It's not a fair judgment until they are all announced. We might have 3/4 very good players to announce. Last time I looked it was July not September.

As good a signing as Ellis is this is as bad IMO especially if it is for next year as well. A signingike this does make you question the reasoning as it goes against everything that has been said about our recruitment targets. Until the other signings ate announced I'll believe/hope they will be what we're hoping for but this has definately sown a seed of doubt. It's just such a poor decision.

People really need to understand the implications of the salary cap. Whilst clubs have a maximum limit that they can spend on players, clubs will have to cut their clost accordingly which will often result in signings that don't impress their fan base.

To address the text in bold. We have released a player with limited super league experience who has failed to impress and had 18 months left on his contract (before we agreed to release him at the end of the season). We have replaced him with a player with vast super league experience who can COVER more positions.

I understand that McGoldrick is not the greatest player in the world and potentially has some baggage that comes with him. However, if he is on similar money or less than Ellis, then I think it is a decent bit of business by the club as long as he is going to be used only as a cover/squad player.

We could still end up with the following at a starting 17:-

Horne
Crookes
Arundel
Yeaman
Briscoe
Holdsworth
Seymour
Lynch
Houghton
Paea
Ellis
Bateman/Whitehead
Westerman

Watts
Kite
Heremaia
Whiting

I was a little disappointed signing a cast off from our neighbours in watts,but the signing of mcgoldrick is very reassuring,as gentle and pearson said we will be signing good young english players and it shows they are men of their word.
He will fit in really well with brett finch,rangi chase,jamie lyon,benji marshall etc and all the other superstars we are signing.I was a little disappointed with last years signings until the end of the season we signed tony martin and jamie ellis which kept the fans happy and have proved to be masterstrokes.Keep up the good work.!

Another pointless thread about our recruitment. It hasn't finished!

But, FWIW, on the whole I'm happy with it so far. Watts and Arundel, two current knights. Been impressed with Pitts. Crookes I don't know too much about but heard good things. And obviously Gaz Ellis is huge. Paea looking on his way, with Whitehead/Bateman probable, and a new 6 as well as a big prop and maybe a full back.

McGoldrick will be a mere stain on the overall recruitment, IMHO.

Good squad, Whiting at loose forward for me, I really rate him. Then another 2nd Rower on the bench, hopefully Bateman/Whitehead, would be happy if we did get both of them, especially if Tickle goes.

mgoldrick, but but why??!!!!!!

Not a chance of that, one of the highset paid Cas players.

He was due to go home at the end of the season and retire from RL wasn't he?

Wish he had, won't have given up half his big salary at Cas this year for that much of a pay cut. Never know and to be honest if I found out we where paying him 20K I would still be disapointted would rather look at a young player and try and sign another young player from the lower league than sign him.

Fair enough. I think he's a crappy signing too, but if it's for squad cover and help us out for the rest of the season then we'll just have to make do.

I could just about cope with the rest of the season, it's the next season that is really annoying me.

I really hope it's for the rest of the season with an option for next year in the clubs favour.

Hope so too. I guess Gentle wants squad cover with SL experience and thought RM fit the bill somehow.

do you feel better now???
wait till the whole crew is assembled before you sail mate

your not wrong





my old dad once said "the biggest problem for any FC coach is there is potentially 30,000 others in the city whom believe they can coach better than he can , its never dull eh

Top 8 here we come!!

Problem is Pearson said Gentle wanted young english players mixed with experienced players who can lead by example , at least that was my interpretation. What we've seen in the last few days are two young brits , plus Turner confirmed , going and an old Aussie with a bad reputation coming in. A player that Cas don't want!!!

Best team in SL might be the longer term plan, but his most recent comments (which also referred to 6 signings still to be announced) were that in 18 months time he wanted us to be challanging for 4th / 5th spot IIRC. With the squad we're assembling then that will be readily achievable.

Fingers crossed

Great response, perhaps you can tell me which part of it you are not in agreement with?

And anybody who thought it would take 2 years is a fool.

I do feel better now thanks.

I assure you that when all the 6 superstar signings that will make up Gentles team are announced, I will be the first to admit I jumped the gun with the original post. Problem is I don’t think those signings will make us one of the best team in SL as promised by AP.

Whats the time frame then?