Whisper it quietly but FC look strong next year we need a couple of barnstorming nasty forwards and one more top class back not fussed what position maybe fb

Hull's recruitment for next year, while the names they're bringing in are fairly impressive, their strategy for signings is quite bizarre. If there was one place you would say that Hull didn't need to strengthen it is back row. With Ellis and Minichello their two best players, backed up by Westerman, Thompson, Whiting, Sa (leaving I know), Turgutt and Abdull it would seem like this is an area that could have been neglected in this window in order to strengthen other positions. Instead they've brought in Manu, Pritchard and Washbrook. That leaves Ellis, if he recovers, Minichello, Westerman, Thompson, Whiting, Turgutt, Pritchard, Abdull, Washbrook and Manu vying for 3 spots.
Even if Ellis and Thompson are accommodated into the front row and Westerman gets sent to wherever will have him, they have a real embarrassment of riches in this position and still have one knackered old stand off and a very hit and miss scrum half. I don't get it.
All we want is a team of Lee Radfords?

I was just going to type exactly the same thing, it's like if we signed a couple of wingers and a scrum half? good for depth etc but need to patch the places you're weak in first. I wonder if Radford has accidentally picked up Chris Chesters recruitment list!!

Tbf in rugby if your pack is bullied you f..ked as you have found out this year,we have watts taylor ellis Pritchard as our props mini manu westerman as backthree, not bad imo but that's on paper and many a good team has looked good on paper,bet you guys are getting all set for Wembley, you lucky b.ggers

FC recruitment does usually look OK, but then falls flat on its face the following season, but that's their problem. Apparently some news by HDM in the morning, Clarkson? Puletua? Lunt? Welham? Cockayne?

Good view on Pryce, do you think the same about Campese?

I think both players presented their own individual risks when they signed for their respective clubs.
Campese with his well publicised injury history.
Pryce who has always IMO been very hit and miss and no matter who he played for had the potential to go missing for large portions of a match.

After seeing both play this season, i would choose Campese over Pryce every time. Campese runs the game from minute 1-80, whereas like i said Pryce could go missing for most of Minutes 1-80.

Good post, but that wasn't my point, the poster claimed that Pryce was knackered, when in fact he has played more games than Campese this year.

I agree with you, but they play different roles, both have been free signings for their clubs and it's a shame that both got season finishing injuries.

Campese most probably falls more into the Gareth Ellis camp as far as knackered players go. Plus they are most probably analogous examples in terms of age, experience and their impact on the salary cap.

I think Rovers and Hull have had (and continue to have) differing stategies -

We always tend to put the bulk of our cap into the halves and then never quite get the balance right in the pack and backline. You could see at the start of our season we were missing a prop or 2 and a big back rower. There is no immediate sign of these for next year either.

Hull tend to spend the bulk of their cap on the pack and then struggle to get the balance right with their backs. You may have found the right balance for next season or you may have just found another pack that can dominate and make more metres than the opposition, only to burn tackles for fun in the oppositions 20 without the firepower to get over the line.

I would say he's equally knackered to Pryce really, however I think not being in his best physical shape is a bigger issue for Pryce than it is Campese.
Pryce has a half back game largely built around running at the line and having the speed to worry defences. Campese on the other hand tends to play more of a traditional organiser/distributor role and so does not rely on his physical attributes as much as Pryce does.

Pryce and Campese are so different animals and where employed as such. we needed a leader badly, someone to direct the troops and act as an organiser. FC needed a running HB to help Sneyd along, I think Pryce filled the bill.

We've both had the worries of both players come home to roost, Campo has his inevitable injury, Pryce has been hit and miss and without Sneyd looks a bit toothless. Both have probably made our teams better but neither are long term solutions. One more injury for either and its probably the end of them.