He's still overseas trained though.

I've no idea. He'll have been here five seasons by the end of his current contract in 2010.

Quota wise he'll always be overseas trained but now excluded from the limit (probably?) on the grounds of him being contracted before the new regulations came into force. Giving clubs the ability to retain overseas players in addition to the quota while they continue to pay lip service to the development of the British game.

I'm sure Leeds are not alone.

All you have to do to confirm we're not alone is count up the number of overseas players at every other club - we've put ourselves right back to average for next season. Which means every other side will also be exploiting similar loopholes.

I suspect that Gibson won't be the last to leave BTW, as for next year we'll have (presumably) Donald, Delaney, Senior and Hall starting threequarters with Watkins, Ratu and Coady in reserve, plus Broughton. Coady aside, as he's making a massive step up in standard, I can't really see any of the others being that happy with the promise of the odd game due to injury - and neither should they be. You'd almost have to add BJB to that list as well because if he's going to feature as reserve full back he'll need the odd first team game as well I would have thought.

Anyway, it'd be interesting to hear the rationale of the club for such an expansion of overseas players. They'd probably say its down largely to the failure of the Academy to bring kids of sufficient quality into the squad and the cost of signing 'high-profile' English players. Having said that, they must have an awful lot of faith in Amor and Pitts for example, who're both completely unproven yet have three-year deals.

They'll be on peanuts though, and if they prove themselves will be worth an upgrade

That'll be the place the likes of Gibson, Watkins and Worrall came from. Players you have bemoaned as not being good enough for the 1st team this year.

That'll be the place the likes of Coady, Pitts and Amour have come from. Players you moaned about because they were unlikely to contribute this season.
That'll be the place Delaney and Eastwood have come from.

Like I say, Leeds just can't win with you.

Do you think Leeds offered Donald a deal ion the basis of a dozen games form? He was out of form but over the previous three seasons he had shown himself to be the best winger in the comp, form he has now re-discovered. Thank goodness Leeds did re-sign him.

I've seen most of Leeds games this year, not just those on the telly, and to say Donald was dis-interested, depiste his lack of form, is just patently wrong.

I can hear your complainig now if Leeds wwre to have released a dream team winger and played a youngster like Broughton who then went on to struggle like Watkins has this year.

Again, another instance of Leeds being unable to do right to satisfy you.

I agree. But you have regularly said you want the chief exec to do everything to provide the coach with a squad capable of winning as much as we can. Isn't he doing that within the constraints of the present regulations? You want to tie one hand behind his back and then moan about him not doing enough.

How are the RFL actively reducing the numbers permitted? By coming up with the crazy scheme that Leeds are following? You're lauding the RFL and complaining about Leeds. It was the RFL that introduced this.

I have a pet hamster bought from Pets At Home. Near that Sainsburys and that Argos. Got the space camp rocket cage, with all the tubes and that ye?, got that from Argos. That very Argos.

And you always supported me as well...............

Regards,

Ryan Bailey.

What a todger!!

You've seen it?

Be fair, in comparison with your tinyrod you'd be impress with anything.

A view seemingly supported by the current coaching staff who see more of these players in a week than you or I see in a season. Watkins isn't ready yet, Worrall and Gibson will never be ready and it's time for them to progress their careers elsewhere.



I have never once moaned about these signings quite the opposite in fact. I even suggested another Championship player (Jon Fallon at Featherstone) I'd have liked to see brought in before any of them were signed by Leeds. They are ones for the future and plug the gap created by the failing Academy and don't appear 1st grade options in 2009.



Like I said those are the three options to fill the 1st grade squad from and Leeds are utilising all three.



All I said was that I find it ironic that Leeds' reliance on overseas trained players is increasing as the RFL are actively reducing the quota. In 2010, for the first time, Leeds will be using a loophole to exceed the limit on imports. That for me is surprising and a retrograde step by the club.



What I think re Donald is that he was out of contract at the end of 2009 and Leeds have Academy products lining up for a run on the wing in Watkins, Broughton and Jones-Bishop. My preference therefore was to say thank you and bon voyage to Scott and give the opportunity to integrate into the 1st team to one of our own who should be close to that level in 2010. One less import, one more home trained.



I was happy for Donald to extend his deal in 2008 and I would have been happy to say thank you and goodbye at the end of this season with the emergence of Broughton at Super League level and the need to integrate Watkins and Jones-Bishop into the 1st team squad as they develope.



Not for 2010 you wouldn't. I judge young players as and when they are ready for the step up and at that point you go with them. I've seen enough of Watkins, Broughton and Jones-Bishop now to think 2010 is that time. I was therefore surprised and disappointed when Leeds took the Cummins route with Donald. The last time Leeds did that Raynor slipped through their fingers.



Yes, I want the CEO to support the squad fully and of course he has to do that within the regulations but that doesn't stretch to exceeding limits imposed for the British game to improve. If Leeds couldn't recruit a suitable right centre in the home market I have no issue with them looking to the NRL. I wouldn't have re-signed Donald to enable that signing and stay within the spirit of the overseas trained limit set by the RFL.



And they'd have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those pesky kids (Stanley Gene) IIRC it was individual players that challenged what the RFL were trying to achieve re the reducing quota rather than the clubs (Bradford had released Semi Tadulala before the back track) and the RFL have had to make concessions. When all the existing overseas players have finally departed the RFL will get their wish and the game in this country will be better for it IMO.

G1 wrote:Players like Worrall, Gibson, Watkins, Ratu and Ablett have always had MY full support. That isn't what you were saying about Ablett the other day. G1 wrote:However, I was very wide of the mark in my early appraisal of JJB 2001/2002 and also Ablett 2004 to 2006.

G1 wrote:Players like Worrall, Gibson, Watkins, Ratu and Ablett have always had MY full support. That isn't what you were saying about Ablett the other day. G1 wrote:However, I was very wide of the mark in my early appraisal of JJB 2001/2002 and also Ablett 2004 to 2006.