Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 10:58 am  

St pete wrote:

Would shillington come to super league?

Would he get a visa, he was banned from driving for drink driving the other year wasnt he?

I'd be surprised were any SL club to sign him. With the obvious rise in the NRL cap imminent. Plus he'd have to give up his SOO and REP football career. He would be though a cracking signing though. Truly a player at the peak of his powers.

Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 11:01 am  

jaybs wrote:

Not just knocking this signing, but these Aussies must think we are such an easy touch and most teams are the same, aged 31 and talk of a three year deal? on Big Money, which they need with the current exchange rate??

unfortunately i think that to get any half decent ozzie over here now with the different salary caps, more and more clubs will be offering older players longer deals, hoping they're a Menzies, not a crock

Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 11:06 am  

Age isn't that much of an issue with forwards I don't feel. Backs are a risk (Lance is a classic example) as they lose their pace and agility and become rather rubbish. But forwards don't lose strength, fitness or toughness as quickly I don't feel. Most players retire because after 10-15 years of playing professional rugby league they have had enough and their bodies are battered with so many existing injuries adding up to make the recovery every week hard. If a player doesn't feel like that (Menzies is a example) there is no reason why they can't continue playing.

I'm more worried about Lance who at 29 looks overweight and a yard slower than he used to be than Laffranchi at 32.

Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 11:10 am  

Menzies is an exception though IMO, and has been very durable throughout his career.

Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 11:12 am  

Saddened! wrote:

I'm more worried about Lance who at 29 looks overweight and a yard slower than he used to be than Laffranchi at 32.

We're going for Lance's utility value though, and if he joins Saints under Simmons he will lose weight. (He'll no doubt get an ankle injury too!) We do need experience in the halves, of that there is no doubt, so I personally don't object to him coming over at all. I think he is a sensible piece of recruitment given the needs of the team. However, although we do need a prop to fill the vacancy left by Jammer, and I do appreciate that any young potential we may have in that position isn't yet ready, I'm just not sure about recruiting ageing Aussies. An ageing South Pacific Islander might have been better! (TP Mark 2!)

Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 11:16 am  

LovesToSpooge wrote:

Surely not a 3 year deal a 31 year old? Who's had a fair few injury problems.

To be fair I don't think he's had to many injuries over his career. He's had a shoulder and wrist op recently but I think that was a pre season op that players tend to have when the season has finished.

He is injured at the moment and was ruled at for 8 weeks but think he's due back a month early from injury.

Top signing but I wouldn't have give 3yr deal.

Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 11:19 am  

St pete wrote:

Top signing but I wouldn't have give 3yr deal.

Saints seem to be offering fairly long term deals at the moment. Maybe they are trying to stabilise the team a bit? We've had a lot of change over the last few seasons. Or maybe we can't get these guys on anything shorter?

Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 11:22 am  

Saddened! wrote:

Age isn't that much of an issue with forwards I don't feel. Backs are a risk (Lance is a classic example) as they lose their pace and agility and become rather rubbish. But forwards don't lose strength, fitness or toughness as quickly I don't feel. Most players retire because after 10-15 years of playing professional rugby league they have had enough and their bodies are battered with so many existing injuries adding up to make the recovery every week hard. If a player doesn't feel like that (Menzies is a example) there is no reason why they can't continue playing.

I'm more worried about Lance who at 29 looks overweight and a yard slower than he used to be than Laffranchi at 32.

Lance has just been picked by the world champs again so he can't be doing to bad.

Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 11:23 am  

LovesToSpooge wrote: I'd be surprised were any SL club to sign him. With the obvious rise in the NRL cap imminent. Plus he'd have to give up his SOO and REP football career. He would be though a cracking signing though. Truly a player at the peak of his powers. The box on the right. Just specultion at the minute it would seem.

LovesToSpooge wrote: I'd be surprised were any SL club to sign him. With the obvious rise in the NRL cap imminent. Plus he'd have to give up his SOO and REP football career. He would be though a cracking signing though. Truly a player at the peak of his powers. The box on the right. Just specultion at the minute it would seem.

Re: Saints sign Laffranchi : Mon May 02, 2011 11:25 am  

SaintsFan wrote:

Saints seem to be offering fairly long term deals at the moment. Maybe they are trying to stabilise the team a bit? We've had a lot of change over the last few seasons. Or maybe we can't get these guys on anything shorter?

I think for the overseas older players the latter is probably the case. Wigan had to give Lima a three year, but Hoffman only signed for one and will almost certainly return at the end of this season.

Do you think it was a mistake in letting Emmitt go? Wigan persevered with Prescott and O'Carroll (although he's been out for over 12 months). It's always difficult with props as they generally tend to mature later.