Born 1987 (age 26) Samoa Height 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) Weight 103 kg (16 st 3 lb) www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull-FC- ... /story.htm another lost soul but just what we need if he can recover his Catalans form and keep him fit.

Born 1987 (age 26) Samoa Height 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) Weight 103 kg (16 st 3 lb) www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull-FC- ... /story.htm another lost soul but just what we need if he can recover his Catalans form and keep him fit.

If the club can pull it off and get him in without any delay then it will be a very good signing. Thought he was a cracking player for Catalan.

He was a great player at Catalans, and if he can get over his injuries and rediscover that kind of form, he will be a great signing for you.

I don't understand this union salary cap exemption thing. I though it only applied for players who had never played league before? Anyone got a clearer definition?

No I don't understand it but I would hope Motu and AP do. I think you need a bit of size in the centres these days and this kid will certainly bring that . the injuries are a concern but he played 69 time for Catalans previous so it's not like he's been plagued his whole career.

Sounds like a great signing, will add some size to your back row and if he plays inside the binman it’ll certainly be an imposing pair. Wouldn’t read too much into him not working out in RU, it’s a very different game and suits some players more than others. Been more players (some very good RL players) who have gone across and failed rather than the Jason Robinsons of this world.

The only down side of the signing will be if he replaces Crooks (long term)and it disillusions the lad too much and his head gets turned. Still you need to worry about todays team I suppose and was surprised Sa is only 26, always thought he towards the end of his career.

Really good signing, just the type of player we need, he is fast, powerful, scores and sets up trys. I just hope he has been signed to play and he is looked as a replacement for Yeaman and not Crooks.

Try and get rid of Arundel at the end of the year and have Crooks, Yeaman and Sa fighting for the two spots.

Signals the end of Arundel, probably best for both parties.

Short term i'd imagine it'll be Crooks that loses out and whose job it is to put pressure on Sa & Yeaman. Reckon it'll be Sa & Crooks long term and probably by the end of the year.

Sa won't be here for at least a couple of games, so I hope Radford sticks with Crooks and he can show us how good he can be, putting pressure on Yeaman to up his game.

Have the HDM just nicked that story from the talk on here?

I can see this.

Here is the full rule from the operational rule booka person whohas not played Rugby League at any age group or level, subject to the RSCM’s ability to use his reasonable discretion to override this restriction so that, non-exhaustively, it would ordinarily apply only to those who have not the European Super League, UK Championships, any of the Australian NRL competitions, French Elite Championship, New Zealand’s national competitions),
(b) played for a team in a national Rugby League development competition (including non-exhaustively, the RFL’s Academy competitions and the NRL’s National Youth Competition), and/or
(c) participated in and/or played RFL Scholarship age group Rugby League (or any equivalent Rugby League programmes based in other countries not covered in (ii) (a) or (b) above)

shall, for the purposes of the allowance set out in this clause 5.13, be known as a ‘New Talent Pool Player’,

(b) subject to (c) below, where a Club registers a New Talent Pool Player, that player’s Salary Cap Value will be reduced in accordance with the following provisions

I hope so too.

Yeaman's replacement hopefully - Crooks simply has plenty to improve on and I'm sure will be given time in the right environment. Arundel clearly moves further down the pecking order and might be better off coming to an agreement.

Crooks needs taking out of the firing line before it gets too late IMO. A player like Yeaman is old enough and wise enough to cop for the crack of a whip but Crooks I am not so convinced yet. He could do with having time away from the first team to bulk up and work on his D, maybe send him to work at Donny for a few weeks.

In the long run it will be better for his development IMO. He is still only young and if he spends this year developing and improving on his weaknesses he still can be a starting centre for us from next season and will only be 21. Whilst we sometimes are reluctant to throw youngsters in I think its also important to not just throw them in and leave them to be rabbits in the headlights.