Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 11:34 am  

Kibula is the sort of prop we never really seem to produce. Someone with size, footwork, strength and excellent handling ability. It's worth taking a risk on someone like that and giving them a bit of time to develop. Most of the props we produce seem to offer the exact same thing so I think it's a good idea to give a little more time to someone who could potentially be something different.

It might be a long shot, but the reserves gives the club the perfect opportunity to give a bit more time to players. It will hopefully generate a bit of competition among the fringe forwards too. I'd rather the club keeps on more of the older second rows and props as that's where you need more depth and where it's harder to replace with U19's (or U18's as it may be next year).

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:39 pm  

Cherry.Pie wrote:

Kibula is the sort of prop we never really seem to produce. Someone with size, footwork, strength and excellent handling ability. It's worth taking a risk on someone like that and giving them a bit of time to develop. Most of the props we produce seem to offer the exact same thing so I think it's a good idea to give a little more time to someone who could potentially be something different.

The kind of props we tend to produce are generally mobile and about 5ft 10in. They really seem to struggle to step up initially. Thompson(?) at Saints has and Hamlin had the dynamism to punch a hole that most of our smaller middles do not have. We produce lots of players who do the basics well enough but they generally end up in The Championship or at other Super League clubs when they finally mature. Strangely enough I am quite optimistic about the present crop of younger pros like Smithies who are not over awed.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:50 pm  

Hamlins been a bigger loss for us then we’ve probably given credit for tbh. He had the odd nightmare spell of errors in him but in the main he was one of very few of our forwards who punched holes in teams and got us rolling up field. His intensity was always good and he lifted us from the bench.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:41 pm  

I’d like to see Kibula given a chance in a SL game just to gauge whether he has the heart and desire to play SL. He certainly has the size and skill.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:56 pm  

RedWarrior32 wrote:

Reports today saying Watkins wants out at Leeds and is considering a move down under. Can’t see him getting a gig in the NRL but surely he would be a good option for us at right centre?

Have you seen him recently? He is a shadow of the player he was!

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:59 pm  

Levrier wrote:

The kind of props we tend to produce are generally mobile and about 5ft 10in. They really seem to struggle to step up initially. Thompson(?) at Saints has and Hamlin had the dynamism to punch a hole that most of our smaller middles do not have. We produce lots of players who do the basics well enough but they generally end up in The Championship or at other Super League clubs when they finally mature. Strangely enough I am quite optimistic about the present crop of younger pros like Smithies who are not over awed.

Thompson is over 6 feet tall. He is off contract at the end of 2020 and we should be sniffing around.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 2:02 pm  

Sweaty Betty's wrote:

Have you seen him recently? He is a shadow of the player he was!

Sometimes a good player needs a change of club to find form again

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 2:07 pm  

RedWarrior32 wrote:

Sometimes a good player needs a change of club to find form again

I don't disagree with that but his ACL injury seems to have had a big impact, he seems to have lost a lot of speed.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 2:08 pm  

Sweaty Betty's wrote:

Thompson is over 6 feet tall. He is off contract at the end of 2020 and we should be sniffing around.

Thompson has turned down £650k a year on the NRL. We have more chance of tying a knot in a fart!

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Jun 02, 2019 2:24 pm  

Bigredwarrior wrote:

Thompson has turned down £650k a year on the NRL. We have more chance of tying a knot in a fart!

Was chatting to a Saints fan on another forum, his family is loaded, he doesn't need the cash and he's a mad Saints fan.
He desperately wants to win stuff with Saints before he even considers the NRL, absolutely no chance he'd sign for us.