Merrin rejects St Merge

[Arties Pie]

If we do lose Hargreaves, Merrin is not an adequate replacement.

Hargreaves had a very poor 2014 and if 2015 is just a repeat then Jared should be looking for another club, on 2014 form I would take Merrin over Jared or Cords.

[Waerea-Beast!]

Merrin does things that most, if not all, forwards can't do. Excellent offloader (which we don't really have at the moment) and superb footwork for a guy his size. Easily worth what the Dragons offered in my humble opinion.

[Guest]

Merrin does things that most, if not all, forwards can't do. Excellent offloader (which we don't really have at the moment) and superb footwork for a guy his size. Easily worth what the Dragons offered in my humble opinion.

I agree with it all

[Guest]

My gut feeling, and this is just a guess, is that we'll sign Trent Merrin, and JWH and SKD will be off to the Dragons. All for this year. No mail, just makes sense to me in a lot of ways. But who knows really, we'll just have to wait and see?

[TDK]

Hargreaves had a very poor 2014 and if 2015 is just a repeat then Jared should be looking for another club, on 2014 form I would take Merrin over Jared or Cords.

You have to be kidding Artie. JWH is our enforcer, his intimidation factor alone wins us tussles in the middle. Albeit he had an average 2014 season, but there can be no question on his value to our pack. As for Merrin, he does have good stats for a edge forward but he isn't an enforcer and he isn't a prop that you use as a battering ram through the middle.

[BUDDY]

Frankie would have been on decent coin for next year.
It is starting to remind me of the 2013 pre-season when we got rid of a bit of dead wood and got Jenko and LOD.
With SBW and Mini gone and now FPN, I say welcome Fergo and Merrin.
How much better would we be with Merrin on the bench instead of FPN?

[Guest]

Frankie would have been on decent coin for next year.
It is starting to remind me of the 2013 pre-season when we got rid of a bit of dead wood and got Jenko and LOD.
With SBW and Mini gone and now FPN, I say welcome Fergo and Merrin.
How much better would we be with Merrin on the bench instead of FPN?

Merrin off the bench I don't think so.
If & it's a big if he did come to the Roosters he would slot straight in at lock to replace FPN. He will be on top dollar & he is a current SOO player so there is no way he will be a bench player.
Maubs would be on the bench.

[dj_sta]

If Merrin does sign for us, I highly doubt we will get him a year early for next year. Especially considering Dragons let go of Morris I doubt they will release Merrin as well. Unless they make a big name signing to replace him.... But if by way of a miracle he signs for us next year, then I doubt we will bring him in to play off the bench. He will start.

I think this is one of the reasons he is leaving the Dragons.

[Yak]

Frankie would have been on decent coin for next year.
It is starting to remind me of the 2013 pre-season when we got rid of a bit of dead wood and got Jenko and LOD.
With SBW and Mini gone and now FPN, I say welcome Fergo and Merrin.
How much better would we be with Merrin on the bench instead of FPN?

If he comes he won't be on the bench. He'll be starting lock. Guerra will get shifted to right second rower which is where I think he plays his best footy and Aubo will come off the bench. I really don't see how we could afford him though tbh. I'd prefer JT in a year's time anyway, but in saying that our pack would be scary good with Merrin in it. Except come origin time where we'd be running with Aubo, Leuluai/Setu and Liu as a starting backrow. Another positive to getting JT over Merrin.

[The Rooster Oracle]

Frankie would have been on decent coin for next year.
It is starting to remind me of the 2013 pre-season when we got rid of a bit of dead wood and got Jenko and LOD.
With SBW and Mini gone and now FPN, I say welcome Fergo and Merrin.
How much better would we be with Merrin on the bench instead of FPN?

Sounds bloody good to me Buddy, it worked out perfectly for us last year!! As Mickey said though, Merrin would start and Maubs as the utility to come off the bench.

[The Rooster Oracle]

If he comes he won't be on the bench. He'll be starting lock. Guerra will get shifted to right second rower which is where I think he plays his best footy and Aubo will come off the bench. I really don't see how we could afford him though tbh. I'd prefer JT in a year's time anyway, but in saying that our pack would be scary good with Merrin in it. Except come origin time where we'd be running with Aubo, Leuluai/Setu and Liu as a starting backrow. Another positive to getting JT over Merrin.

That is true Yak and a significant factor, when you take into consideration that we will already be without two back-rowers to origin. An origin series can also take it out of a player, with a great example being Mason with us back in 2008. Mason was completely kicking arse for us right up until origin time, and then after the series was over his form hugely dropped.

Also JT is bigger and 4 years younger. In saying all of this though, if we were unable to get JT and we ended up getting Merrin, I certainly wouldn't be disappointed!!

[Roostarz]

"Merrin couldn't carry the Dragons pack"

lol. So what? JWH would struggle in that pack (in fact he struggled enough with our side). They had/have a terrible forward pack and it's no fault of his.