I don't know how much overall choice we had TBF.
It's one that could bite us in the future but we do have senior,watkins,delaney coming in for smith and we've signed young coady from donny.
I suspect he see's it as a chance to establish himself as a SL regular and rovers have offered him a better all round deal.
Maybe his patience has run out and the cap/squad restrictions have conspired to him leaving.

Senior has a year left at most and why sign Coady if Ratu is sat in the wings?

Yes because clubs never let good players go do they? **Cough** Briscoe **Cough**

It's a chance to give a raw kid with plenty of potential a chance at SL level and he's a right centre along with delaney whilst watkins and senior are left centres along with ratu although keith has done stints in the back-row this year and watkins is also comfortable on the wing.
It adds depth and competition for places whilst not putting too much pressure on the youngsters to perform at the very best straight away.
In Ratu's case it seems his confidence is sky high and he sees it as a better chance at more 1st team games at Rovers and i also suspect he's been offered a better contract also.

No need to.
If he continues his development and shows his full potential you've got a very good young centre in yer squad.

So big for his boots or worth the contract??......I would imagine if worth the extra £££'s you would of paid??

Seems strange that in todays climate, homegrown quota's etc etc that Leeds would let a future star go?

On the otherside of the coin, if he is worth the dollar, who's place is he taking?

Another good young british player, Maybe moulded to replace Jake Webster who is out of contract at the end of 2010 and the quota yet again decreasing.

Lets see if Justin can get the best out of him

I see this as a step forward in answer to Stan.

Ratu has potential to become a top class centre and possibly see's the development and chance Welham has been given as a good place to come.

As he's a left centre Welham is going to have to be very good to keep his place and I also see this as competition for Foxy because he does seem to have it easy right now with nobody good enough to challenge his No.2 shirt.

Webster I cant see staying past the end of his contract, he's a very good player but as we need to reduce the quota at the end of next year someone like Ratu gives us more options for that position even though its the right hand side.

Is the Craig Hall deal off, then?

Who knows, We can't talk to him until September 1st