Nope but if Westerman signs, he or lauaki will move up I reckon.

Even if he doesn't sign i still gope to see Washbrook or Whiting at 13

Would prefer Lauaki at prop and Fitz in the second row, tbh.

I think it's all just speculation though, stemming from our lack of props, people wanting a ball-playing 13, and the Westerman rumours.

Nope, but if we sign westerman or indeed the rumours about whiting moving there are true either fitz or hame will.

Let's face it fitz played a props role this year and with prop rotation we could see more off him.

Zak Hardacker to Rhinos and loaned back to Fev

For a squad to be strong, it needs 5 props of a decent standard. We now have that with Fitz, Radford, Dowes, O'Meley and Moa.

Would Dowsey be in my first choice 17 if all were fit? No, but he's a pretty decent player to have as a backup. Chances are he'll play in most of the games when covering injuries to the other four.

Get Lauaki in the second row running wide and feeding his winger, that's where he's most effective. Fitz needs to be in the middle, in the thick of it just like last season, having him out wider would be a waste imo.

They've also signed Ben Cross from nk.

Hudds have signed Luke O'Donnell from nqc.

No real option i guess. Pleased the club have held firm with their valuation of Dowes.

Some quite ungracious comments I feel.

217 appearances for Hull. Fair enough, he might not be a match-winning headline-grabber and you'd be hard pressed to find one of those 217 games where he's won the game but, you'd also be hard pressed to find one that he's lost.

Realistically there were only two English props doing the rounds that could have been signed. McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Bryn Hargreaves. LMS was always going to choose St Helens while maybe Hargreaves could have been signed but I think his moving to Bradford took everyone by surprise.

There simply aren't any leading props available, hence why Rovers had to settle for keeping Wheeldon and why Hull have kept Dowes. No point weakening your squad just to make a statement.

Any sort of cup run would be a bonus

Ungracious or realistic? He's an average prop but was all that was available.

We all appreciate his efforts in an FC shirt for his 217 appearances but at the same time would have all liked a higher calibre replacement. We'll all also be fully behind him in 2011 now he's signed for FC.

If I pretend to have missed the sarcasm I'll congratulate you on you're first positive post!

Well done champ!

Just find it interesting how Dowes isn't good enough because he's average, yet someone like Yeaman, who has been average since June 2006, is largely considered to be a key player.

agreed, and on the back of sigNing radford for another 2 years makes the club a disgrace in my opinion...do the board actually think we will be challenging for honours with these two in the aquad? i dont, there 1. not good enough and 2. past there best....
no season renewal for me until these sort of players are shown the door at last...oh wait amit, radfords got another year after this andlongy wants another year the mind boggles

Me too, a reduced deal works for me. Dowes is dependable and solid which at the right price is good business. Of course I wish we had signed Fielden or LMS but you don't get everyone you go after.