I hope this is fake news

[TheDMC]

I've watched quite a bit of Blair this year at the Broncos. He has been going really well - a lot of energy and effort on D. Must be in the top 5 of the comp for offloads this season too at a guess. And he is being used as a link player also, doing a good job there as his handling is sweet.

Go forward completely lacks though. His post contact meters will be laughable.

So in a team where there is plenty of go forward from your other props and players, he would be an asset due to the above.

Poor fit for us unless the pack is beefed up, and a four year contract is ridiculous.

Might go better than some on here expect though.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I don't rate James Graham either, I think he's peaked

I actually don't particularly care as much how James Graham's form is, if he's fit enough to play I'd sign him. He's the sort of person we need at our club. You watch him on 360, he's intelligent he's passionate he doesn't put up with shit. I'd have him over Adam Blair every day of the year, even if we only got one, two years at best.

 

[Warriorsoul]

I actually don't particularly care as much how James Graham's form is, if he's fit enough to play I'd sign him. He's the sort of person we need at our club. You watch him on 360, he's intelligent he's passionate he doesn't put up with shit. I'd have him over Adam Blair every day of the year, even if we only got one, two years at best.

Yep, fair point. Mind you, I thought the same of Hoffman. And I still think he was the kind of player we needed, but for whatever reason he couldn't get the rest of the team to buy into his thinking. Maybe Graham could? I don't think Blair would offer that, in the least...

 

[ozbash]

He has been going really well - a lot of energy and effort on D. Must be in the top 5 of the comp for offloads this season too at a guess. And he is being used as a link player also, doing a good job there as his handling is sweet.

Blame Wayne Bennett for his good form, same Bellamy when he was at the Storm.
I think that if he came here, we'd see the same form Jason Taylor coached out of him at the Tigers... semi retirement..

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Yep, fair point. Mind you, I thought the same of Hoffman. And I still think he was the kind of player we needed, but for whatever reason he couldn't get the rest of the team to buy into his thinking. Maybe Graham could? I don't think Blair would offer that, in the least...

Yeah, I thought the same on Hoffman. That really didn't work out at all. Unsure why.

Ivan signing Benji further confirms to me we need the Moneyball approach of decent, hard-working people over our current approach of sign whatever decent name is available - no matter how obvious it is they will struggle in our culture. We need signings who create the culture. Adam Blair? I'd be surprised.

 

[Cold Roses]

Might go better than some on here expect though.

Agree with this. Having said that, I'd be fine with missing out on Blair. Especially if it means we end up having more in the coffers for a tilt at someone in 2019 or anyone coming off contact mid 2018 for whatever reason. 3 or 4 year contract is too many eggs in the one basket territory.

 

[JJ]

Agree with this. Having said that, I'd be fine with missing out on Blair. Especially if it means we end up having more in the coffers for a tilt at someone in 2019 or anyone coming off contact mid 2018 for whatever reason. 3 or 4 year contract is too many eggs in the one basket territory.

Me too - in fact I'd be waiting on how the Dogs shit-storm falls out - like Ennis said there's only a couple of those contracts you'd pick up on their values (Klemmer, Jackson, Woods) the rest could come with the Dogs subsidising them heavily - so there could be a lolly scramble - rather than throw big money at an old journeyman, try to pick up a bargain (including Graham, or even Tolman) or a legit star, and develop our youngsters - we're going to be scratchy next year anyway, Blair will change little

 

[jaseg]

Been holding back on this post to maybe find some sort of justification or at least get used to the idea before crapping on it, but here goes...

Below average player with an offload and a name. Hasn't been particularly good this year, the Broncos have been good around him - and the Pulu signing makes it even more concerning... we surely can't be so stupid as to carry two of the lowest workrate forwards in the game in the same pack, can we?

If it were a short term or low-ish money signing I'd shrug and say I guess we have to take the chance he turns good because what other options do we have, but at that (rumoured) price and length he's a massive opportunity cost to not just screw us in the immediate future, but for years to come.

The risk being talked about here doesn't justify the (potential) reward. Go spend that money on high workrate reserve graders (and actually invest some time and opportunities in a guy like Abraham Papalii... could be the Tof Sipley-style brute we never got to have thanks to SK) - or guys like Latimore who you know will put in a shift (and don't have bodies that seem to be betraying them).

 

[Rich102]

I wonder if these signings are subject to the new owner's approval?