Cas asked about him last year Saints told them no chance
Cas asked about him last year Saints told them no chance
I know that Saints have definitely made Fage an offer and said he can have time to consider it and if he wishes he can talk to other clubs whilst Saints offer will remain on the table.
Cas would be a strange move for Fages to make.
From a career point of view I can understand him wanting to try the NRL but or even a move back to France with Catalan or even Toulouse if he thinks they'll come up soon.
Maybe Toronto have got their sights on him, I can understand him wanting to try his hand there.
I know it's a short career and players have to make as much as they can but unless Cas are prepared to make him there marquee player it doesn't really make sense
I think even if Fages leaves we still have Richardson and Lewis Dodd. I am not sure we need another signing.
Taia as well has already had his replacement signed in Bentley/Bachelor.
Any more than that and then we will need to have a look.
Jordan Abdul looks a good player and could be a true Wilkin replacement as imo Paulo does not see to be filling that role at the moment.
I know I have said it before but Brad Singleton is a good player who for some reason is rumoured to be not wanted at Leeds. He would be a good replacement for LMS for 2021.
Otherwise maybe we need a player from the championship?
I could agree with you but then we would both be wrong.
I know it’s all about opinion but in what way is Paulo not filling in the Wilkin role? I thought he was really strong yesterday - sometimes with his handling (watch the run up to the Naqama try) and very often with the work he puts into tackling. And don’t forget he played big minutes yesterday often taking the ball up almost as a prop. Paulo does get some stick and someone sitting behind me kept calling him lazy which he clearly is not. His problem is that he is from the NRL and we expect them all to be like Barba or Coote. If Paulo was a local lad or from Cumbria I’m pretty sure we’d think he was a good player.
Odd how people can have such wildly differing views on players. Zeb Taia for me is a great player. Big, tough, durable, good hands. Still has decent pace for his age as well. If we're planning to replace him as a starter with Bentley or Batchelor I think we're going to be significantly weaker. I've seen nothing from either of them to suggest they'll make it as Super League players, let alone replace a player like Taia in the competitions best side. Note, I'm not criticising them either, they need time before we make decisions on them, not writing them off at this point.
On the halfbacks I think the Fages to Castleford rumour is just strange all round. Why would Cas let Luke Gale go to Leeds? Why would he turn down a deal with us for Castleford if he's also got offers from the NRL? It makes little sense and I suspect the NRL offers and the Cas interest are both his agent trying to get a slightly improved offer from Saints.
You play a dangerous game when you don't replace experienced and crucial players and you expect youngsters to step in and do the same job.
I remember in 2008 when we allowed key players to leave and replaced them with young players and our period of dominance ended. We still made a few finals but our league position started to drop and trophies were gone until 2014.
Bentley, Batchelor and Richardson to some extent are potentially good players but are still potential at the moment. Giving then game time over the next couple of years alongside experienced players will help their development but throwing them in and expecting them to play to the levels of Peyroux, Taia, Knowles etc is unrealistic IMO.
Look at Wigan now, they've let alot of experience go in the last 2 or 3 seasons and they're in a right mess now.
To lose Taia and Fages and not replace them would weaken us and to not replace either would be a mistake.
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
It would not surprise me if Hardaker came back to cas next season with gale leaving and Powell wants fages and trueman as next year's half backs
I’d be amazed.
The guy single-handedly ruined your best (and possibly only?) chance of winning a grand final with his extra-curricular activities.
I could live with that if he’d served his ban and come back with contrition and loyalty.....
You were head and shoulders over everybody that 2017 season but you stood still whilst others improved and lost your 2 best players in Gale and Hardaker. If you’re not careful as a club you’ll slip into that mid table of Hull, Wakefield and Huddersfield.
I can’t imagine Fages being attracted to playing for Cas either, maybe last year after your 2017 season he could have been tempted but not now, all my opinion of course.
Can't stop the spirits when they need you.
This life is more than just a read through.
I think a lot of our supporters me included would agree with you and wouldn't touch him with a barge pole but Wells and Powell were doing all they could to re-sign him before he went to Wigan that's why it wouldn't surprise me I heard he wasn't happy at Wigan either but I'm just guessing what may happen
Not sure on the fages one seems strange to me he would want to move from saints to cas unless we've offered him a lot more money