Not quite a lot of people have mixed this up. DK and AR were told to find clubs and signed for Trin Wakey got a fee for Smurph two seperate deals I also understand Tommy Lee will be revealed by the Giants this week signing him from Wakey

Hudds going for Tommy Lee....jesus,just shows that they really are a verage side.

No not a guarantee but I would imagine that this is why why have taken Martin on a one year deal and not looked to signing someone like Murphy on a 2 year deal. Also alot of NRL players are ooc at the end of next season.

Do we know for a fact that Martin is going to be given the centre shirt and not Turner? Maybe the Martin signing is just cover and if so not a bid bit of business.

'Ok' recruitment is what every team looks for.

Tony Martin is presently the best right centre at our club now he's signed. I dont mind the fact it pushes Turner out because young Crooks is destined to fill right centre IMO. If we sign a class centre for 2013 on a longish deal it could thwart things for Crooks who i really do think will make the grade within another season or two if he starts to get some exposure to SL.

Sounds like I'm guilty of this

How do we know Martin was not the best available option? Last year's winning Grand Finalist and current Challenge Cup holders have just signed Gareth Thomas....this year's winning Grand Finalist's have committed to signing Richard Moore for next year...yes I know Thomas brings additional marketing revenue to exploit but my point is there might not be much available quality out there on the market....whether we can offer to pay transfer fees or not.

chasing the pink pound? they've probably got a shed loads of them pink shirts to shift.

So if we are close to the cap now, where does the money come from to sign one of these players next season?

As far as I can see, most of the dross has gone from our squad now so how do we find a big lump of salary cap for 2013?

Well they have more time to release players, or say they are free to talk to other clubs. FWIW, a champion player could cost us 150k a year maybe more. We might have 120k left to spend, release Obst and we may have another 40k to 50k which would be better spent on 2 players rather than 1?

I can see Moa and O'Meley leaving next season along with Martin, and who knows we may be keeping some of the salary cap back this season to put towards a player for 2013. Especially when it looks like we shouldn't be at full cap with the outgoings we've just had.

And when Moa and O'Meley leave, we need to spend their slaries on two more props ! Leaving the Martin salary for a "top" centre. Our squad is small and anyone who leaves will have to be replaced, like for like, leaving nothing left over.

And like I said perhaps we've left some of the SC over from this season to put towards a top centre next season, say 100k?
I expect Moa to leave but Ogre may fancy just one more season, who knows.

Obst will be on a fair bit more than that,more like 70-75 k,which may explain one of the reasons for wanting him to find another club.

I think too many here are being a bit harsh on Tony Martin. He's a decent player who's still produced good performances in a struggling side. Only a disappointment if you believed the Lyon / Jennings / Gasnier fairy tales.
Looks like a 1 year stop gap, either to buy another years development for one of your juniors (don't know what you've got coming through) or Gentle has his eye on a player who's OCC next season. Either way, he'll do a job for you.
The bit I can't understand is dumping Phelps to sign Martin. Looks a bizarrely sideways move imo.

we didn't dump Phelps to sign anyone, we signed McKinnon and Phelps was never going to be here beyond a year, if Martin didn't have the dispensation from the RFL because of the Crusaders shenanigans we'd not have signed him either.

Personally I don't want to see us let Obst go unless we bring someone better in, we're still light on creative players and Obst can do a job in a couple of roles.

I find that a strange statement. The only place we are not light Is in the creative positions. We have to lose Obst

you honestly believe that?

who would you have, Horne or Obst? (taking their respective wage into account)

Horne. We have also got Symour, Ellis, houghton, heremaia and niclas covering 3 positions. We can't have half the squad covering 3 positions

Houghton and Heremia are 9's, Nicklas is unproven, as is Ellis, so we've got Seymour and Horne, not eactly an embarassment of riches.

But you can only have so many players. We have only got 3 second rowers. 4 props

Ellis is unproven at this level, but still more then a capable half, as shown by his awards. How else can they get 'proven' if they don't get their chance? Lomax and Gaskgell were unproven, look were they got.


Horne, Nicklas, Ellis, Seymour. 4 Halves is good amount, and a damn sight more then we've had over recent years.

Obst is also a 9, I'd sooner go with Nicklas and Ellis as unproven potential than Obst as proven to be not good enough for where we aspire to be, and in the halves I'd also go with Horne over Obst every time.

For a poster who constantly bemoans the averageness in the squad, I have to say I'm surprised with your stance on this one.

I still think he is better than Horne, that is where I am coming from.