All seems to make sense. I think k the option if Dan Smith on Loan is a good one, he's on a long contract and has potential and is still young. If we send him somewhere like Leigh for a year who no doubt need forwards, he may well prove to be the player we were told he was when he signed.

Saw Symonds mic'd up in the dugout on Friday, looks like a position in the backroom may be an option, and probably a good one!

It would be nice to have the halves situation sorted, I think Gaskell could end up there long term, it will also be interesting to see if young Farrell develops as we all hope.

yes now that would be better than any new signing !

seems rapira is off then so we need to be bringing in a prop... dickinson is coming along nicely, masons progress has halted.

good news on taai.

ridyard is still contracted to leigh next season so some work to be done there and it seems ellis may return too., some interesting times and big decisions to be made on the half back front.

i heard a whisper both gaskell and brough are leaving but cant see that

at least this season we will have more time to prepare with securing a top 8 spot (says before its happened!)

if the rumours are true that we are looking at Trent Hodkinson then he would be a direct replacement for Brough, and only losing Brough would free enough cap space to be able to sign him. Brough still seems to be totally on top of his game and is one of the few players who has managed to keep all his attributes way into his 30's, but he will be 35 before next season starts so it could be a good move.

yeh if hodkinson was coming then that would signal the end for brough..

a recent piece on hodkinson doesnt sound too positive

rlhttps://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/state-of-origin/state-of-origin-2017-the-slow-end-of-trent-hodkinson-the-unlikely-origin-hero/news-story/d2f82dccfbadf4bdd35a9a7ed2e8b7d5rl

danny mcguire leaving leeds, poss to hull kr.... so maybe ellis back to us if they dont want him

Any chance of telling us what this says as you be linked to a subscription only story. .

Hodkinson played at the weekend looked very good, great kicking game and game managment after a long lay off with a bad knee injury. He's injury prone so with this, so would need to be careful signing him on a long deal if we do end up signing him. However Stone will know him from his Newcastle contacts and from Nathan Brown.

Brough said he's definitely seeing out his contract with us - 18 months left.

strange, will have to google his name and click on the news stories, recent write up on him

Did you watch the game all way to the end? Went missing in last 10 leaving everything up to young halve brock lamb, got lot of stick for it, plus hodkimsom was never at knights same time as stone and neither was Nathen brown

I would much prefer Ridyard than getting Ellis back if that turns out possible. If Brough has another 18 months, that gives us time to make the effort to get some one with his class to replace him.

Trent Hodkinson is a good goal kicker, but that`s all. Only very average. We need to be looking at better quality than him.

First game back after a lengthy lay off, hardly surprising he tried towards the end. Have you been watching the Knights this season (and last for that matter!) they are capable of losing a game from any lead in the last 20 mins, they've done it so many times. Brock Lamb made some real dumb plays near the end, clearly not first grade level and quite clearly at fault. BTW thought Wardle had a good game, and one big hit.

So Stone hasn't got any Newcastle contacts ?? find that hard to believe, and my understanding is Nathan Brown is Hodkinson's coach, but I seem to have that wrong, so clearly would have no view on him??

Was his second game back and his lengthy lay off was him being dropped to reserve grade where's he played every week, to clarify brown and stone don't know each other and all backroom staff at Newcastle from stones time are gone ,his two sons are in there and his only contacts, he was sacked twice by them remember