So, 32 year old Ben Cross is...

1. The No.1 Choice.
2. Eastwood's replacement.
3. Cover for Peacock.
4. A Golden Signing.

I'm almost convinced now.

Why no talk of transfer fee/compensation?

How come when a player wants breaks contract to come home you guys bring the transfer fee up but going the other way make no mention of it?

Because we wanted compensation and Newcastle didnt. Simple as.

You can't really blame the club for putting as much spin on the signing of Cross as possible. I'm just not sure why anyone would believe the claims that have been made for him. I'll support him as a Leeds fan now he's here, but (as with Delaney last year) he's not exactly the sort of player I'm over the moon about playing for the club.

That's because it's not our culture to do the transfer fee thing.
Not having a go at you guys or anything, just giving you something to think about that.

Anyway Cross should go good for you guys if he stays fit, he played most games this year so that's a good sign.

Good luck

Just regarding Cross being injury prone.....the reason he missed most of 2009 was a bicep injury. Not something that happens very often.

It would be a different story if he was out every third week with a hammy, groin, ankle, knee etc.

Plus, regarding his age.....He didn't play first grade over here until he was 24, and he spent a lot of his first couple of seasons being suspended (mostly for chinning people), so he should still have plenty of miles in the tank.

In my opinion, he's a better signing than Josh Perry at Saints....he's always been overrated in my opinion. He only got selected for Origin in his early years because Paul Harragon was pushing his case. He's been average for a few years now.

Cheers Coogee. It's always good to hear from someone who actually has an opinion of a player based on knowledge.....a rare commodity here on Southstanders!

Props peaking in their thirties...just wondering whether this applies more to second rowers who switch to prop quite late in their careers?

So you haven't any proof then?

Different circumstances. Im sure had it been the end of next season and Eastwood had played the full year then we would have been more willing to release him free of charge. This decision for him to leave though came after less than a season into his 3 year deal and left us with a massive gap in which we knew would be hard to fill.

See the Bulldogs themselves BTW for what they wanted in terms of compensation if SBW's ever wanted to rejoin the NRL. It was higher than ours.

Shanter.

while there is no doubt A.P., sorry keith, is mischief making most of the time i believe he is spot on this time. at his age and with his record i wouldn't touch him.