I just hope its not a

"it's the best we can do job at this moment" signing

and then sign him for a few years, as he may push that option as he may not want to travel half across the world for a few months.

As he imo won't do in the long term if were looking to progress again next year.

Jonah Takalua is an actor not a rugby league player!

No-one signs players who they don't have some belief will do a job for you. We had every right to expect a decent job from Newton and Tronc, but it hasn't worked out - does that make their signings wrong? Only in hindsight.

I really do not understand where we think we get our players from? Let's have a look eh...

Blaymire - from NL
Blanch - from a bust NL club
George - signed as a junior, unproven
Gleeson - previously unable to settle
Millard - overseas and proven track record
Morton - academy
Murphy - acadamy, via Leeds
etc...
The point is that they generally come to us either un-proven or as 'surplus to requirements'. We rarely, if ever, buy high quality players at the top of their game, yet we survive and thrive on what we do and, when we get a blip, people panic.

There's not that much wrong with the club (not that has changed in recent weeks) and we will find our form again in the near future. Leave the wheeler dealing to them in charge - I have no doubt that they are doing the best they can in very difficult financial circumstances.

Who are you kidding?! Yes we've just come out of a recession, but there is no doubt we must have a fair wedge of spare cash sat there doing nothing right now. The crowds are not that different to last year, yes the players that have moved on for various reasons have in the main been "replaced" in the slackest sense of the word, but the the two logically largest earners have not. We received a transfer fee for Atkins, there was a reported transfer fee for Brough, and as far as i'm concerned, in the main, the salaries of Brough and Drew are still unaccounted for. So feeding us the pony about financial circumstances just won't cut it.

I'm not saying we have are in the position to pick who we want because we all know it doesn't work like that, but to say we're in financial strife must be attributed to mismanagement and that alone. I don't have figures and I don't claim to be in the know, but logic alone stipulates that we should not be in the position you paint we are in.

The transfer fee recieved for Ryan Atkins paid of the Tax Bill. However, I can not account for the salaries of Brough, Drew and Newton (assuming that Cooke and Newton were/are on different amounts).

Don’t know why Trinity bother with an accountant, there’s plenty on here who can do the job far better, from afar and for free.

I see the shares in M&S have gone up.

I invested heavily after the Newton news, and expanded my portfolio when the rumours of Tronc surfaced. I'm selling when Kear gets the England job.

you can not account for it in very much the same way Ted can not account for how much you pay for your electric and gas

There are a number of options that the club should consider before committing itself to long-term signings. Much will depend on how ambitious the club is, and how much money is in the kitty.

Ben Ross
South Sydney front rower, off contract at the end of 2010
30 years old
6'3" - 17st 7lbs
105 games in the NRL over an eight year period.

Manase Manuokafoa
North Queensland Cowboys front rower, off contract at the end of 2010
25 years old
6'3" - 18st 5lbs
45 games in the NRL over the last 5 years
represented Tonga 4 times

Feleti Mateo
Parramatta loose forward or stand-off, off contract at the end of 2010
25y years old
6'4" - 16st 4lbs
67 games in 1st grade including 12 for London Broncos (Harlequins)
represented Tonga five times

Lee Te Maari
Ex Bulldogs second row forward, free agent (I believe)
25 years old
6'2" 16st
32 NRL appearances in 3 years
played for New Zealand Māori , and was a member of the New Zealand World Cup squad.

Brett Kimmorley
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs scrum half, off contract at the end of 2010
no introduction needed
still playing to an unbelievably high standard and possesses the organisation and kicking skills that we currently lack

Will Chambers
former Melbourne Storm centre now playing rugby union, for the Queensland Reds in the super 14s
on a rolling one-year contract
22 years old
6'2" - 15st 7lbs
once heralded as the next Greg Inglis, injury forced him out of the Melbourne squad and into rugby union

James Tamou
North Queensland Cowboys prop, second row, off contract at the end of 2010
21 years old
6'4" - 17st 7lbs
A big prospect in every sense of the word, made his first grade debut as a 17-year-old but has only made a handful of appearances since then. Well thought off and there would be competition for his signature.

And then of course there's my old favourite Arana Taumata!
Currently signed with West Tigers, and apparently doing well both on and off the field but can't get a run at first grade. IMO , he would be an absolutely fantastic and well timed signing for our current team.

I don't know who does the scouting for the club but these are the sort of players that we should and may well be aware of.

Mateo would be good as can cover stand off,loose or back row (not all at the same time though)

I remember your infatuation with this bloke, there were some good clips around IIRC.... is he a scrum half?
We need somet to cheer us all up that's for sure.

Oh and gowerthegrope I understand people's frustration at how money we seemingly have available one minute disappears the next, but finance is fluid, things change and there are sometimes just more important things to spend the dough on. Is that not possible?

yes.
I have NEVER had a reason to doubt King John.
Even if we lose every game till the end of the year he is still the best man for the job at WTW.

MVP??? By a million miles.
Never doubt King John. Our players don't, so why should we?- Laps of Newmillerdam can't be good......