Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 4:19 pm  

Sounds promising! A couple of quality additions in the backs will see us compete right at the top end again.

We should have the money with 3 top earners leaving and Carmont likely to follow and I'm not sure were spending to the limit this year anyway. We'll have loaded contracts but with Sam's part exemption from the cap becoming available earlier on this year which we didn't seem to use, top signings shouldn't be a problem in terms of cap space.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 4:26 pm  

MadDogg wrote:

Can't think of any at all.

Iestyn Harris was mostly dreadful when he came back.

Only one i can think of at the moment is Brad Thorn? He was top flight, went to yawnion, came back, won it all again (SOO/Premiership with Melbourne IIRC) then went off to yawnion again.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 4:51 pm  

Wigan Peer wrote:

When you consider the people leaving and left, this season and last, we should have some spare cap. All fits with IL's mission statement, home grownuns, and marquee signings.

Yeh I think people are being too quick to dismiss the Soward rumours (me included at first, but it does seem to have legs now). Just because the NRL salary cap is going up doesn't mean than ANY decent aussies won't come over here, just not as many and not the top top class ones. Not really much different to how it is at the minute really.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 4:57 pm  

they wont be current international aussies or those pushing for a green and gold jersey as moving here will put an end to their aspirations of rep footy.......we can only hope for those that are maybe 4th or 5th in the international queue or those towards the end of rep career with 2-3 seasons left in the tank at club level

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:16 pm  

I thought we may have gone for Jarred Mullen as he's been out of the frame for a few years now but this season has found great form so I'd rule him out.

Maybe Ben Hornby? He's thinking of retiring at the years end but haven't seen enough to form an opinion, he has played for Aus and NSW though.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:18 pm  

pie.warrior wrote:

they wont be current international aussies or those pushing for a green and gold jersey as moving here will put an end to their aspirations of rep footy.......we can only hope for those that are maybe 4th or 5th in the international queue or those towards the end of rep career with 2-3 seasons left in the tank at club level

Yeh we won't be getting current internationals/SoO players, but we're not now and haven't pretty much for the whole SL era. We need to be looking at players who are missing out on the rep honours. The other option is to look at Toyota Cup players, though the obvious downside to that is they are only going to be stop-gaps until a NRL team comes back in for them.

On another note, why do all British RL tweet cryptic messages about rumoured player movement while the aussies just freely talk about them in all of their newspapers and TV shows?

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:40 pm  

Not sure about Hornby. He won one cap which was in the Aussies defeat by GB at the SFS in 2006. He was awful and never played for them again.
Been very good for StG/Ill but he's over 30 and would want a 2-3 year deal.
Probably far better options for us than Hornby in the NRL.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:43 pm  

pie.warrior wrote:

they wont be current international aussies or those pushing for a green and gold jersey as moving here will put an end to their aspirations of rep footy.......we can only hope for those that are maybe 4th or 5th in the international queue or those towards the end of rep career with 2-3 seasons left in the tank at club level

Dare I say that's Soward?

Thurston, Carney, Gidley are all before Soward in the pecking order.

He's about the right level of player we can realistically get

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:32 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

with Sam's part exemption from the cap becoming available earlier on this year which we didn't seem to use

Sorry what "part exemption" is this?

Lots of hot air at the time relating to "marquee players" exempt from the cap but that was never the case.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:43 pm  

Shaun Wane denying any link to Soward on RLE tonight, he said he's happy with Finchy and the kids coming through, it's all roumors, him and Lenegan haven't spoke about Jamie Soward.