Lam was a NSW cup half before he came over here. Most of his first grade games for the Roosters were off the bench.

Clifford is/was seen as a back up half too

It depends on what they mean, there are players like Lam and Cliffird who are signed to NRL teams but often play in the Znsw and Queensland cup or there are players like Stewert and Rimbu who just play in that competition.

All the talk has been of a marquee half, if we lose our current marquee (I know Trueman hasn't performed) non quota halfback ti sign an unknown, I'll feel let down by the club.

We desperately need a quality half back. We need someone of the quality and experience of Lam or Clifford or someone who has played a reasonable amount of first grade NRL.

Signing a Queensland or NSW cup player who has no or very little NRL experience doesn't cut it. If the half back is from these reserve competitions that is a poor statement of intent. I'd much rather keep Trueman with a full pre-season behind him.

That's exactly my point! Really really don't understand why we wouldn't make a statement signing. People will say they arnt available, however we need to approach and even pay a fee for someone

Genuinely think we'll end up with Drinkwater.

If we mess up the last two quota spots, then next year could be another big disappointment.

I would honestly rather we just didn't bother and played Smith with Abdull than sign Drinkwater.

Second paragraph down on the Hull FC Notebook article "The Black and Whites, who will see Jake Trueman depart the club at the end of the season, are understood to be taking stock a bit before launching another serious move"

I don't know if its me just being pessimistic but just getting the feeling the way things are going we won't be signing anyone of any real note/quality in the halves or otherwise. If we don't I really can't see us improving much from this season if at all and think the renewals will certainly take a massive hit.

Surely they (Pearson/Myler/new investor) realise this?

Surely...

The season will end with more spankings and if we don't fill the last two quota places with quality, realistic quality, season passes are going to be an even harder sell.

Maybe that's what the club needs, fans keep buying no matter what, maybe a bit hit will make them wake up.

We obviously have money, Rowley, Lam etc, need to use some of that to make at least one statement signing.

Maybe the investor is having second thoughts about how much cash he is going to put in.

I'm sure they're trying to sign a half in fairness. You can offer players all the money in the world but you can't make them come.
What the vision for the club over the next 2 years? Steady rebuilding?
That's a tough sell to an NRL player when the usual contract is 2 years.
"Come for two years and help us climb to the heights of mid-table" doesn't exactly sound enticing does it.

Yeah seen that now. So we was going to pay a fee for Rowley. Going to pay Lam massive money.

I'm no rocket scientist but why not pay the fee we was going to pay Salford to a club for a player who we will put on the wages we was going to give to Lam. Obviously if they fit the bill and not just any one.

Or. Was it all hype with Lam knowing he was going to say no. That's the feeling I am now getting considering in the article it says about the half back likening it to the Treigh Stewart signing.

Usually try to look at positives. But my word in struggling after recent weeks!

drinkwater is the epitome of an average journeyman. Bottom 2 next season if he's our new half back

Get this and the next recruitment cycle right and you could challenge, we did this with our 2015/2016 recruitment.

But I get your point, we just aren't attractive anymore and nedd to use money as a motivation, unfortunately this still doesn't always work like it didn't with Lam.

I was hoping the appointment of Cartwright and the repeat he must have would have some pull.