Can you tell me if AP said that all these ‘top signings’ would be in place for this next season?

I am a bit surprised with the signing of Aspinwall, but not overly disappointed.
As others have said he is more of a stop gap, and I can see the longer term value in that. We need to concentrate next season on the youth development for our strength in depth.

I recon 2013 we will have a smaller but higher quality main squad of ‘specialists’, with the youth providing depth of cover. If we can’t or don’t get the youth development right, then we will have to suffer more utility type players who will do an ok job.

Obst was happily playing for Wakey and had been for a few seasons. Wakey get into financial difficulty so we jump in as we had no half backs and swing the deal with Obst by giving him two years. With only half of that deal gone we then have a surplus of halfs so need to offload him to help strengthen other parts of the squad. Obst agrees to go and we sign Aspinwall which is hardly strengthening leaving Obst clubless when he could of still been happily playing for Wakey. Thats ting all over him imo. Christ i bet Obst could of done as well in the back row as Aspinwall will do.

Were going in slightly undercooked in the prop stakes for next season imo, never mind 2013.

[iIf,[/i and it's a big if, we have just one of our kids ready to start for 2013 then we'd still need two recognised frontline props for the season after next.

If Ogre and Moa go,

2013
Lynch
O'Carrol

Get a grip of yourself. Aspinwall or Obst at the backrow.... and you think Obst would do a better job. Stop having such a downer on things, if you don't like it don't get a pass simples.

The way I see it is that we have taken a first team player from another SL club as back up for us. That is a positive for me and gives us the experienced depth that we haven't had in a while, gives competition for places and will be fairly cheap for the year.

Like i said previously ive been very positive till our latest two signings. They just wasnt what i was expecting.

Pathetic

Every signing cannot be a world beater. Aspinwall gives us much needed cover in the backrow and Martin gives us more options in the position. Recruiting players is an ongoing job and half of the players signed for 2012 by clubs will have already been sorted at the beginning of 2011. When you start looking to recruit in August your already behind your rivals, hence why Widnes were given the go ahead early last year rather than the end of the season.
More realistic to look at our signings for 2013 than the ones made for 2012.

My wife told me about this signing as I was walking out the door this morning. I immediately said "wait 'till this one hits the Forum!"

A surprising signing and not one to get the blood racing, but as others have said it's a one year deal and adds some depth and experience where we need it. I expected it to take some time for the mistakes of the last few years to be rectified and we're at least making steps in the right direction. I won't write Aspinwall off before I've seen him play for us, and neither will I give up on next season before a ball's been played.

didnt think this signing would go down well with a certain section of our fans ,ill give the guy a chance before i make judgement,at the end of the the day this signing plus tony martin have only been given one year deals not realy the end of the world,people need to get behind the new coach and the team,gentle wasnt the aussie assistant just for the fun of it,im realy looking forward to 2012.

Also people going on about pearson bringing big name players to the club,did he say it would be for 2012? the changes that have been made from players to coaching staff is massive and we arent going to become world beaters over night,its going to take time,we needed to bolster the squad and this signing plus the martin one have done that,i also believe if gentle thinks the likes of green,kent,crooks etc are good enough then they will play,we have been screaming out for long enough for changes from top to bottom now they have been made people still find things to winge at

Why didn't we just keep Washbrook? He's a backrower and probably better than Aspinwall AND that's from someone who thought Washbrook was deadwood.

For all those Hull fans that bombarded the Wigan board a couple of week's ago re: Lauaki.......


backatcha!

Washy got a 3 tear deal at wakey didnt he? he was never gonna get that from Hull