Re: Matt Bowen signs : Thu Aug 15, 2013 3:57 pm  

I wondered how long this rumour would take to come about after I read he was on his way out of the Cowboys the other day.

If it comes off I have no issue with it tbh. There is no way Tierney or Hampshire are ready and a stopgap signing is all we need. He will be managed correctly here anyway and those two youngsters will keep being offered chances which will give him a rest.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:01 pm  

Wilde 3 wrote:

@RLW_Mole: BREAKING: The great Matt Bowen of @nthqldcowboys close to signing with @WiganWarriorsRL - expect an announcement in days.

Latest from the Cowboys official site.


"THE Cowboys are investigating post-football opportunities for Matt Bowen in the strongest sign yet the veteran will retire at season's end".

Re: Matt Bowen signs : Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:23 pm  

I am comfortable with this, 1 year with a year in our favour to follow would be ideal.

The thing that Bowen will bring apart from being a quality signing on the field is his style is very similar to that of Hampshire and Tierney,

Sam glides through defences, where Bowen, Rocky and Tierney are speed merchants that use a more dynamic explosive footwork.

Having watched him this year I would be more than happy for him to line up for us in 2014, he is still an excellent player that can tear defences apart.

He would remind me of a Pongia style signing, we all knew he was a stop gap but he came to do a job and did so in relation to helping out the younger lads.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:27 pm  

Centre, wing and hooker still need strengthening. We bring in a good centre, Briscoe and a quality back up hooker and we in my opinion will be there or there abouts again next season, which in reality is all any fan can hope for in the modern game.

Re: Matt Bowen signs : Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:30 pm  

i still think josh would grow into a world class full back.

Re: Matt Bowen signs : Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:32 pm  

I was one of the few that wanted us to sign Anthony Minichiello on a one or two year deal, but by all accounts he has a celebrity wife who loves the lifestyle of Sydney!! and has signed a new one year deal with the Roosters.

Bowen is probably a bit more of a risk although he is younger. Neither Hampshire, Burgess or Williams are ready for that fullback spot yet, so providing it's a short term (1 or 2 year) deal it could work, as I don't know who else is available.

He's played well when I have seen him this season and I think has only missed about four games.

Lets' wait and see if he signs and how he goes.

ps Never trust anyone from St. Helens, that's where the Sam is staying rumour came from.

[DaveO]

Re: Matt Bowen signs : Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:47 pm  

jinkin jimmy wrote:

All of this will ensure our medical staff will be even more stringent IMO. I'm happy to let them assess his fitness. If we can't trust our own staff who can we trust?

If we sign him its because NQC medical staff have decided his knees are not up to it.

He is by all accounts a bit of a legend at their club and they are doing all they can to not push him out the door due to his injuries.

If under those circumstances he ends up going anyway that is a pretty spectacular medical disagreement over a players fitness.

Regarding his age I think he is ideal. Signing a 25 yr old would ruin our youngsters' prospects, signing anyone much younger is pointless ( we have those in abundance, it would seem).

It's rather hypothetical given I don't see any 25 year olds available but it is an interesting point. For one thing Hampshire is a half back IMO far more so than Sam but if there was a good 25 year old full back available it would be a dereliction of duty on the clubs part not to move for them IMO.

As a general point the idea we have to look after the interests of young players to the extent of signing 32 year old players while we wait to see if they make it is wrong-headed IMO. As it seems likely Sam is off we need a player now not in a couple of years. Signing a quality player who would keep the likes of Tierney out would be another consequence of letting Sam go early and not being able to plan for the future properly but if one was available that would be good use of all this transfer money we will supposedly get. IMO you can't bet that future on unproven young players.

[Wigan6/Leeds1 Andy]

Re: Matt Bowen signs : Thu Aug 15, 2013 5:27 pm  

DaveO wrote:

If we sign him its because NQC medical staff have decided his knees are not up to it.

Really?

Or maybe they have a better/long term replacement lined up?

Re: Matt Bowen signs : Thu Aug 15, 2013 6:06 pm  

DaveO wrote:

Well that is obviously not true as he takes up cap space.

Lack of quality players to sign or at SL other clubs is no reason to sign a player who is considering retirement due to injury.

It's either him or an unknown or nobody the way I see it. The free cap space means we can afford a small gamble like this. What would you do with the space? Just not use it? Or were you expecting a big name signing?

DaveO wrote:

Nothing like signing Deacon either. I doubt he'd have been signed if he had two reconstructed knees and was struggling to prove his fitness to continue playing at Bradford.

Deacon had plenty injury concerns, anyway, point is we signed an experienced player well past his peak who would be a safe pair of hands when fit, but we had other players capable of doing the job when he was injured.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Aug 15, 2013 6:12 pm  

jonh wrote:

Centre, wing and hooker still need strengthening. We bring in a good centre, Briscoe and a quality back up hooker and we in my opinion will be there or there abouts again next season, which in reality is all any fan can hope for in the modern game.

Wing - Burgess/Manfredi
Centre - Gelling/Thornley
Hooker - McIlorum with Hampshire/Logan/Powell/Williams on the bench (Smith can shift to 9 while MM is off)

Unless a superstar becomes available I'd say we're all set. No point having the best academy in the league and not using it, or those quality youngsters will go elsewhere