Mixed feelings about signing Abdul.

Pros:
Cheap on the cap
Already in Hull
Knows the club
Playing at a top club and was playing very well last year, high in MOS points for large periods
Is creative and has a distinct style of play, which could compliment Trueman
Saves cap and quota space for other areas

Cons:
He’s clearly overweight and has never really been in top notch shape his whole career - hope Cartwright can sort this out, he’s obviously confident he can as he will have overseen this signing
Lacks pace, which we badly lack as a team
Was quietly hoping for a high quality 7 from NRL, but I guess this shows it’s slim pickings at the moment

Hope it works out, and we can use his quota spots wisely. A pacey and creative FB is starting to make more sense, with a centre and back row the next two priories, and maybe a hooker depending on which route we take with Balmforth.

I do think we’ll get one of Bateman or Whitehead, so hopefully a quota back rower alongside them. The pack would look pretty decent then.

Dont know whether to laugh or cry
The slowest backline in S/L now the slowest half backs in S/L
Surely Richie Rich knows you have to have pace accross the park to be a top team not just one or two players.
Look at the back lines and half backs at Wigan and Warrington and Warrington even have a flyer in Connor Wrench to come back in at centre
Huge downgrade on Clifford and not what we expected given our expected free quota spots

We aren’t going to go from bottom to be on par with Wigan, at this point we just have to upgrade.

Abdul will prove poor value for money and we'll be in the same situation we have been for years with either 1 or both first choice halves out injured for long periods. The guy is massively overweight, unfit and his body can't stand up to the riguors of the game week in, week out. A really poor choice imo

Hopefully something in the sailor rumour again , to step in the half’s when abdull or trueman are missing , but also would be suicidal to go with walker and them 2 has our 1,6 and 7 1st choice next season.

This may be a bit radical and a bit controversial….why don’t we wait and see what Cartwright can do with him in the off-season and see how he goes before we slag him off….as for the weight thing,think it’s just crass remarks see that social media has problems with trolls and bullies praying on peoples body sizes,but just seems as though it’s fair game on here to say what you want

The guy is a pro sportsman who's job is to keep himself in shape and he can't. It impacts his on field performance and his ability to stave off injuries. Perfectly reasonable to comment on it.

As for cartwright sorting him out, it seems unlikely he will after a string of former coaches have failed

Usual doom n gloom merchant takeover
on here.
Abdul counts for £50k on the cap
It’s outrageous isn’t it .. what a financial risk it is to the club..

Abdul has been poor hasn’t he for Catalans. Playing first team regular and they’re at top of the table.
Yeah it’s outrageous decision to bring him back.

Try waiting till recruitment and team squad is finalised before moaning.

These posters must be Eastenders addicts.
Or kr trolls in disguise. Or more likely both .

Questioning Abdul’s fitness? He’s playing in a fast game , kicking, going to acting half, organising attack on the left hand side and solid in defence and doing 80 minutes, what more can you ask of him

I’d be surprised and underwhelmed if the club is going with Trueman & Abdul as the starting halfback pairing for 2025. Not because of any lack in ability as they do have the ability it’s simply due to the fitness records. The odds of them playing 50% of games together must be pretty high based on their injury records.

I’d hope that we are still looking at a 7 to replace the loss of Clifford and what he brought as a quality 7 and to help further the development of Charles.

As has already been mentioned we have a very very slow team that seriously lacks pace and I hope this area is going to be addressed.

I appreciate the level of rebuild in immense and on a scale I’ve not seen before but solid players are ok but only if combined with some real quality otherwise.

It’s early days yet so hoping things will improve quality wise in terms of signings particularly since the announcement of Cartwright for 2025, but there’s a long long way to go such has been our demise the past few seasons and the recruitment mess. There’s still Okunbor and Pele to decide on with both shipped out on loan which just shows how farcical the recruitment has been when we are desperate for players yet 2 quota players are shipped out on loan.

I don’t expect us to suddenly become world beaters overnight but the club needs to make some serious signings for next season otherwise it’s likely there'll be little in the way of pass holders. We all know that’s going to be difficult due to our own doings and failures along with an ever shrinking player pool. Hopefully Cartwrights knowledge of the NRL and reserve grade and his standing in the game will allow us to take full advantage of the relaxation of the rules for quality players that wouldn’t have met the appearance requirements previously needed.

I like the signing, but I do feel like he would be better for trimming down a little bit. There is a certain irony though that many of the people criticising him could only dream of being in that sort of shape.

I've not yet given up on Pele. He has a lot to work on, but we have seen glimpses that he can be a real handful. Maybe a good coaching staff can get him up to scratch. Okunbor on the other hand has shown nothing. I would like to see him get a run in the backline at least once before we call it a day with him though. Everything I've seen points to him being better suited to that than the second row.

Looks to me Chris that our recruitment in the backs apart from probably bringing in another centre is done so where is the lack of pace to be addressed.
its the backs and halves we need the pace and the power and size in the forwards.
Everyone keeps saying lets wait for the final recruitment to be done but thats clutching at straws in hope because Asiata apart whats coming in at the moment is totally underwhelming and second rate

But I’m pretty sure those criticising aren’t professional sportsman who are paid over 100k to keep in shape and perform all season long.