House of league podcast interview s HKR chief exec and MC on the mechanics of the deal that brought Dagger to us and Hall going the other way . Clears up all the rumours presently circulating.

Well you ain’t getting bums on seats by flirting with relegation every year.

What seats, are you really that …….

So long as it's not that chuffin Sweet bloody Caroline!

Isn't Mikaele leaving next week - they have a free quota spot???

Good call that to be fair…and they are stacked with middles too.

Maybe someone like Bullock could be on the cards.

Makes sense - they've been after him 2/3 years. Chances are MC has called Powell already, like KR last weekend with Corey.

Bullock broke his thumb a week or two back so is out at least another month. Harrison also injured long term for them so with Mikaele leaving they are down on numbers themselves.

As long as they're both still here, I'd go with Hewitt and Kelepi in the second row. Get Bowden back as well and I think it's a much more aggressive looking pack.

I wonder if Trinity are trying to offload Atoni?

The whole ‘swap shop’ initiative smacks of panic and a realisation that they’ve got their recruitment badly wrong and the import signings haven’t given the desired lift in performance to the team.

It’s easy to arrange swap deals with other teams because our strategy appears to be providing a better player for one of their squad players. It does not help squad strength or quality but I guess it will reduce the playing budget.

In industry is the equivalent called asset stripping?

Not really true.

Obviously clubs are in a stronger position to bargain because of where we find ourselves.

It’s all though relative to our needs.

Losing Hall harms our centres, no doubt, but it improves our fullback role and probably strengthens the overall squad.

Same with Tanginoa. He’s not really fired for us consistently for a couple of years and spends a lot of time injured.

We need a middle so swapping him for a player we need despite him maybe not being regarded as “good” a player probably strengthens our squad as it improves an area we are weak from a position we have relative strength.

If we were swapping centre for centre or secondrow for secondrow I would take your point and agree however we are swapping players for ones where we have cover for others where we need more support with the idea being that we are strengthening the team.

If it works in practice only time will tell.

Do you think we should be targeting a front rower given we already have 6 at the club?

Why not a 9, 6 or 7?

Also looking at out secondrowers were not stacked with quality in that position and would be once again probably swapping our best option if it's Kelepi who goes.

The coaches have identified we need a middle.

We may have 6 but only really one is performing.

I think we would love to get a 9, 6 or 7 but they have to be of a quality and available for us to get them. Having a think about it I’m not sure who that person would be.

I agree about secondrow but we have plenty of SL proven quality in that area of the pitch.

Atoni is turning out to be a horrible signing. If he was performing we would be in a much better place.

The club can only go after players who are available and also of a level to improve us where we are most deficient.

My guess is it will be Bullock (total guess) and if it is him I’m ok with that as he is a big Prop (not a middle) who has plenty of go forward and can do good minutes.

Will be interesting to see who it is if it happens in the next week.

My guess though it will be Tanginoa used to bring in a prop.