Quote: NickyKiss "Signing Patrick and Tautai was never going to solve our size issue however much Lenagan and Wane tried to pretend it would. Sadly it's turned out that not only are they both small props but they're also a liability in many other areas (ball retention and defensively being two big issues).
I do still think Tautai can pull it round with a big fitness push in the off season but Patricks surely a goner. If Tautai had the correct support around him upfront he'd instantly improve. He'd have been great for Saints playing off the back of Walmsley, Amor and Masoe with Roby working off the back of his strong suit (his running game).'"
I think Tautai has done o.k. He averages around 75 metres a game and 20 tackles. His ball retention bar the game at Warrington when he got concussed and probably should't have come back on has been fine, and he doesn't miss a lot of tackles or give away many penalties. Partick has been a disappointment, he is rumoured to be in the top 3 quickest players over 30 metres at the club, and I think we all expected more.
As for recruitment, it's a balancing act. Next year we have Sam coming back but also have Gildart, Bretherton, Shorrocks, Waterworth, Gregson etc coming out of the U19's with no place to play. What do we do with them? Bretherton is about 6'4" and 16 stone now at the age of 19!!
Look at Ryan Hampshire, he's rightly peed off at the moment because he has nowhere to play. If we go to the overseas market then some of these players may be forced to leave, can you imagine the uproar on here if Hampshire or some of the ones mentioned leave?