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I don't expect any big name signings from Australia in the next few years and I am hoping that we don't invest in players at the end of their careers.

The chance of us recruiting players from other SL teams, save for those that we have already been linked with looks remote. I would be surprised if we invested any money received for Joel.

That leads me to believe that our emphasis for next season and the forseeable future will be on junior players. I therefore predict the fast-tracking of our younger players in particular Williams and Hampshire, who I expect to see in our first team in the next few years. I also expect to see a widening of our scouting system, greater investment in junior talent, further investment in sport science and for us to entice sportsmen that are not currently playing rugby league.

Here Here!
For too long we have been the pension fund for Antipodean old boys looking to make a quick buck to bolster their retirement plans.
Why not give our youth ago at least they will have the pride in the badge.

Players like Dallas, Richards and Finch plus plenty others were/are hardly over the hill Aussies looking for a pension.

I also don't expect us to be signing top class Aussies in the near future either but it won't be because we are passing up on any because we decid not to sign them any more. It will be because we can't compete with the wages on offer in the NRL.

That is a pity because it's always been a tradition of this club that it doesn't matter where you come from if you can play RL well enough that will do.

It is great we have a strong youth set up but we are going to need it. We are in a better position than many club in that respect and while some clubs have been obsessed with overseas signings in the past the prospect of no overseas players in our team in the coming seasons does not thrill me. We have never gone overboard like Bradford once did and there is always room for class players wherever they come from. It's just a pity the economics at the moment make this far less likely than it once was.

Lifetimer wrote:Here Here!
For too long we have been the pension fund for Antipodean old boys looking to make a quick buck to bolster their retirement plans.
Why not give our youth ago at least they will have the pride in the badge.

Where where??

Does anyone actually know we actually HAVE signed? I know Thomas, Flower, Dudson and Lauaki have all been rumored but obviously Thomas is now out of the question and it also looks like Ben Flower is going to Hudds. So that leaves just Lauaki and Dudson looking likely, surely that's not all?!

I have to admit that I am getting slightly concerned about the lack of new players, ideally what positions do we think we need?

Maybe 2 props
Stand off
Centre

si_bax wrote:I have to admit that I am getting slightly concerned about the lack of new players, ideally what positions do we think we need?

Maybe 2 props
Stand off
Centre

i would go for that, there is a few buffoons over on RLfans saying that if there isn't any world class players to replace the players going then they would rather not see any players signed at all, IMO we have the nucleus of the team so the positions you mention above could be filled by squad players, would rather have 4 more bodies and not need them than need them and not have them, surely a youngster could be blooded in the stand off role.

what is concerning me is that we are not even linked with players at the moment
and who is there that is currently out of contract
we need a prop - coley has gone

but who

Well, the players have to report for pre-season anytime now, so you'd hope the club would announce it before some eagle-eyed fan spots them driving to Orrell.......

Dudson was excellent yesterday and could prove to be a very astute signing for the future especially as he is only 21 and Mossop is only 22.