For hookers Mitch Rein (Penrith) and Kurt Baptiste (Canberra) are both rakes who can go 80 mins, both are currently playing from the bench or in the NSWCup.
Don't think we need to go after anymore backs, but if Rona comes onboard we'll take him. We need some bigger forwards, be it young guys coming up, or seasoned players we need some big boys to back up the engine room.
Lawrence isn't a forward, and i have funny feeling ET will leave us at seasons end. If the Woods - Bulldogs cap issue falls through, do we keep Woodsy or not ??. Having Packer, Matulino and Woods rotating through the front row will give us plenty of grunt up front.
I hope Ivan has someone on the lookout in the UK for some mongrel back rowers wanting to test the NRL out. I'm sure there are plenty over there looking to get out of the UK winter season.
Who's our UK correspondent in the forum .. does he have any recommendations of UK forwards who would go alright over here ?? Maybe send the club a little email attention Ivan .. :exclamation:
If you are looking for good decent backrowers in the UK, here are the ones i would look for but I think most are on long term contracts meaning the club would have to pay a transfer fee:
* Ben Currie - Warrington - Big, agile, great speed, highly rated
* Liam Farrell and John Bateman - both at Wigan -not the biggest but both have mongrel and are really good players. Bateman can also play centre.
* Stevie Ward - Leeds - bit injury prone but an 80min player (Wayne Bennett rates him)
* Alex Walmsley - St Helens - Massive Prop at 115kg and 196cm and onyl 27 years, bends line in attack, good aggression. If he came to the NRL he would improve even more.
* Chris Hill - Warrington - very good prop, 190cm, 111kg….hits hard, good leader of the pack, 29 years old. England International.
* Mike McMeeken -Castleford Tigers- 2nd rower who has come on leaps and bounds and played for England last year - 23 years old, runs a very good line, massive presence on the edge at 196cm and 110kg.
Not many others i would go after to be fair. I would take any of them if the price was right.