We've covered this one a while back.

Think it's end of '13/'14. A while yet. He's always expressed a desire to return to England as he would like his little lad educated here, but he's also expressed a desire to play for Cas (his home town) before he retires.

I imagine that's exactly what will happen when his Wests contract is up.


Edit - End of 2013 (Aged 32). Article [url=http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/10/05/12/RUGBYL_Ellis.htmlhere[/url.

Personally I'd still expect a hooker to be signed, with Hood going out on loan for SL development.

Other than that, what would anyone say to a fit Shontayne Hape? His England RU options look limited with the emergence of Tuilagi and defection of Tomkins. Would have plenty to teach Watkins and Hardaker.

I'd say no thank you. Watkins and Hardaker can learn much more from playing week in week out.

And for depth behind them there is Ablett, Delaney and Smith.

Agree with G on this.
Hape has biscuit knees and his departure from RL was well timed and the right thing for him to prolong his career imo which in RL was just about done.

There is no need to bring in any new backs as we already have enough. In the halves, it really depends on the situation with Burrow, if he is moving to Hooker on a more permanent basis, we might be a little short in the halves if we were to suffer a serious injury there. Otherwise, I would have liked to see a bit more change in the pack, with a better quality signing than Moore for the front row, and "like for like" replacements for Ali (I don't think Hauraki will ever be in the same class) and Buderus (as promised by GH before he released him).

I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't sign anyone else and let the kids have a year or two to come through and replace the players who are / will be leaving, and given how well we have done doing exactly this before, it's tough to argue against it.

I think I'm starting to agree with Batleyrhinos's last comment above. The exchange rate means less and less aussies coming over, and more emphasis on raising home grown talent with a clubs' academy system, and that's no bad thing in my book. On a similar vein, did anyone catch Shaun Wane's comments in the Mirror this morning, hinting that Wigan may be looking towards poaching young talent from within RU over the next few years or so. It was quite an interesting angle on player recruitment, and I think it's fair to say that the days of a constant band of Aussies and Kiwis coming over here to ply their trade is coming to an end.

I also share Batley's sentiments regarding us not needing any new signings in our back line, although i would have loved to have signed Matt Cooper.
I have high hopes and for years to come with young players like BJB, Kallum. Ryan & Zak at the club, Both BJB and Hall are now fully established players

Kallum has suffered some what due to injuries as every time he has had an opportunity at staking his place in the side he has had some disruptive injury, He will be a cracker though if he ever gets an injury free run.

Zak looks like a Rolls Royce player to me, he will very soon be a full international and one who could play in almost any position in the back line as he's that good

IMO out of this seasons players that are/have left the club, our biggest headache is how we cover the loss of Buderus, I don't think we'll realise how much of an impact he had on both our side and our club until he's no longer here, and especially when the important games come around

I'm all for going with McShane as our starting 9 next season rather than importing a reserve grade NRL hooker with 10 games under his belt and thus restricting his development, but I still foresee Rob being utilized in this hooking/impact role at vital parts of next season and in expense of McShane from the starting 17

How could we ever replace Ali with like for like?

The policy I wished to see Leeds follow (and still do) was/is spending their full allocation under the cap.

The Leeds CEO has stated his intention to do so 'again' in 2012 and also stated that Buderus would not be released from next year's contract without an adequate replacement could be found (not neccessarily a hooker - been here before as Buderus himself replaced Ellis. World class for world class.)

I keenly await the exciting announcement/s still to come.

I fully agree with you. Gary H has made numourous similar statements that he wants to continue developing local young talant together with recruiting quality players from overseas and also from other SL clubs. He said this again in the YEP only yesterday.However any players brought in must add quality to the squad.
With other SL clubs we evidently were linked with Manu Tuilagi this week. I don't think it will happen for money reasons and he would have to fit into the team. Shontyne Hape is older at 30 but has loads of international experience which he can pass on to Watkins and Hardaker. Someone said he was injury prone but Watkins and Hardaker between them have missed over half of last season through injury. I think the idea of rotation would help them develop particularly in defence. Also Smith will be gone before the start of next season and 2012 is Webb's last year. If BJB goes to full-back and Hardaker to the wing then there is space.
We don't know where Burrow will play next season. I think if he starts as hooker we may need cover at halfback and if he reverts to scrum-half some cover at hooker. Hood will be loaned out to gain experience at another club.

...and block one or other of them from getting games for probably two years. Same goes for any other 'experienced' centre - almost all of them would want at least two years, if not three. Given our backups - Ablett and Delaney - are better than most SL starting centres, I'm not sure why you'd want to bother. IMO you learn best by playing. Hardaker went from looking a bit lost in defence to not missing a tackle in the GF in the space of a handful of games.

There seems to be a lot of assumption Smith will leave i think we should keep him and let him fight it out with the others especially with Webb only having 1 more year.

Would you be happy to see Leeds sign a player who has only limited impact (see Ben Cross for an example)just so the club can spend it's full cap allocation? A signing for the sake of a signing, rather than one which improves the team as a whole?