Dilemma for the club. We're struggling to get numbers now and will have to pay well above the market rate as we're on the back foot from a negotiating perspective. Pay over the odds for a barrel-scraping signing now, or hold fire and wait for some quality to become available mid season (which pretty much always happens, but knowing our luck will be in the back row). I'd be tempted to do the latter, but we are extremely light in some areas.

the one leeds signed

Knew we wouldnt sign anyone else.

Not Hardaker, younger than him. I'm not even 100% sure it was Fev!

Has the season started when I wasn't looking?

Personally I would pay the cash now we can afford it, other teams do it look at Warrington not shy at paying transfer fee's and it has paid off they has won silverware ...A lot of cash will be freed up for the following year anyway so we should be able to still make quality signings.

If the prices are stupidly inflated at the moment then I agree with Mrs B regards holding off until the season starts because historically plenty of quality players have moved mid season usually because the realise they dont fit in with the plans at their current club and have a point to prove.

That said the real negative to doing this is that we would need a relativley free run with injuries at the start of the season especially in the halves. The odds of that happening...

How about Sam Obst? Wakefield might welcome the fee, he might welcome a bit more job security. He can cover 6,7 and 9 and he has been in the UK long enough that he wouldn't use up your last non-fed spot - leaving it free in case something did come up later in the year (Chase, Sammut or Phelps would all use up this place). He wouldn't use up too of your remaining cap space either, I assume. Although you're of course above such things, he has an annoying habit of playing well against Rovers.

He's 30 now - but that isn't ancient. He knows the league and you know what you'd be getting with.

I aren't his agent btw!

no not his agent, but an annoying nuisance like the rest of you Dobbins with expert advice for the black and whites, go away sort out mason, cochane and the rest of your
hill billy mob!!

Not for me. Wouldnt want Obst or Phelps personally but would take Sammut or Chase without a doubt.

Seems a no brainer to sign a young backup like Moore as well but maybe Agar thinks the kid is high maintenance or something because he looks for all the world a potential SL scrum half.

They're shorthanded on their board at the moment, can't blame him, RBA and Roverswall for camping out on here and seeking some meaningful debate as an alternative to the one-eyed bollox platitudes that characterises their "forum".

I think you may be onto something with regards Moore. Would explain why there appears to be no Super League takers despite his decent form last term.
Phelps and Sammut i reckon are certainties for you guys given what else is out there but i would be amazed if Cas let another of their stars go this off-season. That said, money talks and Hull have some clout in that department.

The problem is both clubs and players agents know this and this time of the year prices will be high.

That said if Sammut really wants to leave Crusaders and Hull think he is worth a fee then as you say money talks at the end of the day but we may need to be patient on the signings front.

Dont think Cas will sell Chase either and more importantly I dont think Chase wants to leave Cas but I do think he is the kind of player Hull's attack needs and is similar to Sammut in that he can play 1,6,7 and 9.