.

So for someone who's not really playing 100% I can safely say he's going the right way about playing into form.

If he wasn't the big close season signing he wouldnt have this thread. Silvertail wolf was (i think) suggesting that we should be grateful to have such a big name player join us, rather like Morley etc.

The problem just goes round and round for most and that is that he hasn't ripped up any trees. Whereas Cooper appears to be giving it a good go as did the Burgess boys. I guess most of us just want to see some fire in that huge frame, a hurtful tackle or three and/or a few good off loads per game. Not a lot to ask? Its a given that this is not expected evry minute of every game.

I agree with the "first year syndrome" comment, is a pure cop out. There is nothing to stop these guys going on the field and ripping it up other than their mindset. A twenty year old relative newcomer at this level you could cut some slack, but a guy of this stature nah, he's having a holiday pure and simple.

I hope you are right Bobbie as do most on here, plenty of "I hope he makes me eat my words" type prefixes rather than people wanting the guy to fail to prove their point.

His problem is he looks lack lustre, has a big reputation, big earnings, made a daft "lesser intensity than down under" comment when he arrived and a majority view that would have kept Carvell if we were an Ebbsfleet

Perhaps somebody told him not to bother until we get around to July / Aug ?

He hasn't helped himself by getting off on the wrong foot with reference to a holiday.

Can someone post this reference to a holiday Please ??

Yes, where did that rumour about him 'taking a holiday' come from ?