Walker would only help with the cap if he leaves permanently. Nobody would sign him on a season-long loan including the risk of paying his wages if he breaks down again, so Leeds would have to budget for the worst.

How about...

1. We agree with Bradford to take Walker on a season long loan.

2. At the same time a couple of highly rated academy players will go there on similar loans.

3. And then in a couple of weeks time in an entirely unconnected development we will announce that we're going to Odsal for a pre-season friendly.

4. And a couple of weeks further on we could announce some sort of "strategic partnership" for Rugby League in the Leeds Bradford area with our foundation tipping a bit of money into developing the game in Bradford's area.

That might work, although it would probably only be part of Walker's salary that was covered. Still, anything off the cap would help.

Losing two FB’s, one of which is very good as a Centre or Winger too, and bringing in a lightweight Championship FB is madness when you consider our others Centres have left or are injured and won’t be fit for the start of the new season.

Deary me today, what a mess the club has got itself into with the SC. How can it keep getting worse on this front?

Possible walker's been offered costs to cover training, education or help setting up a business as a plan B if his return to fitness falls flat again. He'd be a fool if he's not been looking at alternative career options, just in case. Maybe that's persuaded him to go with a championship salary for a make or break season. Who knows,?

The Bulls deal is permanent.

Walker out, Olpherts and McDonald in.

Olpherts in particular is a complete waste of a signing. He's not as effective or versatile in positions we need to fill as Hardaker, and will block the progress of Liam Tindall as he won't get as many opportunities.

Completely pointless signing.

It does seem strange to free up cap space and then still let Hardaker leave.

Trust in Rohan.

I trust in Rohan to get the best out of his squad, I don't trust in GH to provide him with a good enough squad to kick on from this year, in fact it looks like we will go backwards.

That didn't't last long on here did it



The thing is we do not know what Hardaker was demanding or what other deals he was offered, as good as he is he's not worth being held to ransom for over a huge wage, that's part of the reason we are in a mess with the SC in the first place, over paying players.

I agree with bats. olpherts is an odd signing. taking up csp space we need. and he's not that good

Given his other realistic options, I'd be pretty surprised if ZH was trying to hold he club to ransom. Let's put it this way, I'd be surprised if he wanted much more than Olpherts or MacDonald, and he's better than both.

Agree, its a mess that Rohan has inherited and will take some time to sort. If as Matt Shaw is saying is true and Zak is still going thats a big loss no way around it. Looks like could be half a step backwards next year imo.

It's a difficult one to guess, Hardaker is 31, this contract is an important one for him, it will likely be his last big one. I'm gutted personally to lose him if what is being reported is correct. He's a class act and a match winner. He's surely staying in Yorkshire so it has to be Hull FC if he goes does it not with them letting Connor leave ?

Olpherts in a strange one. He's 3rd top meter maker, and 2nd in carries for the last SL season. He won't cost the earth, but is prone to errors.

I wonder if RS is a bit of a money-ball man. Even still, very odd to have him and Fusitua in the same squad with the depth he is building in the 3/4s.

Could we see Handley moving to centre? It's been mooted before by Agar... Wouldn't be my choice.

But that depends on when those two (or indeed if) those two players signed, it could have been before the negotiations with Zak started and also before Walkers latest injury, we simply do not know what's gone on.

Also the length of contract at Zaks age s important, he could well want a 3 year one

Going to Car is what Ive heard

Cas Vegas?

he wants 2 year deal.not unreasonable

Really? Is he a better winger than Olpherts? I don’t think so, as Olpherts compares extremely favourably in terms of measurable statistics with any other winger in the league. Is a better centre than McDonald? Maybe defensively but not at this stage in his career in terms of attack. The sad thing is that we would lose so much flexibility. For me he is a better Full Back than Myler (who is good) and a great option as a back up centre. With our injury record bring as it is, his ability to cover to a very high standard will be badly missed.

I would say olpherts may be marked as starting winger with fusitua (given his injury record) the player covering the wing, centre positions.
So

Myler and back up Hooley
Handley and back up tindall
Olpherts and back up roberts
Newman and back up edwards
McDonald and back up fusitua or fusitua and back up Simpson
Sezer and Austin with back up myler moving up or sinfield.

And before anybody starts, fusitua isn’t out of contract and Hardaker is. Secondly, Hardaker is 31 and wants two years, he may be a better full back than myler but myler has signed a new deal recently. Hardaker is a good centre but he isn’t a centre and doesn’t want to play centre.

I don’t have any huge concerns given his age, his record and where we are in terms of rebuilding things with Rohan.
Bottom line if smith really wanted him then we would find a way to keep him wouldn’t we. Smith has got almost everything right so far and I am more than happy to back him on this

fusitua would be a bloody expensive back up player

Yes absolutely, but that isn’t down to Smith is it. Fusitua has another year so unless he wants to leave then we are stuck with him for a year. You cannot have him down as playing every week so he ends up as an expensive back up. Hardaker is either first choice full back (which makes no sense with myler on a longish new contact) or maybe first choice centre and utility value. As I said the big difference is Hardaker is out of contract and fusitua isn’t.

We need a centre so that’s either Hardaker or a specialist centre we bring in. I think smith may see value in a specialist centre who is a bit bigger so unfortunately there isn’t any space for Hardaker

This is my fear as well. We have lost a lot of experienced first team players and so far only replaced with kids/championship players who may or may not make the grade. Allowing Zak to leave on top is madness in my opinion.

He’s the best full back we have, he’s more than handy at centre and can even cover on the wing in an emergency/injury during a game for example.

God forbid we play players in their actual best position.