Where to from here: The halves conundrum

[Hail Sezer]

Totally agree. While I thank the recruitment team for their efforts in (almost) acquiring DCE's signature, they have been quite pathetic ever since he backflipped imo. The fact that we haven't even made an offer to Hodkinson, who is the only decent option left on the market, is ridiculous considering we know that he is close to signing with Newcastle. Also, we set out a plan to sign players such as Johnston, Mata'utia, Joe from the Broncos + more and they have gone elsewhere. Not saying that it is entirely the fault of the recruitment team but we have to step it up.

If the news is true that we haven't made an offer for Hodko, then we are a bloody joke tbh. Rant over.

I'll bite.

Pathetic in not making an offer to Hodkinson...within 3 weeks of DCE backflipping. You understand that this has forced us to completely re-evaluate our recruitment plan for 2016 and beyond? We've now got 1.2million we need to re-allocate. That doesn't happen overnight. You want us to sign a marquee player because...he is the only marquee player that is left? I'll admit I'd be fine with Hodko - but to panic because Newcastle have offered and Graham has come out and said that we haven't (which IMO is tongue in cheek anyway) is a bit over the top. Chill out matey!

With regard to your "plan" of signing all those young players. We didn't set out that plan. The media set out that plan for us. We were never going to get Johnston. We don't need him. Trying to pinch the Broncos best up and coming front rower? Lol good fight. Mata'utia said today he was borderline joining us. But what happened? We signed Nene Macdonald who IIRC you are a huge fan of T4L

Be realistic. This is a multi-million dollar cap we are operating with real life people, not a playstation game. Don't buy in to the media with that degree of naivety.

/Counter rant over

- - - Updated - - -

T4L I see you've taken to twitter asking every reporter what is happening as well in case anything changed in the past 15 minutes

[Titanic]

What's more annoying?

a. TF92 style insider info bs
b. Dead silence from our recruitment team
c. Losing your left nut in a squirrel grip tackle and your right slammed in the fridge door
d. Watching Friend and Thompson score against us in the same match
e. Being at sixes and sevens about our 6's and 7's.

[Titan4Life]

I'll bite.

Pathetic in not making an offer to Hodkinson...within 3 weeks of DCE backflipping. You understand that this has forced us to completely re-evaluate our recruitment plan for 2016 and beyond? We've now got 1.2million we need to re-allocate. That doesn't happen overnight. You want us to sign a marquee player because...he is the only marquee player that is left? I'll admit I'd be fine with Hodko - but to panic because Newcastle have offered and Graham has come out and said that we haven't (which IMO is tongue in cheek anyway) is a bit over the top. Chill out.

With regard to your "plan" of signing all those young players. We didn't set out that plan. The media set out that plan for us. We were never going to get Johnston. We don't need him. Trying to pinch the Broncos best up and coming front rower? Lol good fight. Mata'utia said today he was borderline joining us. But what happened? We signed Nene Macdonald who IIRC you are a huge fan of T4L.

Be realistic. This is a multi-million dollar cap we are operating with real life people, not a playstation game. Don't buy in to the media with that degree of naivety.

/Counter rant over

Fair enough and you make a great point in a lot of your arguments. All I was saying is that the club seems to be taking their time with player recruitment. Other clubs like Newcastle are talking seriously with Hodko and have apparently already made an offer. None of us know what is happening behind the scenes but from the outside we look a little ridiculous. Just my take.

[Hail Sezer]

Fair enough and you make a great point in a lot of your arguments. All I was saying is that the club seems to be taking their time with player recruitment. Other clubs like Newcastle are talking seriously with Hodko and have already made an offer. None of us know what is happening behind the scenes but from the outside we look a little ridiculous. Just my take.

Love your enthusiasm and passion mate. A few events of the course of this forum have lead to a lot of us being very good at interpreting media reports (thanks David May).

Silence sucks. Especially when we are looking so thin and needing of reassurance. But at the same time we need to be realistic. There is stuff happening behind the scenes....patience is key

If you're not good with the patience thing then take the approach that a lot of us do and get emailing the club. They're actually really good at responding and usually leave you with more confidence than you had when you pressed send.

[Titan4Life]

Love your enthusiasm and passion mate. A few events of the course of this forum have lead to a lot of us being very good at interpreting media reports (thanks David May).

Silence sucks. Especially when we are looking so thin and needing of reassurance. But at the same time we need to be realistic. There is stuff happening behind the scenes....patience is key

If you're not good with the patience thing then take the approach that a lot of us do and get emailing the club. They're actually really good at responding and usually leave you with more confidence than you had when you pressed send.

