Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:15 pm  

Fallon wrote:

Who is only looking at off contract players? Leeds have repeatedly gone and got players, under contract or not. What a strange comment.

The bigger question in sport today is not if they are under contract but if they want to come. Despite legal status, contracts these days are only binding if a player wants them to be.

I think the clubs to tend to have the upper hand - see current situation with Gale coming in over Myler. If you're not going to get picked you have a stark choice to make. Some players will dig their heels in/fight for it a la Golding, and they're entitled to do that, others won't... I have to say this is an area in the NRL which turns me off - the absolute horse trading of players. I much prefer seeing players coming through the ranks and stay over long periods. It would be a shame if RL lost the clubs' connection to their local communities too much, it's one of the reasons I prefer the game to football.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:19 pm  

I don't think anyone's suggesting not honouring contracts of players we don't want either.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:23 pm  

The NRL is a bit different because pretty much every club can pay big money for a star. Players know that and the threat of moving is real. The biggest problem is daft money getting paid to unproven players with potential - Ash Taylor's on a million a year on the basis of a couple of OK games for the broncos as a teenager, and its messed both him and the Titans completely.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:27 pm  

KaeruJim wrote:

I think the clubs to tend to have the upper hand - see current situation with Gale coming in over Myler. If you're not going to get picked you have a stark choice to make. Some players will dig their heels in/fight for it a la Golding, and they're entitled to do that, others won't... I have to say this is an area in the NRL which turns me off - the absolute horse trading of players. I much prefer seeing players coming through the ranks and stay over long periods. It would be a shame if RL lost the clubs' connection to their local communities too much, it's one of the reasons I prefer the game to football.

I don't disagree with your sentiment but rightly or wrongly professional sport has moved on. Players hold all the power, even more so in a salary capped sport. If Merrin, as a topical example, decided he was done at Leeds and wasn't coming back and wanted an NRL contract now. There really is very little Leeds could do. Sure we could threaten or even take legal action but ultimately it is too expensive to have him not on the pitch and he would get his wish.

Contracts just aren't worth the paper they are written on at times.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:38 pm  

Fallon wrote:

I don't disagree with your sentiment but rightly or wrongly professional sport has moved on. Players hold all the power, even more so in a salary capped sport. If Merrin, as a topical example, decided he was done at Leeds and wasn't coming back and wanted an NRL contract now. There really is very little Leeds could do. Sure we could threaten or even take legal action but ultimately it is too expensive to have him not on the pitch and he would get his wish.

Contracts just aren't worth the paper they are written on at times.

And without getting cocky about it, because let's be honest we do fish in other people's ponds for talent at youth level, as do the other top clubs - but Leeds 100% have the right approach on this. Within 3 years that side will be packed full of Academy-produced players, some of whom will be England internationals, and it's the right way to build success over time.

We've had some rough times with mishandling the transition.. badly.. but fundamentally this is what makes Leeds a great club in the modern era. It feels like we're beginning another journey with this group again and it's exciting - win or lose they'll be lads proud to represent the club.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Tue Oct 01, 2019 10:54 pm  

If Melbourne are seriously thinking of getting rid of Cam Smith, then we should be looking at making an offer.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:05 am  

Fallon wrote:

Who is only looking at off contract players? Leeds have repeatedly gone and got players, under contract or not. What a strange comment.

The bigger question in sport today is not if they are under contract but if they want to come. Despite legal status, contracts these days are only binding if a player wants them to be.

Not sure if this was in response to my post, if it was...You couldnt of got the wrong end of the stick more if you tried. I was saying exactly what you'v said here.

To simplify even more for you, i was agreeing with Gotch that some posters, wrongly , keep mentioning the out of contract players list as the players who are available. In reality this out of contract list isnt that relevent anymore because NRL clubs are releasing contracted players from there contracts all the time, if there players find an oppurtunity they like elsewhere...I then gave examples of this being the case for many of our recent signings.

So not a strange comment atall....

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Wed Oct 02, 2019 12:22 pm  

mattsrhinos1978 wrote:

Not sure if this was in response to my post, if it was...You couldnt of got the wrong end of the stick more if you tried. I was saying exactly what you'v said here.

To simplify even more for you, i was agreeing with Gotch that some posters, wrongly , keep mentioning the out of contract players list as the players who are available. In reality this out of contract list isnt that relevent anymore because NRL clubs are releasing contracted players from there contracts all the time, if there players find an oppurtunity they like elsewhere...I then gave examples of this being the case for many of our recent signings.

So not a strange comment atall....

It wasn't. But glad we agree anyway.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Wed Oct 02, 2019 12:51 pm  

Fallon wrote:

It wasn't. But glad we agree anyway.

Pretty confident it was...But indeed, happy we agree 100%

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Wed Oct 02, 2019 1:01 pm  

I assume the club announcing Merrin looking means they're 99% certain he'll leave. Otherwise why say anything? As others have said I think he's a class player but not exactly what we need right now.