I rate Mullally very highly from what i have seen of him, but the key is if his heart is in it.

Shame to see Dan Smith go as i think him and Washbrook have probably been our most consistent performers but if this deal gives us a transfer fee (even if that is just Mullally FOC to the end of the season) and opens up the possibility of bringing someone else in (possibly Lee Smith?), then in the short term, which lets be honest is all we can think about, then i think it is good for us.

With regards 4 props, i think nowadays you could probably say 5 per game. Kavanagh, Simon, Smith & Annakin have all been named at LF during this season.

To be fair Mullally in my opinion never lets us down in terms of effort though probably feels he does not get enough time on the pitch or carries and I think he will do a job short term and who knows may be out on loan with you or someone else next year if he ends up a fringe player at Leeds.

I expect this is both a book balancing and rugby decision.

Firstly obviously the public are needed through the turnstiles the crowd for Wire was shocking.

From a rugby point of view I think the middle 8s will be a tense affair especially in the fixtures against the top 4 from the lower division. Size and strength along with a bit of rough stuff in the middle will go a long way to securing victory. I think this adds to your capabilities in the short term.

I'm a little surprised at some of the reactions to be honest regarding Smith. He has done ok but I don't think he has been anything other than that. I wouldn't anticipate he will ever go on to be anything than a solid player. His younger brother however could be a star.

Sorry to see Smith go but he isn't irreplaceable. There are plenty of Dan Smiths in the game.
Let's face it we will lose more of our better players if we don't do the business in the pressure games to come.

In this mornings Yorkshire Post according to Huddersfield managing director Richard Thewlis we have an excellent relationship with Michael Carter at Wakefield, and had agreed some time ago with him for Daniel Smith to be a Giant's player from 2016 and beyond.
It's not hard to understand the strength of the relationship when once again they've been allowed to come in and top up their contingency of Wakefield players' with another one, and in return we get a player what's going to Leeds next year and the likelyhood of that is he probably won't give a toss, according to their fans he did not do it for them when he was a Giants player so I'm not holding me breath, If he's going there then fair enough but to do the business just before the most important phase in our history, seems unexplainable unless the coach has said that he would not be playing him in the eights or more likely we've had to sell again, the only criticism I have of the player is he can't be too ambitious going there. Fwiw at least when Jowitt, Johnstone, and Crowther goes like Smith we'll get something for em.

the deal was already agreed for next year, it was done months ago,
your chairman ,by the sounds of it wanted it to happen now so approached the giants for it to happen, so i'm led to believe by reliable sources

cash rich?? that'll be news to most Huddersfield fans

Carter has said on facebook that it was money motivated. The low crowds have left a hole in his projections i would guess. I imagine this will also have an effect come the setting of budgets for next season so even if we survive we will fall further behind the others in terms of expenditure.

yeah I heard this was a done deal along time ago - so the "swap" element is probably to bring the timing forward from the end of the season and swap a player going out (DS) for a different player going out (AM eventually going to Leeds). This maybe had BS's input

I would imagine a few more leaving once the season comes to a conclusion.

Lets not get down hearted about Smith leaving yes a young one who can improve but has been a solid steady player for us nothing spectacular but done a job. As for Mullally think I would have left him at Hudds hes going to Leeds so cant see him giving two hoots about Wakey unless he sees it as getting game time and more experience.

Or alternatively, my guess would be he is scrapping around trying to find the cash to cover the cost of bringing someone else in (Lee Smith?) as BS has pointed out we are seriously lacking in the centre.

If by getting rid of Daniel Smith we can bring in Mullally & L Smith and that helps us get through the 8s then its a masterstroke. If it doesn't then we have lost a player that was going anyhow.

Just beats me how we can assume there is 'spare cash' at Wakefield to bring players in. I'm all for the signing of Lee Smith but how the hell does the club run on the gates we've been getting let alone sign players!