I definitely am an impatient person and am very passionate about the club. Like a lot of us, I often believe stuff in the media that is often bs.

Not a lot agree with me but I just think that Hodko's signature is very important for the club especially in our rebuilding stage. Without him, we are left to choose from a basket containing Robert Lui, Chris Sandow or an inexperienced junior. We will not cease if we don't sign him but it will definitely set us back a few years. Hope we get him.

[TitanSam]

Just an idea: Let's say Foran walks out on eels, and signs with the dogs (rumour that has been thrown up). And we offer Mbye say 600-800 K per season.. We are a chance of getting Mbye? Correct?.

[mup23]

Neil Henry and Graham Annesley will look after us

[Mexican titan]

I definitely am an impatient person and am very passionate about the club. Like a lot of us, I often believe stuff in the media that is often bs.

Not a lot agree with me but I just think that Hodko's signature is very important for the club especially in our rebuilding stage. Without him, we are left to choose from a basket containing Robert Lui, Chris Sandow or an inexperienced junior. We will not cease if we don't sign him but it will definitely set us back a few years. Hope we get him.

I'm probably in your camp T4L - anyone that ever worked with me knows I am impatient and a control freak and that is why I don't like the silence. Yeah I know (hope) things are happening behind the scenes and the Managers are often behind all this rubbish, however I guess our recent track record in relation to other issues and the tortoise like progress makes me nervous. I just get more concerned with the quotes I read from Annesley in the article above. As I said, surely he is taking the p1ss.
I'm sure we all want the same outcome but we need to get there (finals) in 2016 not any later.
Anyway we have to deal with it. Lifeline's numbers are jammed with Parra supporters at the moment and they don't have time for us as well.

[Mexican titan]

What's more annoying?

a. TF92 style insider info bs
b. Dead silence from our recruitment team
c. Losing your left nut in a squirrel grip tackle and your right slammed in the fridge door
d. Watching Friend and Thompson score against us in the same match
e. Being at sixes and sevens about our 6's and 7's.

Takes a fair bit of thought but I have come up with the following order of annoyance:
1) b
2) e
3) d
4) a
5) c

[Titanic]

Great call MT … my order is:

c. keeping it real, love my Jatz
d. freak, I hated Friend strolling over untouched and then Thompson in the blow-out
e. why oh why can't we just wave a magic wand?
b. silence may be good but not for my heart
a. not worth losing sleep over

[K2G]

I don't watch enough super league to be completely across this guy's game, but what do people think of Richie Myler, halfback over at wigan?



25 years old, was a teenage sensation, has now played over 100 games with rep experience ... perhaps the biggest knock against him might be that his athleticism doesn't look NRL-level, and utimatley he is not NRL tested and prooveb - but looks to have the kind of dogg-fight determination in him that drags a player (and his team) beyond their natural ability (typical of the best exports from the old dart). Seems to have all the skills required for the position.

[Boonarga]

Without him, we are left to choose from a basket containing Robert Lui, ...

Can we please stop mentioning this name in case someone gets idea's? My grandma is a better player than Lui and she's been dead for 30 years.

[JunctionBlock]

How about we take a collective deep breath and go with "No news is Good News". The club is not going to allow negotiations to be played out in the media again. If they are being upfront with any players management then, if I was in their shoes, I would be saying any rumours regarding negotiations or contract prices will be denied by the club. Take the power of gazumping away from their management and just go about your business quietly and make your announcement once the contract is registered. Point in case is no journo had the inside scoop on Nene or Chadman until they were basically on a plane. Some of this years best finds happened in the off season (Pettybourne, Paasi). We all just need to Chillax.

[RenegadeGC]

How about we take a collective deep breath and go with "No news is Good News". The club is not going to allow negotiations to be played out in the media again. If they are being upfront with any players management then, if I was in their shoes, I would be saying any rumours regarding negotiations or contract prices will be denied by the club. Take the power of gazumping away from their management and just go about your business quietly and make your announcement once the contract is registered. Point in case is no journo had the inside scoop on Nene or Chadman until they were basically on a plane. Some of this years best finds happened in the off season (Pettybourne, Paasi). We all just need to Chillax.

I couldn't agree more. Haha I'm quietly hoping we pull a NZ Warriors and the next piece if recruitment news is of us posting a photo of someone signing. Case in point Warriors Issac Luke and RTS. No media build up no hopes and dreams. Just wham bam thank you mam

[mup23]

Isaac John!

Off contract former NZ Test player who is stuck in reserve grade. Has been around for ages and is only 26. Would be great alongside Elgey and would be good value. I've cracked the code!