The Transfer Rumour Mill Thread

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, Saint Toppy said:

Dufty is the only other player I can ever remember seeing run the other way to avoid having to make a tackle

You must never have seen John "the best rugby player on the planet" Gallagher, when he moved from the All Black's to British Rugby League, it just escapes me who it was that wasted a lot of money on him

[LeeF]

Does this mean that Myler will lose his starting spot or become the answer to Leeds’ issues in the halves?

[Chrispmartha]

Just now, LeeF said:

Does this mean that Myler will lose his starting spot or become the answer to Leeds’ issues in the halves?

Myler won't be first choice in either halves or Fullback hopefully - I rate Myler but I think his role will be utility next year, as long as we can bring in two quality half backs that is, which will be a tricky task.

I hope Sinfield gets a fair bit of game time next year but he's still very young.

[Tippytoe]

6 hours ago, Saint Toppy said:

Difference is one's a young Brit in his first full season playing in the FB position and still learning that role, and the other is a 30yr old reserve grade Aussie release after just 1 season by all his NRL clubs for not being good enough.

Dufty is the only other player I can ever remember seeing run the other way to avoid having to make a tackle. That clip from earlier this season has to be the single worst and most pathetic piece of full back play i've ever seen - it was truly embarrassing !!! Will the amber on Millers Leeds shirt next season just be a single streak down the back 

 

No doubt Knuckle head Knowles or Low blow Lees will be testing if his head is fixed on properly,and can't be any worse than Hopohurty.

[Mark]

Looks like rumours are criculating around which Swinton players Coleman will take to Widnes with him with Lloyd, Butt, Badrock and Gregson mentioned, also mentioned Is lewis hatton coming back to Swinton. 

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

On 24/08/2023 at 10:34, Saint Toppy said:

Dufty is the only other player I can ever remember seeing run the other way to avoid having to make a tackle. That clip from earlier this season has to be the single worst and most pathetic piece of full back play i've ever seen -  

I remember Chris Ashton at Belle Vue avoiding moving across on a rampant Richard Moore?  Probably one of Ashton's last appearances for Wigan.

[Saint Toppy]

13 hours ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

I remember Chris Ashton at Belle Vue avoiding moving across on a rampant Richard Moore?  Probably one of Ashton's last appearances for Wigan.

Thinking about it I can remember another one, Jamie Foster refusing to dive onto a loose ball at Bradford and just letting them score. Think that was his last game in a Saints shirt too.

[Saint Toppy]

Hearing rumours that Wire are trying to sign Saints reserve centre Wesley Bruines. Burgess knows him as he played for South reserves for a year. Bit of a strange move for him if he does go there given there are at least 4 other centres ahead of him in Tai, Ratchford, King & Wrench

TBH he's been a bit of a disappointment as he came with big raps as a youngster having loads of potential. He's been training with the 1st team squad all season and he's looked OK with ball in hand but defensively he's been absolutely awful both for Saints reserves and when on DR with Swinton. If he's going to make it at SL level then he's got an awful lot of work to do on the deficiencies in his game.

[LeytherRob]

51 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

Hearing rumours that Wire are trying to sign Saints reserve centre Wesley Bruines. Burgess knows him as he played for South reserves for a year. Bit of a strange move for him if he does go there given there are at least 4 other centres ahead of him in Tai, Ratchford, King & Wrench

TBH he's been a bit of a disappointment as he came with big raps as a youngster having loads of potential. He's been training with the 1st team squad all season and he's looked OK with ball in hand but defensively he's been absolutely awful both for Saints reserves and when on DR with Swinton. If he's going to make it at SL level then he's got an awful lot of work to do on the deficiencies in his game.

Haven't seen him play so can't comment on his ability but i agree it is a touch strange unless there is going to be another centre on the way out at Wire, otherwise it looks like a classic overcorrection in recruitment. You'd think he'd have a better chance of game time staying at Saints with Percivals injury record and Hurrell also missing quite a few this year. 

[Alffi 7]

Apparently we are looking to move Ratchford to an interchange 9 role next year. So two frontline centres in Tai & King (or new NRL centre) with Wrench & Bruines in reserve seems sensible.

[Saint Toppy]

58 minutes ago, LeytherRob said:

Haven't seen him play so can't comment on his ability but i agree it is a touch strange unless there is going to be another centre on the way out at Wire, otherwise it looks like a classic overcorrection in recruitment. You'd think he'd have a better chance of game time staying at Saints with Percivals injury record and Hurrell also missing quite a few this year. 

I think most Saints fans were probably expecting him to get plenty of game time especially when they've had Percival, Hurrell & Hopoate missing for long periods plus stand in centre Batchelor as well. It says a lot about where the club thinks he's at as a player when he can't get any game with pretty much every centre missing. Saints also have a pretty good young teenage centre coming through in Dayton Sambou who was Englands MOM in the recent academy game against France so I guess the club probably see more potential in him than they do in Bruines.

[LeytherRob]

3 hours ago, Alffi 7 said:

Apparently we are looking to move Ratchford to an interchange 9 role next year. So two frontline centres in Tai & King (or new NRL centre) with Wrench & Bruines in reserve seems sensible.

