If Lenegan is true to his world then can we now be sure were not signing Griffin, Thorman or Johnson, I still get the feeling that big signings will come in 2011 but hopefully we'll have some top class additions this year.
Also I see on the Saints board that they seem to be interested in Kite, surely if available or there willing to release him we should be going for him afterall the guy still plays SOO and for the Aussies so must be on to form.

Has Andy not accepted the offer?

He has said he wants to sign a prop and he is now saying he only wants class players. Doesn't that equate to spending quite a bit on the pack?

Also why should the fact Fielden and Feka are not performing stop him wanting to improve the pack? Thought he would want to do the exact opposite if the pack is a problem.

Dave

I know what you mean, but could we not get a new coach maybe to bring out the best in them??

It's not bickering it's debate.

The players he is paying the most who aren't performing you mention aren't off contract. So unless we agree a compensation package there is little we can do. I don't think Feka is doing anything different to what he usually does. People criticse his fitness but that is up to Mike Forshaw to get Feka to slim down. I think he gives us great go forward in his short spells. I would like to see these spells extended but that is up the the club and the management.

IL has to spend a healthy amount on the pack. It's our area of weakness and the area in which we need vast improvement to compete with the top two. We can have Trent Barrett back in the side but behind a beaten pack his talent was wasted. Same with Sam Tomkins and Thomas Leuluai. IL does not have to spend a fortune IMO to improve the pack. Saints aren't doing with Tony Puletua so why can't we with Frank Puletua? The wages of Gareth Hock must be six figures plus Smith and Coleys wages should be enough to bring in Carl Webb you would imagine. Easily.

rlhttp://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/fears-that-kite-may-fly/2009/05/31/1243708350759.htmlrl

If Saints sign up Brent Kite - a clive churchall medal winner, 15 games for Australia, 10 origin representative games, 28 year old 6 foot three 110kg top quality prop forward it would prove that what IL has said is total and utter complete .

I would be seething if Saints got Kite.

Feka is protected from crtisism imo too much. Great go forward but shaky defence. Forshaw should spend less time on his own fitness and more on fekas and the others.
I disagree about your trent comment. He played poorly last year but dont blame the pack. he wanted to go home.

Now IL is saying he only wants the best, so where are they?
Last time he went to press he was suggesting that perhaps top line high profile players were not what we might be after but younger quality players may provide better value for money.
Now he's changed his views, we are again after the very best!
The right price IL talks about is his price. Top class players are in demand and can get the salary they want not what someone else wants to pay!
ie Jason Ryles.
This also tells us that so far IL hasn't signed anyone.
He probably hasn't signed a coach either.
So for next season Noble to be in charge and perhaps one signing.
It won't be one of "the best" either. More like "next best".

We should use the money from both Bailey, Coley and Smith if needs to be to get ourselves an absolute top class prop for next year, then when it comes to the end of 2010 we should use Fieldens huge wage to get another top class prop whether he's British or an Aussie to form are starting frontrow.

Then come 2011 we can have two top class starting props and follow that up with Presscot and Feka off the bench. With the backrow made up off Tomkins, Mossop and O'Loughlin with Farrel on the bench. As for O'Carrol I'd loan him out ans see how he progresses away from the pressures of Wigan. Now obviously this is somewhat hypothetical but very much achievable and although it's two years from now, don't tell me that both saints and Leeds aren't already planning that far ahead, cause I bet they are, and we need to as well.

I'm not disagreeing with that view however what I would say is that the positions we are in need of the frontrow, good frontrowers are few and far between as most clubs already looking for them and coming up short, what's even rarer is to get a young prop forward who's available and already playing brilliantly. It's my view that good quality props are in short supply and if we want one were gonna have to pay a hefty price, as for Lenegan signing younger players thats acceptable for other positions in the team because there not in need of the physical maturity that playing in the frontrow demands.
I agree with you that we probably haven't signed anyone yet even a coach, but I'm reassured or hopefully I am that those Lenegan does sign will be off the highest quality, surely the mans not a liar, then again the term quality is open to interpretation.