A very good point above regarding lack of pre season for Abdull, can’t underestimate the impact not having a proper pre season can have on a player. He’s had his issues off the pitch which would be enough to spin any persons head all over.

We’re signing a British half who starts for one of the top 4 teams in the league on a weekly basis, a player that can kick a team to death and would be a good balance with our other half back. anywhere else it would be seen as a master stoke but for some at hull it’s seen as a disaster. And while I do understand some reservations over his fitness it’s fair to say we have a coach who will do everything they can to get him in the best shape possible.

I agree with bonaire that we look like there's going to be a lack of pace in the three quarters that's why we desperately need a FB with pace.

I'd like another hooker, centre and back row possibly a 1/6(Sailor)

Completely different game now. A LF years ago was a ball player now he's more of a third middle.

Let's face it , it is very unlikely that JA will attain the required fitness level but definitely worth a punt at 50k on the salary cap.

I suppose a risk is Abdul struggles to meet the level of fitness Cartwright wants, he gets dropped from the first team and gets shipped out to York on loan and we end up without a recognised 7 again, derailing our season.

What if we signed Clifford again and he breaks his leg pre season. As another poster has said, Abdul had a very disrupted pre season due to off field issues and has only missed one game this season, which is better than justvabout every player in our squad.

Third middle might not have been the best choice of words replying to JTP original post

I think people are also forgetting by the time the investment came though and Smith went, alot if the good domestic players were gone. I think our domestic signings have been ok.

The key is the quality of quota players we sign, we need 7 the quality of Ese Ese or better.

this whole "he's not costing much in the salary cap so is a good signing" stance is fine if he wasn't one of our first choice options. We won't sign another half so are depending on him being available. I've lost count of how many seasons have been ruined by us not having fit halfbacks and playing hookers, centres etc. there. Our most successful recent period was when we had sneyd available pretty much every week.

Unfortunately, we seem to be the worst team in SL for signing half backs who are always injured.

dykes
seymour
kelly
head
reynolds
gale.
trueman

Year after year we pin our hopes on players who can't get regularly on the pitch in the most critical position in the team and I have no confidence that abdul will suddenly shake off his injury problems and pay more than about half the games next year. Compounded by trueman and waker also being in our spine

I get what you are saying but I think that would very difficult given salary cap limitations.

I agree though after signing solid domestic players mainly due to the timing of the investment the quality of the quota players is absolutely crucial.

Broken legs can happen to any player. Clifford would offer more than Abdul. Clifford actually criticised training for being too easy - do you think Abdul would do the same?

I'd bet that Ockunbor and Ese Ese are probably on around the same monet, both similar NRL profile last couple of years.

Carlos will be on more than both two. Think we will have a massive amount to play with

.

I hope so but given where we are at the moment we may have to pay over the odds in terms of salary and length of contract like we did with Asiata.

Clifford doesn't want to be at Hull, Abdull does so it's a no brainer.