Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Feb 26, 2024 12:20 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

If the club decided to go with a similar explosive player, at a good age and maybe in need of a change of scene, a Penrith player who travelled but didn’t play might be a shout in Dane Laurie. He has a 12 month deal at Penrith so we’d have to see how the year plays out.

It’s clear that if he goes or stays we need to know early as it’s critical we get the succession planning right.

We don’t have anyone in the 5/8th role that French plays waiting in the wings.

One thing the club did very well under IFL was manage the retention and replacement process very well and I’m sure that will continue to be the case.

In my opinion we pull out all the stops to retain him including going big financially if we need to, an offer he cannot refuse, but if he is set on a move home as others have said he will go with nothing but best wishes.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Feb 26, 2024 12:35 pm  

French stayed for 2023/4 to repay the club for the loyalty they showed him (a good salary mind)

In that time he’s delivered us a man of steel, the GF and written himself in the history books of the club last Saturday.

He goes with my blessing if that’s what happens, we’ve had his best years and hopefully another trophy before this year is out.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Feb 26, 2024 3:30 pm  

Part of me wonders whether Penrith might go for him. They'll need a replacement for Luai - may replace from within but French and Cleary sounds pretty good to me.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Feb 26, 2024 3:33 pm  

MadDogg wrote:

Part of me wonders whether Penrith might go for him. They'll need a replacement for Luai - may replace from within but French and Cleary sounds pretty good to me.

I have been thinking the same, they had a bloody good look at him on Sat

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Feb 26, 2024 3:52 pm  

If he does go back I hope he gets a gig at a big club like Penrith and playing at 6 (or 1) and not as some sort of utility back up at Wests/St George etc. This rubbish that lads like him and Field can't handle it physically got shown up on Saturday. I watched that bloke in a bar podcast and they spoke about how surprised they were that KPP looked like he could cope with the pace of the friendly against Melbourne. These Aussies genuinely think these lads are coming from a pub league, regardless of how many Grahams, Batemans, Hodgsons or Burgess brothers turn up and show it isn't all that different if you're a good player at a big club over here.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:20 pm  

Transfer news........Just heard from good authority that Wigan have put a bid in for St Helens trophy cabinet as apparently it's no longer in use

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:27 pm  

hatty wrote:

Transfer news........Just heard from good authority that Wigan have put a bid in for St Helens trophy cabinet as apparently it's no longer in use

Cheeky!



I also heard we enquired about stocking St Helens bitter in the stadium bars but didnt have enough room for it

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Feb 26, 2024 7:14 pm  

French will be fantastic in the NRL. No doubt about it for me. Manly need a new half. An argument could be made for West Tigers and and Canberra too. He will have plenty of admirers. The nonsense posts about him not handling the physicality is just that. He clearly wants the challenge of the NRL and he deserves it too. Showed us loyalty staying for a couple more seasons and winning every trophy available along with the Man of Steel. He goes down as one of the best overseas signings we've ever made for me.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue Feb 27, 2024 12:15 am  

cadoo wrote:

French will be fantastic in the NRL. No doubt about it for me. Manly need a new half. An argument could be made for West Tigers and and Canberra too. He will have plenty of admirers. The nonsense posts about him not handling the physicality is just that. He clearly wants the challenge of the NRL and he deserves it too. Showed us loyalty staying for a couple more seasons and winning every trophy available along with the Man of Steel. He goes down as one of the best overseas signings we've ever made for me.

Saw a few comments today from NRL supporters that French was not taken seriously over there due him being scragged around like a rag doll on impact and taken back ten yards and that it would likely happen again if he ever came back.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue Feb 27, 2024 8:14 am  

MattyB wrote:

Saw a few comments today from NRL supporters that French was not taken seriously over there due him being scragged around like a rag doll on impact and taken back ten yards and that it would likely happen again if he ever came back.

Mysteriously, that didn't happen last Saturday, but never mind. They've always had this gift of the short memory in the NRL.

But hey, suits us. Let him stay.