Speculation continues regarding new signing

Still no news
By Duncan Wood
June 20 2002

It's now been a week since Malcolm Pearce declared that he would be announcing a 'phenomenal' new signing in the next few days. Speculation continues but when will we have a name?

The messageboards have been active and speculation is rife. Several names have been thrown into the ring but there's still no real idea of who the 'phenomenal' new signing is going to be.

With Jason Little retiring, the immediate assumption was that we'd be looking for a new inside centre. It's a pivotal position and we don't really have another natural inside in the squad.

The Evening Post speculated that we were talking to an experienced All Black centre and this was heightened by the fact that Peter Thorburn was back in New Zealand last week. Several names were bandied around before Daryl Gibson emerged as a hot favourite.

Gibson, however, has been playing down talks of any move. He's got his place in the All Blacks squad and it appears that he's got his eyes set on the Tri Nations, the New Zealand tour in the autumn and also a place in RWC 2003. That would rule him out.

There has also been a lot of talk about Mike Catt and I wrote about the pros and cons of this move earlier this week. Bath have still not made an announcement on thsi subject although Michael Foley said on Monday that there would be a press conference that day. The longer thisone goes on you wonder if he is actually going to stay at the Rec.

Scott Gibbs' names has been mentioned this week. Swansea are supposedly in financial difficulties and only yesterday allowed Andy Moore to join Bridgend. Gibbs is only 31 and has retired from international rugby but you have to wonder if his best years are behind him.

He's also a real homeloving boy - the running joke is that he leaves his car engine running during the game so that he can make a quick getaway afterwards! Bristol have had their fingers burned in recent years with Welsh players - would he fit in? Swansea have also denied that they woud release him.

The final name that I have picked up on the grapevine is that of Will Greenwood. The whisper is that he is desperate to play Heineken Cup rugby. It's nothing more than hearsay and I always considered him to be a Quins player through and through. He'd also be very expensive and away on England duty a lot.

Only one thing is sure. We're not going to know until we actually see AN Other sing on the dotted line!