Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 7:01 am  

I don't see the big deal with Mulhern and I'd certainly be amazed if an NRL club were interested, he had a really good first season at Rovers made the England Knights, since then he has been pretty average (quite a lot of Rovers fans have been criticizing him for the last two years), some think he has lost some power since turning vegan (although not sure on that one). I don't see him improving your 17. I think he has potential, but he isn't a young kid anymore and don't think he is anything to be upset by, most of your young players I have seen are better than him.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 8:00 am  

Got to admit I’ve been surprised with the HKR supporters opinions on him. He’s not a player I’ve seen a lot of but he’s impressed me in the past but their fans are saying he’s been pretty poor for a couple of seasons now and is making very little impact with the ball. A move will be good for him I’m sure because there is some talent there.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 8:04 am  

Surely, there are better prop forwards both in our game and down under who are better and available.

Any suggestions?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 8:58 am  

Ruddy Duck wrote:

Surely, there are better prop forwards both in our game and down under who are better and available.

Any suggestions?

Not many spring to mind if you add "and who we can afford whilst still paying for Burgess".

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 9:11 am  

Mulhern is a good addition to Wire and would have been an even better addition for us. I certainly think he would have been a starting prop but is he amazing?no. Is he a lot better than what we have?no. And would he possibly stunt the progression of what looks to be the best crop of young props we have? Yes. For me if we can get rid of Burgess and Clarke we should be looking at signing a top class prop who can be a pack leader, someone like Watts or Thompson or the best available in Oz.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 9:27 am  

CobraCraig wrote:

Mulhern is a good addition to Wire and would have been an even better addition for us. I certainly think he would have been a starting prop but is he amazing?no. Is he a lot better than what we have?no. And would he possibly stunt the progression of what looks to be the best crop of young props we have? Yes. For me if we can get rid of Burgess and Clarke we should be looking at signing a top class prop who can be a pack leader, someone like Watts or Thompson or the best available in Oz.

It all comes down to who is available.

I appreciate we don’t know the full list of Props on the market but I’d expect Mulhern to have been up there as one of the better ones.

Top class props who are being allowed to move on either side of the world will be like hens teeth or come with off field issues/baggage/inflated salary expectations, particularly if it is from the NRL to SL.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 10:07 am  

Wonder if there may actually be something in the Fifita rumours now it looks like we have missed out on Mulhern and Greenwood moving on.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 11:29 am  

This isn't based off anything apart from a quick count up in my head, but I'd argue that on the whole big money prop moves from the NRL don't come off.

Now I'm not saying that every NRL prop signing has been a flop - it hasn't, but I think there's been more duds than good ones.

I look back over the last 10 years and the majority of the top props in SL have been British - Peacock, Morley, Walmsley, Thompson, Hill, Watts. After that there's guys like Lynch, Taylor, LMS, Flower, Cooper, Bullock.

I'd say it's a safer bet to sign a Mulhern or Singleton and build them up, than it is to go for an experienced name from the NRL.

FPN, Perry, Asotasi & even O'meley all had varying degrees of success/failures and all came with huge reps. I doubt anyone would argue they were however as good as some of the British names on the list.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 11:37 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

This isn't based off anything apart from a quick count up in my head, but I'd argue that on the whole big money prop moves from the NRL don't come off.

Now I'm not saying that every NRL prop signing has been a flop - it hasn't, but I think there's been more duds than good ones.

I look back over the last 10 years and the majority of the top props in SL have been British - Peacock, Morley, Walmsley, Thompson, Hill, Watts. After that there's guys like Lynch, Taylor, LMS, Flower, Cooper, Bullock.

I'd say it's a safer bet to sign a Mulhern or Singleton and build them up, than it is to go for an experienced name from the NRL.

FPN, Perry, O'meley all had varying degrees of success/failures and all came with huge reps. I doubt anyone would argue they were however as good as some of the British names on the list.

I agree - academy products or championship pick ups have been the better front rowers over the last few years.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Dec 10, 2020 11:46 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

This isn't based off anything apart from a quick count up in my head, but I'd argue that on the whole big money prop moves from the NRL don't come off.

Now I'm not saying that every NRL prop signing has been a flop - it hasn't, but I think there's been more duds than good ones.

I look back over the last 10 years and the majority of the top props in SL have been British - Peacock, Morley, Walmsley, Thompson, Hill, Watts. After that there's guys like Lynch, Taylor, LMS, Flower, Cooper, Bullock.

I'd say it's a safer bet to sign a Mulhern or Singleton and build them up, than it is to go for an experienced name from the NRL.

FPN, Perry, O'meley all had varying degrees of success/failures and all came with huge reps. I doubt anyone would argue they were however as good as some of the British names on the list.

must admit, i've been ding donging with some doom merchants on our board, about how we're the only team that seems to suffer in terms of poop nrl recruitment, props/fforwards especially. i pointed out some of saints disapointing signings from teh last 7 years.

Every seems to focus on the shortage of halfbacks around but prop does seem to be just as much as an issue. Maybe its the old complaint of identikit players that are all 6ft 2, 16 stone and can play any position, very few specialists.