Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:57 am  

Eastbourne Warrior wrote:

Feka may be a good signing for Hull. The quote from Gentle says he's never seen him looking so fit.

We were right to get rid when we did however if Bitcon had been at the club when Feka was we'd have seen a far better player.

Bitcon started at Wigan in the off-season between 2009 and 2010. He had a full pre-season and a full playing season with Feka.

For what it's worth, Feka has always been great going forward, especially around 2007 when he was in his prime physically. The problem is his defence, something that has never seemed to change even when he has been in better shape than he used to be. He only looked better in 2010 in defence because the whole team was defending better, it was just much more difficult to target him like Warrington did in the CC semi in 2009.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 10:09 am  

Personally i am made up to see the big man back in SL

There was nothing quite like watching a fully fit Feka steam roll defenders.

yeah he was easy to skip round in defence, but for sheer entertainment he was hard to beat

Top bloke as well

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:02 am  

People on here slated stains for signing Amor so I think it would be double standards to try and make out Clubb is a good signing,Infact we laughed when they got linked to him earlier in the season,unless he is playing for peanuts to try and prove himself at a big club I see this as an awful signing,but I didn't see much in Ben Flower before he came and he has done well so you never know.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:46 am  

CobraCraig wrote:

People on here slated stains for signing Amor so I think it would be double standards to try and make out Clubb is a good signing,Infact we laughed when they got linked to him earlier in the season,unless he is playing for peanuts to try and prove himself at a big club I see this as an awful signing,but I didn't see much in Ben Flower before he came and he has done well so you never know.

The thing is though, from the looks of it Saints have signed Amor to be one of their four main props along with Laafranchi, McArthy - Scarsbrook and Walmsley, if he's not that good he'll likely still be in there, because they don't have a lot of good options.

On the other hand, if Clubb is used as prop he'll need to fight his way ahead of Crosby, A.Powell, Hopkins, Lauaki and Spencer to secure a bench spot (with Flower, Dudson and Taylor taking the other three) or if we use him as a back rower he'll be up against Pettybourne, Hopkins, Burke, Hughes and Lloyd to nail down a bench spot (with Hansen, Farrell and O'Loughlin starting). That's 6 players fighting over one bench spot in either instance.

So the point is, I reckon Amor will almost definitely play in the majority of Saints' games if he's fit, Clubb on the other hand probably won't get that many games unless he's in good form or there's an injury crisis.

[DaveO]

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:53 am  

Grimmy wrote:

The thing is though, from the looks of it Saints have signed Amor to be one of their four main props along with Laafranchi, McArthy - Scarsbrook and Walmsley, if he's not that good he'll likely still be in there, because they don't have a lot of good options.

On the other hand, if Clubb is used as prop he'll need to fight his way ahead of Crosby, A.Powell, Hopkins, Lauaki and Spencer to secure a bench spot (with Flower, Dudson and Taylor taking the other three) or if we use him as a back rower he'll be up against Pettybourne, Hopkins, Burke, Hughes and Lloyd to nail down a bench spot (with Hansen, Farrell and O'Loughlin starting). That's 6 players fighting over one bench spot in either instance.

So the point is, I reckon Amor will almost definitely play in the majority of Saints' games if he's fit, Clubb on the other hand probably won't get that many games unless he's in good form or there's an injury crisis.

When you list the number of players already at the club in the positions you see Clubb playing doesn't it beg the question, why bother? However low a wage he ends up on wouldn't it still be money better spent elsewhere?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:03 pm  

DaveO wrote:

When you list the number of players already at the club in the positions you see Clubb playing doesn't it beg the question, why bother? However low a wage he ends up on wouldn't it still be money better spent elsewhere?

I agree, I wouldn't have signed him but I just don't see it as a big deal either way. He won't be on big money and we won't need to rely on him. Maybe it's part of a wider plan to target talent in London as we have with Wales? Just a thought. If it was a case of going out and trying to sign the best prop we could for a largish amount of money I'd hope we would have got Asotasi or Wayman instead.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:23 pm  

Eastbourne Warrior wrote:

Feka may be a good signing for Hull. The quote from Gentle says he's never seen him looking so fAt.

We were right to get rid when we did however if Bitcon had been at the club when Feka was we'd have seen a far better player.

edited for correctness

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:36 pm  

Where are folks getting this idea that Clubb is on a low wage? I thought London spent their entire cap, so must have been paying players a decent salary. Given that Clubb was the captain it's not a huge leap to believe he was earning well.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:53 pm  

If he comes here and earns well we've lost the plot.

I wouldn't touch him and I don't get why we are even if he's coming on a pittance. I'd have to turn him down even on about 20-25k a year.

I'd rather give it to lads like Spencer and Burke and give them more games.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:59 pm  

London spend the cap to give players a living wage in the capital.
If Clubb rents a house up here (3 bed semi) he'll pay £750-850 pcm.
Should a player from these parts rent around London (The Stoop) he'll pay between £1600 & £2300 pcm. That's just for starters.
Around here a 7 stop commuter journey is £50 a month. London £116.
IL could pay him subtatially less then he is on at London B and he would have a far better standard of living.

As for whether he's good enough, time will tell!
We have a very large squad of players now. OK Mossop and Tuson are leaving plus most likely Sam. Those coming in are Hopkins, Pettybourne, Bowen, Clubb, Sarginson. Then there are our U19s players who deserve a shout at a first team place.
I do feel some of these players will end up on loan or DR next season. How are we going to give them all a game?