does anyone think we are going to see a 'left-field' 'meh' kind of signing like the Sammut one of a few years ago?

along the lines of...
Rocky?
Gigot?
Rangi?

I, personally hope we go for an young Aussie, struggling for game time, with something to prove.....

The alternative of, no signing and Tommy round again, with the utility options of Field and French, doesn't exactly light my fire.
Still need +1 and a recognised one at that.

Everybody has gazumped us in recruitment. Huddersfield have just announced Danny Levi. Thats a great coup. Even Salford look like they have signed a good cheap half back, Brodie Croft. We give Leauluai a new deal

Thing is with those signings is they'll be 2 or 3 year deals. We perhaps want a quality replacement for Hastings there and can't currently get one. With that in mind Tommy as a stop gap is perhaps our only option.

Or maybe we're just looking for cover in the halves and going with a Field Smith combo. In which case Tommy as cover isn't a bad option.

Admittedly this should have been sorted ages ago though. we knew Hastings was leaving at the end of this season 12 months ago.

How long were we talking to George though and expecting him to be the replacement?

And looks like Hull are signing Peats. I like Powell but I feel he needs to be surrounded by good players, when it comes to creativity he must be towards the bottom in Superleague hookers and with our likely half back pairing next season I think we need that extra spark.

I get your point and I do agree - I’d be shocked if Levi or Croft are either with those teams or even in SL in 3yrs and perhaps that’s the motivation behind not moving for a young, out of favour but talented NRL half. Personally I’d go for a half such as Jake Trueman. Transfer fee or not. He’s a longevity signing IMO and would, at most clubs he’d go to be honest, create a long lasting halfback legacy.

But it includes spending money, a lot of it. That’s why it’ll never happen, even if he was OOC. Why we haven’t sorted this the moment we knew Hastings was going back to the NRL, which was approximately the second the ink dried on his signing contract with us, we should have had a plan, a target(s). It just seems to me we’ve stumbled into it and offered Tommy a deal because we’ve ran out of ideas.

Tommy playing on looks to be official. Him and Kris Radlinski have spoken to the WEP saying he’s signed on for 12 more months, as it’s only right he goes out on his terms and not on an injury. I wonder if Rads thinks comments like that through sometimes. There is no room for sentiment in sport and even though I sit here thinking Tommy signing back on is because they’ve stuffed up the recruitment of a new halfback, that makes it sound like we’ve actually shelved the plans just to let Tommy play on. It all feels like the Tony Clubb deal again.

Incompetence, mismanagement and a lack of planning on an industrial scale spring to mind.

You can bet season ticket sales will sky rocket with this news…

If TL is playing at 9 next season then fine, if he's our main halfback then another long season beckons

I try to back the club wherever possible but that is poor.

Same.

No worries not making big signings, spending under the cap, cutting our cloth etc but you have to still be organised, put your irons in the fire well in advance and box clever. Tommy has been a fabulous servant but all good things come to an end and as a halfback, I think he should’ve called it quits at the end of 2020. I understand that they felt it was best he carried on this season due to Lockers retiring but it should’ve been more as a hooker, with occasional cover at seven and then with us looking to move him on to the coaching staff at the end of this year.

We really need to up our game on squad shaping and not letting personal feelings come in to decisions. We did it with Clubb and it feels like we’ve done it again here. I hope I’m wrong.