it might, although it's only a one off 10% payment.

I hear what you say about Smith, but the salary cap's not the sole reason for him going. Ignoring his personal reasons for wanting to move to London, Leeds would never have made him a mega-offer as he's second choice fullback and at the time of the negotiations was probably third choice winger and totally unproven as a centre.

Back on topic, you could easily argue that rather than have 7 overseas players next year, we could go for 3 absolute stars for the same cost - e.g. instead of Donald, Delaney, Eastwood and Leuluai we could possibly have two exceptional players for the same expense, with youngsters/try-hards having to fill the gaps.

Also Toopi didn't play in last year's GF - the only overseas players in the 17 were Donald, Leuluai and Lauti'iti. Webb obviously would have been there if fit.

Sadly and slightly OT, I think Donald as a finisher is far better than just average - way better than any current British winger I'm afraid.

Anyway, my rant's over. I just find it a touch sad that a side which many have held out as an example of what can be achieved by backing homegrown talent now seems to have embarked down the road of going for a much larger squad (understandable I suppose) including a shedload of overseas players.

20 pages on the signing of a cheap NRL club man that the Titans supporters didn't give toss about losing.

Leeds, currently, are taking the paying punters for a ride, having said that GH must look at threads like this and laugh his nuts off, I can see his line now "these mugs are happy with anything, put the prices up!!"

Have you straw poled everyone on that?

Its a ride I'm happy with, It's a much better ride than the pre 1996 ride.

Who cares if the NRL only consider him "Average"?

I seem to remember Andrew Dunemann not being well thought of when we bought him. It didn't stop him having a great effect on the team. Then in the previous generation we had people like Tony Currie; a little known centre we bought from Redcliffe who took the opportunity to show what he was capable of and ended up going back to Australia with both the Bulldogs and the Broncos.

Whilst its always nice to have a superstar in every position, Rugby League is a team game and you need players capable of gelling and playing well as a team. All of the best teams are those which are better than the sum of their parts. All too frequently in the 80's and 90's we went out and tried to fill every spot with superstars only to be left with teams that frequently performed less than their parts. Hopefully this is a lesson that the management have learnt, even if some of our fans haven't.

Solid signing I hope.

If he can add a bit of defensive grit that got lost with Ellis + McKenna then that is good news.

I haven't seen much of him when I watch NRL, but he's always looked solid.

Solid seems to be under rated these days.

He will directly replace Smith not only in the 3 shirt but as a back goal kicker.

I totally agree. Our league has been littered with "average" Aussies who have made a tremendous impact over here.

Who knows, his game may be more suited to SL. His try stats are poor, but as long as he puts his winger in for plenty of tries (like Keef S and Gidley at Saints) then he will do a good job.

Never took to Toopi, just didn't rate the bloke. It's also a shame that the management don't feel any of our reserve centres could step up to the plate, but they know better than me which is why we have to trust them that Delaney will cut it next season.

Bit difficult to compare across eras though, at that time the Queensland competition Currie was playing in was barely known in the UK where even the stronger NSWRL competition wasn't that well publicised (IIRC the only way you could get to see full games was on videos, there was a shop in Chapel Allerton used to import tapes of each week with one main game and some highlights on).

These days if a player is playing regularly in the NRL everyone is going to have seen something of him and will have formed an opinion, rightly or wrongly.

We used to watch the NSWRL tapes each week upstairs at the World's End public house in Pudsey, seedy lot we were.

Then we used to hire them from a video shop in Headingley.

ah the good old days I remember those tapes well!! Those tapes where a highlight of my childhood!! Barkers on garfoth main street got nswrl vids in and would have the weekly rounds highlights with a main game!! I remember seeing my first origin on those vids!! I remember when the broncs joined the comp too!! Happy happy days!!

Think it might have been a Barkers in Chapel Allerton, can't remember.

Used to get the midweek Panasonic Cup games (the NSWRL equivalent of the old Floodlit Trophy) and some of the big junior and schools games on them too.

Fellow Garforthian.... I knew Barkers well... right blast from the past that name..