Mathers is clearly a confidence player - if we're putting in some decent shifts and on the front foot a bit more, he may shine; either way, he's certainly a full back who will add an extra dimension to the attacking line, which we haven't really had for ages. Just hope he's hitting the tackle bags during the off-season.

He does strike me as a belligerent type, so if he's coming to us with a point to prove, there's every chance he could go well.

One request Richard - lay off Twitter.

Aiton getting his visa fastracked, having to fly to Canberra to get it done.
Hoping to be flying out to the uk next week.
Fingers crossed.

good genuine bloke and a solid performer......has the occassional brain fart but solid pro

Complete Nob but he's our Nob now, on the field RM is good at joining the attacking line from full back position; in defence he has decent positional play 1:1 tackling got a lot to work on, played in some good teams with some good players... Better than we had in this position English too adds depth. Good signing IMO with Paul Aiton to be announced in the morning I believe!

Been mulling it over all evening and can't bring myself round. Don't think this is a good signing. Without doubt he'll do a job, but that's about it, I can't imagine him standing out. I've never really thought much of him, always thought he was prone to making some really silly decisions both in attack and defence and never really seems able to catch a ball.

We shall see though. Hopefully, my doubts will be proved wrong.

Didn't he get a load of stick on this board after the last Cas derby at Belle Vue for deliberately winding up Wakey fans and generally being obnoxious?

more Rangi than Mathers but we are stuck with him, not my choice I would of liked to have seen Tongia get year at least but afraid its cost him not using his national passport

good luck to the lad

Yeah, just had a trawl through the threads and a scan of the highlights video. Think you're right. McGoldrick performed THAT tackle. And, at the end of the match Chase and Youngqest danced round the field goading the Wakey fans.

Mathers did however launch the ball at the occupants of the Benidorm flats after scoring and do a bit of fist pumping; heat of the moment stuff I suppose, for which I'm sure he'll apologise.

It's interesting to note that since this deal was announced, good old Gronky and a couple of others over on the Cas board have him down as one of their worst performers from last season; the absolute best thing he can do to win over the Wakey faithful therefore, is to haunt Cas every time we play them - a couple of scores and a bit of badge-kissing should do the trick.

It would be fairer to say he put in one or two of the worst performances and his first half showing against Wigan at WR must rank as the most disastrous I've ever seen from a Cas FB. However more often he was one of our better players...that's Richie for you. He was never going to be prefered to Owen but I'm sure he would have been at least as productive/reliable in the threequarters as the under-achiever Widnes have relieved us of.

Made up with the signing, good luck Richie!

I think he'll be good for us.
As for the throwing the ball. As long as he does it to the Cas fans now instead of us, I'm ok with it.

I don't see how he was never going to be prefered to Owen. Owen was very very ordinary last season. I don’t know if that’s because of his long lay off with injury but he didn’t look like a SL full back, certainly not the one that performed before his injuries. I would rather have our back-up full back (Cockayne) than the Owen of last season.

Maybe because the bloke who picks the team has said as much. I agree that Owen looked ordinary (at best) in a lot of games, the vast majority of which were on the wing. When he was at FB the improvement was so marked and immediate that it was obvious to play him anywhere else would be just plain daft. Also in view of the age difference what would have been the point in going with Mathers and holding Owens progress back.

Owen is good, there is no doubt. He is young and local and they are pinning their future on people like him.
Mathers isn't like that, so they made a choice.

He's local to us, Lupset lad isn't he? He's a cracking player, much better at FB than on the wing, although bit of a numpty when he's had some pop.