Did he and sharp ever play together at Harlequins? With whats happened with Gleeson, i dont think is not a bad signing for a year. Hopefully this will help Sharp out having an experienced centre beside him, it is going to take time to change this team around, maybe this will give Gentle time to recruit a centre for the 2013 season. I rather have solid centre than inexperiened centre. Is a combination of Sharp/Martin better than Whiting/Turner i do, only time will tell.

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why judge him if you havn't seen him

It suggests that the coach/DOR are erring on the 'quite possibly better' side of the argument.
In fact for Turner in particular it's not great news unless Gentle is considering moving him into the second row.

Of corse he will help their development, he has won an NRL final. Albeit a long time ago, he definaltey has been there and done that. Not saying I agree with the signing at all, just his experience will help the kids.

Agree with this completely. We needed a quality centre and we haven't got one. We have a has been. I hope I'm wrong.

This puts it in a nutshell for me. A new signing should fill a gap or improve on what we already have. Whether he is a better centre than Turner or Whiting is debatable, but he's certainly not enough better to justify his signing, IMO. Add to that the fact that he's 33, and Australian, and I'm quite disappointed.

I'm, not saying it's a great signing - it's obviously not the dream centre we were after. But if we really simplify things, it says that Turner is not good enough, that is something I have agreed with and so I can't now be critical of a signing who only a couple of months ago, fairly comprehensively outplayed Turner in the centres in a well beaten side. Therefore, in the extreme short term it is an improvement to my mind.

I don't think this will impact on Whiting at all, he'll be in the 17 whatever. Simply too good not to be.

Well is the new coach thinks recruiting Martin will improve us then I am already gonna be doubting his opinion. He is at best as good as what we have on the right so why bother?

He's not a bad player but we already have younger players just as good for that position so his signing seems pointless regardless of how cheap he was.

I would expect Widnes or Wakey to make this type of signing. It smacks of the sort of signings Bomber was making at Salford.

think he's here to bulk the squad out. a replacement for yeaman or turner or another centre if 1 comes in. Dont think whiting will play in the backs next year unless desperate! with forwards being a little light now can see whiting comming off the bench in the back rows! think we only got him as cover and to use his experience, his salary will be covered by radfords and we were in the market for 2 players anyway so could still be another 2 to come yet!

Fair enough that's opinion.

I have only seen Crooks on FC TV and he looks like he has good potential. Whether he could play a full year of SL to the required standard is doubtful. Turner did OK last year but his performances were hardly in the top-drawer category. Gleeson was brought in to improve that position and when he played he undoubtedly did so. Maybe Gentle doesn't see Turner as a centre going forward and doesn't want to play him there any more ? The jury is still out on whether he's good enough in that position IMO.

Let's give Crooks a chance and not rush him he's still very light . Gentle is known for bringing younsters through so will get his chance

cant argue with that. to say im unimpressed with martins capture would be an understatement...decent goal kicker tho...

TBH im more worried of the lack of signings still to come, especially since our depth is poor in a few areas and if this is the sort of signing we are making just because our main target decided not to come, then god help us who they are going to bring in next.

I believe the same could be said about Turner and Sharpe. I'm hopeful Gentle and his staff will see them fulfill their potential this season. Martin will be just add more competion and depth in the centres.

I am nothing short of disgusted at this signing !! I could not believe it when I first read it this morning. If this is AP "showing intent" then he is going to get a big surprise when passes go on sale.

I cannot think of a single reason why we have made this signing. It's the sort of signing that Widnes, Wakey, Dobbins, Bradford would make.

Lyon, Jennings, Bridge......nah..let's take a 33 year old never been who nobody else wants !

This is far worse than making no signing at all. My complete optimism was gradually disappearing each day but this is the final straw.

Forget your season pass AP ! I won't be shelling out £225 for one !!

good job agar made some good signings before he left.whatever his faults[and he had many],his signings were mostly decent ones.thats why i am still looking foreward to next year.seymour,heremaia,ellis and mckinnon were quality signings,martin is not.