Could call it 'hunslet'

Or bramley

It's so difficult to tell how teenage players will develop, but this has worked out very well for Leeds, particularly with Baldwinson who looked a great prospect. They tried some new things, hopefully picked up some knowledge and professionalism from the NRL and Dean Bell, and now they get to play SL level for half a season before they come back to us. Credit to the lads for giving it a go - bet they had some fun as well the jammy sods and I reckon Mr H let them know that if things didn't work out then all they had to do was call.

I wonder if a certain Wigan poster will comment.

Rather him than he

Was tempted to tip this happening the other week. Found it strange that on the Rhinos website/twitter there was a couple of news stories this season about the two and how they were getting on in NZ including reporting that they were going to be playing against Wigan in their WCC warm-up.

Seemed an odd move to be highlighting what 2 promising youngsters who we'd lost were up to. Can't recall them doing it for any others, barely any mention of the 5 who've gone to Wakey & London, or when Daniel Smith had a year down under, or when Amor was at Wakey they never said anything regarding him.

I was starting to think the plan all along was for them to come back to Leeds at some point, perhaps the opportunity to get a dozen or so games at SL level at Bradford sped up the process. Perhaps no coincidence that they went to a club with a strong Leeds connection in Dean Bell being there.

But it was a horrnedous indictment of Leeds' junior development that they left in the first place. We should have paid whatever it took to keep both of them, regardless of the team salary structure.

Sorry - couldn't resist.

The reality is either the Warriors had a look and decided they weren't good enough, they were homesick or they realised their chances of first team action were much lower at the Warriors than in England. I'd be surprised if there isn't an element of all three.

The good news is that this sort of failure will make the Warriors (and other NRL clubs) less likely to poach untried kids again.

Surprised Baldwinson is coming back, what with the offer he got from Leeds allegedly being so ridiculously poor and derisory, I thought he'd never want to speak to GH ever again

Hasn't GH in effect saved a whole year's pay - albeit peanuts - and yet had these two get more experience both overseas and most likely SL? The man's clearly hopeless. Get rid.

To be serious again for a second, it seems possible from fan comments that Baldwinson has almost been ignored by his teammates whilst playing for the Warriors juniors. At any other NRL club I'd say that was rubbish, but player power has always been a problem in NZ for some unfathomable reason (given how massively they tend to underperform).

I can understand other kids being annoyed - they're getting more money, taking my mate's position etc - but if that has actually been allowed by coaches at that level then the club's an even bigger mess than it looks from the outside.

I would say Dean Bell has better links with Wigan and would have thought if anything they could have returned to SL with Wigan instead of Leeds.

It's an interesting one and I suppose we'll only see in two or three years time. I always thought that Baldwinson would be a good player, not so convinced on Tonks.
Will they think they have failed after being released so soon? OR
Will they think that it was an experience worth having and treat it as part of their rugby education?

Time will tell and we'll find out then.

Baldwinson wrote on Twitter in response to somebody....

"I was playing well mate! Just my future is slim mate a lot of top NRL players sign long deals! Take me years to get a sniff"

Could've told him that 12 months ago tbh.

Whilst I am happy to have Baldwinson back based upon how highly others rated him and how much wailing and gnashing of teeth we had when he left it does worry me that the lad has now shown a real lack of patience in a short time span. Not happy with his path to the 1st team at Leeds, so he's off. Not happy with his path to the first team at NZ, so he's off.

I may have put 2 and 2 together but it doesn't speak volumes.

Another Baldwinson tweet, to his pals Cam Leeming and Ryan Hampshire was "it's mental how strong the comp is, I haven't played one bad player yet!! everyone just freaks"

This is a pretty good sign for him, imo. He'll have learnt a lot about what these young players do and be a long way ahead in development compared to if he'd have been trundling around the championship. Bradford might come as a bit of a shock to him though.

Another GH masterplan.

I swear, that guys like an evil genius.