No way that Klemmer has been a bad signing. He's in our top 2-3 players for the season. Probably #2 behind Api.
Our forwards NEXT season (including Seyfarth)
Klemmer
Api
Utoikimanu
Papali'i
Bateman
Pole
Twal/Seyfarth/Blore/Sione Fainu/Matamua/Fa'agutu/Laulili'i
Simpkin/Rua/Da Silva
Samuela Fainu/Tumeth/Mansfield
We are LOADED with middles. And Hookers. We could lose at least 1 hooker easily. Simpkin is the likely one as other teams will want him. Rua....who is going to WANT him?
Sione Fainu would be the guy we would all agree with letting go, but the addition of his brothers makes this...tricky. That said, I don't think he's much behind Aitasi James.
Our bench next year will NOT carry Blore, Twal & Seyfarth as well as a dummy half, as well as a back rower. I'd be quite confident Samuela Fainu is one of our bench players next year. So the question is- in order to upgrade our backs, which forwards either generate interest elsewhere OR are not worth signing?
OR...
If we sign Seyfarth & want to upgrade out wide, which of our BACKS get interest elsewhere? We won't let Tupou or Bula go. Nofa is unlikely to be chased. POSSIBLY Naden or Kepaoa (unlikely).
The most obvious choice in the backs to UPGRADE through interest elsewhere is...To'a. Who, while pretty good, is hardly a guarantee of success long term.
As far as I see it, our 1 available spot is either spent on Seyfarth or Staines (or Staines replacement....Hiroti?)
And that's the 30. If you want to upgrade out wide- Blore, Twal, Simpkin or To'a are the likely victims. Who are we prepared to lose out of these guys?
I can see why Joffa was moved on. I can ALSO see why Blore was given permission to look elsewhere. We need 2-3 outside backs.
How they fill out the roster will be interesting. I expect no matter how it's done, there are going to be upset fans.