If nothing else, he'll have the experience of the Storm mentality, his father and uncle's inspiration , Cam Smith's influence and the perfect game by game attitude, needed for our culture change to evolve, under Smith. That sort of pedigree must help and as Chris rightly says, he won't have that weight of expectation to emulate his family's exploits in the NRL, to burden him, over here.

Taylor retiring end of this year.
Would have liked him to go again next year.

Taylor's retirement surely must mean another domestic prop has been signed?

Think we are OK at prop, Sao, ese, Pele, Fash, Brown, Laidlaw, Gardnier, plus Ashwort are more props than backrowers.

Backrow is the key, along with two halfbacks.

Is Gardiner going to be good enough? Big lad, but doesn't have any menace about him, nothing on the likes of Holroyd when he came through, or Delaney at Saints.

He could be the next Scott Wheeldon

I would hope so. There's not one squad player I think is ready to replace him yet.

Laidlaw doesn’t seem to get a mention these days. Wainhouse over taken him by looks of it.

I wonder if Wainhouse been brought into the squad the same week Taylor announced his retirement is just a coincidence or if Smith wants to see if he has anything about him to step up now it might be needed.

When I have seen him, for me he doesn't look to have the physical presence, yet, to play as a middle in SL. Hopefully, he'll develop that physique, but Smith obviously sees more of him than we do and he's made the call, so it'll likely be the correct one.

Think Laidlaw is out on loan in the championship