Care to name any names? Would love to hear who you would bring into the squad that are so much better then Obst or the like.

But we HAVE brought half backs in. Which you said we have failed to do so.

I agree, like most people, I would have liked us to sign half back cover. It has been stated that we have not yet finished in our recruitment. But I get the feeling people think we're going into the season with no half backs whatsoever! Long is in great shape and played well against Cas, Horney will be back in the next week or two.

l'estrange, kearney, dobson, green, witt, shicofske, gale, dorn, hanbury, holdsworh off the top of my head who are more what we need than obst

You know I meant half back cover. Anyway, do you expect horne and long to be fit for more than 1/2 our games this season?

Yes I do expect them to be. Our of the names you have said, which would you say we can target at the moment and successfully bring to the club?

I don't disagree that it's a bag of spanners. At all. But, again, we have no overseas spots left. Who are the 3 British halfbacks/hookers at Rovers you would take? Presumably Josh Hodgson and Scott Murrell are 2, not sure who the third is tbh. Similarly I don't know who the 4 non-quota pivots from Crusaders are, guessing Lupton is one?


But this is a slightly separate debate (albeit one that's consumed people on here for years, and quite rightly so). The specific point you raised was that we have Berrigan's money to spend (as he and Tansey were on the cap and now aren't and we have only brought Phelps in) but, whilst you are happy to slate Obst, you're not really providing any other players as alternatives. For example, it's unlikely that Wigan would release Leuluai or McIlorum. But they might entertain an offer for their back-up half, Deacon. What would you think of signing him as cover from the reigning champions, for example. It's very easy to slate anyone we are linked with as inadequate. I don't see why it's an unfair question to suggest realistic non-quota alternatives.

I broadly agree with you about Agar, although my opinion on him is not as extreme. The point of this discussion, though, is to try and highlight, with money to spare but no quota spots, which players are realistic and credible candidates to strengthen our squad from your point of view, since you are keen to highlight those which do not.

They're all quota though, aren't they? We have no quota spots. That's the point, Obst is exempt as he's pre 2008.

We keep saying COVER but let's be honest I would like to bet they would play in most of the games .As for Obst he's a decent player for one year but its stupid how our priority again hasn't being dealt with . If Longy gets injured we have know one to come in for him and we be back to square one

Let's agree that obst is better than what we have now which is nothing. Let's also agree that up until a couple of days ago that we did have a quota spot available and have since berrigan came off the quota 5 or 6 months ago. Therefore, anyone on my list could have been a viable option for the club.

On the basis that wire, who are probably the club who are least interested in money over the strength of their squad, were prepared to sell us myler then probably everyone on your list could have been a potential at the right price (although the price may have been unpalatable or unaffordable but neither of us know that for a fact so let's not get into a pointless debate about it). We have also spent a significant fee on a player who doesn't address an immediate recruitment need so money was (and still appears to be) available.

Without long and/or horne, we struggled last season for direction during games. For me, obst doesn't offer that. He's a half decent back up hooker who's main attributes seem to be his elusive running allied to some pace off the mark. I don't ever remember watching him play and thinking he's really controlled a game. Last season he was probably behind newton, leo-latu, jeffries and brough at wakey before the season started so it gives you an indication of his quality. If we'd announced his signing 6 months ago no one would have been thinking it was a good signing, in the same way phelps was "garbage" until we didn't have a full back with less than a week to go before the start of the season.


The real crux of the issue here is that the club knew at least 8 months ago (probably longer) that our options at half back were inadequate. So the question is why have we failed to bring someone in in all that time? Also, why is a club with a full salary cap available going into the new season with a paper thin squad? If we look at what we have, then I think you'll agree that recruitment for 2011 has fallen way short:

1 full back ( Isn't in the country but tansey's fault, not the club's)
2 wingers (plus 1 with a handful of games behind him)
2 centres
1 stand off (injury prone)
1 scrum half (injury prone
4 props
1 hooker
6 back rowers
1 utility back

Plus a number of kids who, I believe, can muster 1 substitute appearance between them.

So overall my gripe is that we're a little over 24 hours away from the start of the season without having addressed our primary recruitment need and are now scrabbling around trying to throw money at inadequate players at a club in financial crisis because we haven't done what should have been done months ago.

Oh, and yes, I'd happily have taken deacon or even orr, both of whom offer more of what we need than obst

dorn and dobson are both exempt, maybe others but no point looking as it's a red herring because we had a quota spot until a couple of days ago. gale is English

This is the point that i really dont get to be honest. EVERYONE knows Horne and Long wont be fit for the full season, so why the fook do the board go out looking for cover when in fact we need a starting half.

Name another SL team who have gone into this season with fragile players in such pivotal roles? And for the second season running!!!!

I would not call him average or good, probably decent. He has poor games and at times can be great. As cover off the bench at hooker he could be a useful foil for Houghton and also provide some genuine cover for Long.

I agree. The failure to use up a quota spot effectively is poor. Obst is better than nothing but not ideal. I would go along with the "it's only a one year deal" view if I thought we had great plans in the halves for 2012. My personal view is that the much-rumoured big HB signing could, like any other club's, be scuppered by the tax changes. We would hypothetically then be presented with another problem - increase the offer to the player or end up looking for a quality British HB like everyone else. With this in mind, I think the club have actually targetted the closest thing to the right player in Myler. I also understand why the player would not want to move at the back-to-back cup winners with Briers approaching retirement.


I agree it's a weird choice for 2011. But I also think that for 2012 and beyond Westerman and Sharp will be valuable quality British players. We're also a prop short so although we have depth in the back row this might allow a bit of rotation.


Can't disagree with much of that. Although Phelps I think might be better than "garbage". Personally I've been after us having a mature head in the backs like a Domic type player as our backs are quite young, and think a player like Phelps might go OK.

He's gone so we move on.