I was a doubter over Lynch when he signed I thought "here we go, another one who should have just retired" but I was so wrong, his work rate and on pitch leadership, for the whole team but especially in the forwards is phenomenal, more than replaces what Fitz gave us.

Good news, though I wonder if the club have done a deal where his pay has been slightly reduced in exchange for an additional year on the contract? To free up yet more cap space, otherwise it seems bizarrely timed.

Disappointing news. Rubbish player and a right munter to boot.

Fantastic news. The guy is the ultimate professional and an absolute machine.

On Airlie Night Live now.

Anything interesting said?

Great news on the contract extension and a boost of the timely variety.

Think the extension has been made for three reasons.

1. He's obviously made a huge impact already at the club and they naturally wanted to keep him here an extra season.

2. The announcement acts as a great bit of positive PR with the injuries, the McKinnon departure and the announcement that Manu is all but certain to leave the club next season.

3. I wouldn't be surprised (not sure of the legalities of this with the live salary cap) if Lynch has had his contract top-loaded this year (with McKinnon departing and a chunk of the cap being made available mid-season with no replacement of similar stature around) and then reduced for the remaining years, being subsidised by the current year's deal. If that's allowed, it makes perfect business sense.

knew you'd feel that way.

hope he stays as a coach after this deal, a true professsional that some "world class" players could learn from.

As I have already said earlier in the thread, i'm sure there has been some kind of contract 'deal' with this one, as it is a strange time to be renewing contracts of players who have 1.5years left on their current deal, regardless of how good they are or how well they are playing. The only time you really see it happen is if a club wants to tie up a young prospect up for the long-term.

Excellent news

Maybe if we'd tied up the likes of turner and manu 1 1/2 years before their contracts ended they wouldn't be leaving now

Don't see why we shouldn't follow Saints, Leeds etc and give Houghton a 5 year deal.

I think this is a statement from Gentle as much as anything to demonstrate just how highly he and therefore the club value professionalism in players. That quality above all others or the lack of it may well determine the fate of our existing players and who comes in.