Got to trust the club to find the right replacement, I hope they talk about recruitment in the press release tomorrow

Jones would be a good signing.

Kelly should be replaced internally with Connor.

Got some serious recruitment to do next year, but plenty potential cap and quota places.

Think some fans are going to be disappointed. We won’t replace Watts, we have enough props and Connor will replace Kelly.
Back row we need at least 1, 2 if Sika leaves. Not having Josh Jones though. Maybe Elliott Whitehead or the kid Greenwood at Gold Coast fancy coming home. Not that I would, mind.

Certainly no need to rush in for a replacement. Taylor, Paea, Bowden, Green, Masi and Fash is still an excellent set of props. In fact I don't think there is any area really in need of strengthening. If we don't use his cap space then I'm ok with that, although I'm sure we will be putting the feelers out.

Think people are being very harsh on Josh Jones. Always a handful, makes bags of tackle busts, and at 24 his best days should be ahead of him. I would be happy with him as a replacement for Mini. I wouldnt touch Lui with a bargepole. As a player he is no better than decent. Imo we already have two better players who can move there in Connor and Abdull. More importantly we have just binned a player for off field issues that pale into insignificance compared to Lui's past.

Well yes, just meant I was surprised about his record, hadn't fully realised. Can't see we'd be in for him that context as you say.

Gutted, just lost our best forward, and don't feel as confident as some about going with what we've got , think we need to bring someone in rapid, although greens performance against Leeds was promising , just need to see it consistently

Yep. 2010 he was up in court for it but escaped punishment. 2012 he was fined and given a suspended sentence for kicking and headbutting his girlfriend. The NRL banned him for the rest of the year.

I know its years ago now and people change, but personally I wouldnt want someone at the club with things like that in their past.

he wasn't our best forward though

Let's hope the players were fully behind the decision and it brings us together as a group rather than dividing us. We still have enough to make a decent fist of the season if we can get some better luck with injuries. I doubt we'll be recruiting in the short term but hopefully the club are putting feelers out

It's what I'm hearing..

Rather than recruitment I am more interested in hearing that certain players have extended their contracts and will be staying for a few more years.

Especially Connor, Carlos and Manu who are out of contract this year I believe.

Kelly as well of course but him staying would be a massive bonus.

connor extended last year as, i think, did watts!

If Watts is definitely going it'll be the difference between making top 4 and not, people stating he costs us games and that other players are angry with him etc are clearly not able to see what he brings us. Last year he was oustanding and the young forwards like Matongo are massively behind, behind even what Watts was at the same age. Bowden seems to have trailled off a bit this season so hoping it's just a temporary thing and he gets back to last years form. Paea is doing well and Taylor does what he does.
However we are going to miss Watts massively if he's to go straight away
He's had 150 appearances in 5.5 seasons, for a prop that's impressive

This stinks of live cap issues and heavily disguised as something else (same as when we sold Westerman when Pearson said we weren't selling yet knew he had to sell him for cap reasons and two weeks later he was gone!) At this juncture it's a terrible decision, we have no-one lined up and certainly won't be anywhere near close to replacing like for like.

If it's due to avoiding a SC breach then it's even more disappointing then if it were down to 'off field' issues because it would prove yet again we are having to play catch up just as we did last year due to Pritchard and others deferred payments.