My problem isn't his age as such, although it should always be a factor alongside many others when looking at signings. My problem with this signing is his form for the last 3 years has been poor and his attitude has matched that. He has not looked even close to the player he was and to hope he is just going to be able to flick a switch and turn it on is hopeful at best. Reading up he also has personal problems in Oz which quite possibly would affect his ability to settle, it would most people. It may be a great move for him and reinvigorate him and god knows we need it to. But it's a lot a cash for us tie up for 2 years on what in my opinion is a big gamble. Still thats what opinions are for and i very much hope i'm wrong.
Personally if it was a choice between the two experienced back row forwards (and i'm not sure we need both) then i'd have gone for Elijah Taylor. Already over here and settled, good attitude and excellent form as captain for Salford during his time here.
You pick teams on form, whether that be in training or as the season starts, games. You don't have to sign players on form, it's a total red herring IMHO. You sign players because you have a role you think they can fill.
It's the oldest saying in the game, form is temporary, class is permanent. So the Titans have not been great for him, Cronulla was not great for Fifita. Whitbread did nothing at Leigh and so on. Probably the most striking ever was Solomona. You just can't tell for certain.
Could be a disaster, but any player can be, it could be the lads Indian summer, he may come here and just love it, a lot of older NRL players do. But the truth is all these parameters apply to all players, regardless of age, form or even perceived ability.
You pick teams on form, whether that be in training or as the season starts, games. You don't have to sign players on form, it's a total red herring IMHO. You sign players because you have a role you think they can fill.
It's the oldest saying in the game, form is temporary, class is permanent. So the Titans have not been great for him, Cronulla was not great for Fifita. Whitbread did nothing at Leigh and so on. Probably the most striking ever was Solomona. You just can't tell for certain.
Could be a disaster, but any player can be, it could be the lads Indian summer, he may come here and just love it, a lot of older NRL players do. But the truth is all these parameters apply to all players, regardless of age, form or even perceived ability.
Generally agree with the principle, but he has played for the Titans for 5/6 seasons and made over a hundred appearances… and was capped by NZ during that time.. hardly a toxic relationship…
Generally agree with the principle, but he has played for the Titans for 5/6 seasons and made over a hundred appearances… and was capped by NZ during that time.. hardly a toxic relationship…
I didn't say toxic. TBH I don't really follow the NRL in a deep way like you do, certainly not the off field stuff, so I wouldn't really claim to know how he has been at the Titans, I'm going more on what others say.
As a player he's always impressed me and even if we only get 75% of the player he once was I'd be happy with that. Nobody, not even Saints can sign NRL players at the absolute pinnacle of their game,
Yeah, I didn't realise how easy it is to update Wiki...anyone can do it, so who else would you like me to add to the Trinity Wiki playing roster then...Tedesco, Cherry-Evans, Mitchell ????
I used to enjoy doing wiki edits to see how long they would last, I had a few on the cas page for a long while and a couple on Giles Brandreth that I somehow got away with.
I used to enjoy doing wiki edits to see how long they would last, I had a few on the cas page for a long while and a couple on Giles Brandreth that I somehow got away with.
Not made my mind up about this signing ,Hope we are not going down the route of brining in old players again ,been tried and failed . Signing a 34 year old player in a position were we seemed well covered does not work for me It is two Props we need and .At least W Poaching was bringing down the age of the team in the forwards .Hope we are not going down the road of spending all the salary cap on Forwards .Know we have signed a stand off from the Championship ,but remember the players who have left were the main reason we stayed in S L