Not sure whether we will fill this need Especially one circa age 25 - 27, yes I suppose we will get a has been aged 32 - 35
one who will be injured or part clapped out !
We desperately need this position filled Also, a pack leader, what do you think of whitbred, he spends extra time after training - with all
the young forwards, he has desire so it should be harnessed.
Maybe you all see things differently ?

You mean a has been like Finn or Sykes or many more. Do we never learn?

The great Toppo left us at the so called passed it end of his career and went on to to do rather well at Hull.

Can we stop this. A player is a good player regardless of age and if we need a certain player and he’s over thirty so what.

Enlighten me why 25 - 27 is so special? There is no evidence of this whatsoever.

Toppo left us at 32 and played got great Britain and won the challenge cup a year later.

The point about Whitbread looking after the young forwards......he's younger than Crowther.

When Topo went to Hull he had a three-quarter line of N Z to back him up and other very good players around him .Same with Finn he had one of the best I to 6 we have ever had at Wakefield, and some more decent players in the team plus Dave and Arona . Think we come up a bit short of that at present .

I'm not saying he's right but there is a benefit to bringing in a player nearer to the 25-27 mark and that is longevity. Both Finn and Sykes whilst great signings could only offer us a year or two on the field, Jacob Miller however gave 7 years to the club and enabled a bond to be created within the team.

I'm really not bothered who it is we sign, as long as we do indeed sign someone and they play for the shirt. Something all three players above did regardless of their age.

But it only works like that in theory. I get the theory but it rarely works.

I wouldn’t mind but we’ve just had Miller for those peak years and people have done nothing but moan about him. Yet Cas seem happy to pay him more money in his older years.

It’s all about team balance and if that’s right age matters not so long as the coach knows when the older player has finally gone over the edge.

I don’t get your point. Of course we are short as we have at least five signings to come.

Sorry but I thought this would happen with Arona and Fifita, incredible the selective memory of Trinity fans.

At the start of the season Arona was past it according everyone on here! Fifita was also past his best et etc. Now they are gone the martyrdom begins.

I don’t get Trinity fans. They want the dead wood as they call it removing and when it is they cry foul.

The CC team is gone, age did weary them, we needed to rebuild and we have. There is no easy way, transitions are painfull and risky but we couldn’t go on. That team would not have improved a jot.

The future is players like Whitbread, Jowitt and Crowther and up and comers like Murphy, Hall, Eseh and stalwarts like Kershaw.
They need to be supplemented by the new Fifitas and Arona’s.

Teams evolve and they do so in the hope that they eventually find that magic formula.

Vastman just saying when Finn came here and Toppo was at Hull, what kind of team they had around them .Do not think it is fair to switch to last season to make your point about Arona and Dave .Think you should have put ,,some fans on here wanted rid of them ,,.I was not one of them ,and think there would be 95% of Wakefield fans who would feel the same. Did you not go to the last HKR match at home and the last game against Huddersfield to see what the fans though about Dave and Arona .Best send of i have seen for two players leaving Wakefield ever ,and I have watched Wakefield for 65 plus years

The other thing to consider is that they both had a year at the lower league at the time to build their experience and confidence.

After listening to Minnards I'm a lot more confident we went about things in the right way.
If Mark is the best option as they saw it, then let's get behind him. He's not the cheap option, he's the chosen option.
So when we lose away to Sts, with an injury hit side, let's not get on his back. He'll need our support this season.

In case you'd forgotten Arona's first name is Tinirau, or Tinni to his special mates like Barnsley Gull

Sorry, I just realised this isn't the MA thread.

In terms of Stand off, we absolutely do need a strong player in this position. I don't mind so much that Miller has gone but his position in the team needs to be appreciated when replacing.

That's very true to be fair, we've a very fickle fan base at times.

Correct I was not especially aiming it at you, it’s a general thing that happens at Trinity. Players only become truly appreciated when they leave.

I’m dreading the backlash on Miller as I reckon Cas have scored a real coup. They will ignore that MC stated his intent to keep him and his frustration at missing out. They will definitely ignore the fact that they all said how inconsistent he was blah blah. It will have to be someone’s fault.

I think the main problem with signing players over 30 is, it's seen as short termism. However, if we had 13 38 year olds and we got in the top 4 and won the cup then who cares if the next season they all retire and we are crap again?! What's the point of signing 'experience' in any position if we finish 10th all the time?! I'd rather watch an 18 year old and finish 10th than a has-been. It nearly worked with Finn, it just all clicked for 2 seasons along with the likes of England, BJB, Grix etc. It's gonna be very interesting over the coming weeks as regards signings......