I like this signing - he's a good player, in his prime, with a great NRL pedigree - what more can we ask for?

I expect it will make even more sense when all the comings and goings have been resolved.

It makes more sense if Murphy is on his way out.

Tony, Tongia, Murphy, Mellars, Collis, Morton, Fox, Walshaw, Cowling = good competetion for the backs

That really isn't fair, he is a very good player. He's no FB IMHO though he could prove me wrong.

That's not the problem though is it. Whilst ever Trinity Academy product prefer a career at Hudds to one at BV we are failing big time. So basically in two years time we can wave Walshaw off to Hudds just as he starts to get good. When does it stop.

Losing George was bad, losing Murphy is even worse. It sends out all the wrong messages and stops us building a team for the future.

It's not far short of a disaster if it happens.

This is one of the key tasks over this licence period - I'm sure we would all like to see WTW troubling the play-offs and having a decent cup run, but we've also got to work really hard in the background to make sure there's a pathway from youth to first team and to start turning WTW into an attractive proposition to the type of player we want to keep.

It's always going to be hard when Mr Burns' bottomless bank account makes warming the bench at Shudds seem a better option than getting 1st team action for us, but that's the challenge we face; when AG talks about a ten year plan, in this regard, I think he has the timescale about right.

I'm not finger pointing, don't get me wrong. I think it's simply beyond AG or almost anyone else to stop it short term. In fact it will never stop IMHO until we get a new Stadium it's that simple for me. Doesn't mean we have to accept it or dismiss it as casually as said poster - which I'm sure is similar to your own opinion.

I can't even be bothered to be annoyed with Hudds anymore, if anything it shows how poor they are at creating talent and how bereft of a future they will be if Ken ever gets bored.

Agree with this Hudds are already overstocked in the 3/4's department. It's a squad game but even some of Huddersfields players are going to be dissapointed to a point. Will be interesting to see how Fergusons career goes over the next few seasons or will we see him loaned out like other players have been.

On sharks forums they have said he ain't a crash centre and enjoys recording quality ball.. Now I've never seen him play and reading that forum whom the posters could for my knowledge be NGB4C's convict cousins he needs quality ball, something we haven't provided before or after solomona in SL.. He may get it through lauititi and could be a good signing.

That list of outside backs posted above isn't great reading so if he's half decent he's better than most of what we've got.

Whether he's polish, jamaican or whatever if he will inprove the side he'll do for me, I also want to see youth given a chance but say we start with tongia, Morton, moore, mariano, Johnson and howarth thats enough youth in a 17 for me to be competitive!

There's a story on the total rl forum stating a cap is to be brought in at u20's level to stop clubs poaching others academy products by offering more money rather than developing their own (Hudds is used as an obvious example). If true, this could be good for us in the longer term

I think Collis will be a good signing. He can't be a bad player because bad players don't play over 100 NRL games.