Bit of a downgrade on Clarke if that's the case

[Alffi 7]

57 minutes ago, LeytherRob said:

Bit of a downgrade on Clarke if that's the case

At this stage of his career Walker will want to be the first choice 9, not sharing it with Clark. Clark similarly wanted to be the first choice 9 with no time spent at 13. We can’t accommodate both so have opted for the longer term option.  Inevitably it will leave us weaker in that position, but will also free up some cap space to fix up other areas.

 

Time will tell whether Ratchford gets that back up 9 spot and whether he will be any good at it.

[Lowdesert]

10 minutes ago, Alffi 7 said:

At this stage of his career Walker will want to be the first choice 9, not sharing it with Clark. Clark similarly wanted to be the first choice 9 with no time spent at 13. We can’t accommodate both so have opted for the longer term option.  Inevitably it will leave us weaker in that position, but will also free up some cap space to fix up other areas.

 

Time will tell whether Ratchford gets that back up 9 spot and whether he will be any good at it.

I think wire have done good business with the Clarke transfer.  Been a great player but the right time to go.

[Saint Toppy]

2 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

I think wire have done good business with the Clarke transfer.  Been a great player but the right time to go.

Is it good business? Wire paid £185K to take him there and he’s now leaving in a free transfer.

that said he’s not the player he was 4-5 years ago but whoever Saints brought in was always going to be a downgrade on Roby.

[M j M]

52 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

Is it good business? Wire paid £185K to take him there and he’s now leaving in a free transfer.

 

Amortised over the 9 years he's been there that's £20k a year which has been very good value for what they've got out of him. With him leaving, regardless of fee, Warrington are getting rid of an ageing player who is no doubt high on their wage bill. Seems like a good deal to me.

[Chrispmartha]

Matt Frawley to the Rhinos, he had a poor year at the Giants but is currently starting for Canberra, obviously the Rhinos Twitterati are slagging him off before he’s pulled on a jersey but I think it shows what the quality of halfbacks available from the NRL is these days.

Im ok with it as long as we can get a very good 7 alongside him

[Josef K]

A new 1yr deal for Mata’utia at Saints with another year’s option in someone’s favour. I must’ve missed if it was in his favour or the clubs?. 

[DoubleD]

2 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

Matt Frawley to the Rhinos, he had a poor year at the Giants but is currently starting for Canberra, obviously the Rhinos Twitterati are slagging him off before he’s pulled on a jersey but I think it shows what the quality of halfbacks available from the NRL is these days.

Im ok with it as long as we can get a very good 7 alongside him

It’s more a sign of how poor and shambolic the Rhinos recruitment is. He’s the definition of ordinary. He’s best at scrum half but even then he’s a downgrade on Sezer. We’ve only gone for him because we’ve missed out on Clune to the Giants, who is a very good pick up 

[Chrispmartha]

8 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

It’s more a sign of how poor and shambolic the Rhinos recruitment is. He’s the definition of ordinary. He’s best at scrum half but even then he’s a downgrade on Sezer. We’ve only gone for him because we’ve missed out on Clune to the Giants, who is a very good pick up 

Clune is No better quality. Hes 4th/5th choice at the knights and played 3 games this year, hardly Andrew Johns  

The fact that Clune is seen as a good pick up shows the lack of quality available.

[DoubleD]

9 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Clune is No better quality. Hes 4th/5th choice at the knights and played 3 games this year, hardly Andrew Johns  

The fact that Clune is seen as a good pick up shows the lack of quality available.

No one said he’s like Andrew Johns but he’s significantly better than Frawley

[DACS]

Leeds have had a whole year knowing they would likely need to sign one if not two halfbacks. This was a chance to seriously upgrade in quality.  Frawley is not that. Do even Giants fans remember him with them?  I've seen a fair bit of him since he started with the Dogs and he's a reserve grader for a reason. Clune would at least offer some threat with the ball, but I wouldn't have been overjoyed if we'd signed him either.

He's now signed so I'll support him, but unless we sign someone with real quality alongside him another tough season awaits. 

[Archie Gordon]

The quality of proposed and actual overseas players in SL is faintly depressing. I really hope any ideas to move to 14 clubs in our top flight come to nought.

[Saint Toppy]

Watched Frawley in the game against Brisbane the other week where he was awful, and the commentary team mentioned he was leaving and likely be going to SL. I thought then who would be stupid enough to take him given how utterly useless he was at the Giants and how poor he's been even as a reserve grader this year at Canberra.

All they need now is to sign Brenko Lee and Leeds fans can look forward to a 3 way relegation battle next year with Cas & Fev 

[Chrispmartha]

17 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

Watched Frawley in the game against Brisbane the other week where he was awful, and the commentary team mentioned he was leaving and likely be going to SL. I thought then who would be stupid enough to take him given how utterly useless he was at the Giants and how poor he's been even as a reserve grader this year at Canberra.

All they need now is to sign Brenko Lee and Leeds fans can look forward to a 3 way relegation battle next year with Cas & Fev 

You realise there's no relegation next year