Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh Peta Hiku!

Right after I published last week's Offseason Octopus reports surfaced that Peta Hiku would be surplus to requirements with the Manly Sea Eagles. After enjoying the thought of a Manly backline that could include Hiku, Dylan Walker, Steve Matai, Jamie Lyon, Jorge Taufua, Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans, it appears that this either simple isn't feasible or Manly would rather have Walker than a Kiwi international.

With my kiwi-bias taking over, I find it rather interesting that Manly would tell an international player and someone who epitomises Manly despite his young age, to go find another club. Such is life however and a player of Hiku's calibre wouldn't come cheap. Since those reports surfaced I have seen headlines about a swap for Walker with Hiku going to the Rabbitohs while other potential destinations for Hiku include the Gold Coast Titans who lack a fullback, the Dragons who could use a quality utility and the Parramatta Eels where Hiku would link up with Brad Arthur and Kieran Foran.

Hiku to the Eels would make the most sense as the Eels lack a quality fullback and/or a centre. Combine that with Hiku's relationship with former Manly comrades Arthur and Foran and you've got a nice little package that could lure Hiku across town.

Oh and William Hopoate's future as an Eels centre remains very cloudy, in fact I would bet on Hopoate not being an Eel come the 2016 season.

Everything I'm reading says that Manly will only release Hiku if they are able to secure the signature of Walker, which may see this fizzle out. Especially if Sam Burgess has his way; Burgess is apparently in the ear of Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire to keep Walker at Souths but it appears that the relationship between Walker and Maguire is the deal-breaker/clincher.

We're still waiting for the Walker domino to fall or stay still. That's what will either get everything moving or put an end to November shenanigans - bring in a transfer window ya dummies!

Speaking of dummies, hey it's the Wests Tigers!

Australian media outlets are loving this Tigers vs Robbie Farah story because it is the gift that keeps on giving but what keeps being overlooked is how incredibly stupid it all is. The Tigers and coach Jason Taylor told Farah to leave the Tigers or else he'd be playing NSW Cup, they then backflipped slightly and said that Farah would be under the microscope over summer thus placing him on a good-behaviour bond of sorts.

Farah has juggled trying to find another club with staying put with the Tigers throughout all of this. All signs point to him being a stubborn little fella which would make life extremely difficult for the Tigers, having an unwanted Farah around the club and all. Late last week Farah reportedly asked for a release from his contract, something he would only do if he had offers from other clubs but the Tigers kicked up a fuss at the price they would be paying Farah to play elsewhere.

The Tigers now want Farah to stay, with the carrot of an ambassador sort of role with the Tigers once he retires. It seems that everyone at the Tigers is singing from different song sheets and how no one at the Tigers saw this saga panning out like this is beyond me. I'm just gonna say it shows how silly Australians are.

Personally, I'm over the Farah saga. I don't really care for his future with the Tigers because I want young kiwi Manaia Cherrington to play more and I can't really see Farah being successful at another club ... plus Farah has bid farewell to his best years in the NRL and clubs/media have themselves in a hoot over a player who is not in my top-5 hookers of 2015.

The Roosters have been linked to Farah, which is silly as Jake Friend wouldn't like that. I've got Friend down as being better than Farah after this season and Farah's presence would only complicated the relationship between the Roosters and their co-captain; dumb, very dumb.

Like I said when all this started, there's very few options for Farah. Most clubs already have their dummy half situations sorted and Farah isn't cheap so I wouldn't be surprised if Farah's request for a release was a move to put the ball back in the court of the Tigers. This would force the Tigers to reconsider their position on Farah and offer him something (anything) because they would rather do that than pay Farah a bunch of money to play elsewhere.

This could also be the reason why Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks have failed to take up a contract extension option with the Tigers, or at least pushed it back to a later date.

Why would such promising young halves want to stay at a club that is constantly serving up stupidity?