I'd like to see Matt Orford return. I think he can make the difference.

Yes. 4th in the table at the time of his injury says he made a difference. The sharp decline once he was out reinforces the point.

If he doesn't, then we're totally fooked for another season unless we somehow managed to get an adequate replacement.

No I dont agree with that.
No doubt it didnt help, but a losing run of that magnitude is more to do with coaching than losing a SH.

We do need him. And if he's not coming back we need to command a transfer fee so we can bring in a good replacement, although I doubt we'll find one as good as Orford.

And I doubt any transfer fee will be paideither. Aussies teams to pay,remember.

Well then he'll be staying. Or thats how it should be.

So why didnt they hold Sam Burgess to his contract?

Because they got a transfer fee

Beat me to it.

Righttto.

Souths paid a fee so that we released him a year early. Or they could have waited until the end of this season and taken him for free. Sam has been on record as saying he would have been happy to see out the last year of his contract with the Bulls.

Souths are one of the few teams willing to pay transfer fees, because of a certain movie star owner.