Ah, so because someone disagrees with you they're either stupid or just arguing for the sake of it. Which world are we in right now? Sal's 'real world' or the one the rest of us inhabit?


You mean he wants to play? Terrible ambition for a sportsman. Especially considering he's likely to be backup and appearance money will be a large part of any wage package.


No, actually what's far more likely is that if Hull KR were to sign him it would be as backup to Webster and Welham.


Maybe so, what's the big deal?


But was he the poorest? If not then there is still potentially a place for him in SL isnt there? If only as backup?
Yes it is hard to develop players. But those players have to have the potential to become a SL quality centre in the first place. It doesnt matter how much development or game time is given to a youngster he can still only achieve a certain level of ability.
I'll say it again, which young potential SL centres at bottom half SL clubs would Senior be denying game time to by signing at their club? Or as Hull KR might be thinking, which young centres would be denied game time and development by signing as a backup to already established centres?
I don't think Senior is top half SL quality, but could probably still do a job for a club lower down the league. Especially given the poor quality of centres in SL and the state of youth development which you agree yourself is currently poor.
I agree the game should focus on developing young players, but it shouldnt and can never be a "youngsters at all costs" attitude. As evidenced by some on this messageboard during the season advocating playing the likes of Aston Wilson and other totally unready youngsters simply because they are young. In the end there has to be a balance between youth development, potential & current quality.

The fact that anybody is comtemplating Senior as an option in SL at his age and after such a serious injury is a sad indictement.

Wilson might not have been good enough, but I would always advocate youth be given a chance over the likes of a [ipast his best[/i short term solution. For every Wilson there is a potential Hardaker also being blocked from earlier promotion to the first team.

Besides, I'm pretty sure Senior would never accept being "back-up"

Whilst I would favour a focus on youth, as I said there has to be a balance. If the only options in the youth setup are obviously not good enough then why not consider Senior as a short term option whilst you work on producing a youngster for a couple of years time?

My point is that the present day Senior with the now - very late in his playing career - serious, debilitating injury, is still considered to be worthy of a place in SL by you and others. How bad is that ?
Do you not think it will simply hinder the pro-active efforts to find the next good kid by once again opting for the easier short term solution...whether it's Senior or an ageing inferior antipodean.

I definitely agree that its an indictment of many SL clubs' youth development (and of other issues further down the line in RL). 100% I agree with that.

I would agree that for Senior to stay at a club like Leeds (in any serious playing capacity) wouldn't be acceptable since there are youngsters showing plenty of potential who need gametime to develop. However a club that doesn't have those kind of youngsters at centre, or a youngster who maybe needs to be loaned out for a year or instead of being thrown straight into SL at too young an age then Senior might be useful.

For example think of the benefit the likes of McGuire & Burrow got from playing alongside Dunemann. It reduced their game time but probably was better for their development.

I'm not saying Senior is still quality or is right for every club, but I'm sure there is a club where he can fulfill a role for a season or so.

Senior has signed for Batley on a 'pay as you play' deal, but think theres a clause in there somewhere, the old 'if a SL club comes knocking' so still up in the air a bit where he will be playing!!

So we agree youth development is an issue - how does signing a player well passed his best help that? For me it simply offers a short term solution to a lazy club and does the competition as a whole no favours.

You don't seem to be able to make your mind up - in one breath you are saying playing alongside Senior will help a young player and once it is intimated that that is not high on Senior's agenda you think it is OK for him to selfishly drive towards 600 games? Senior is no Dunneman that is for sure.

There is no substitute for playing at the top level it is a fast track to gaining experience to be denied this because a coach/club take a softer option is criminal for the game as a whole. As I said developing young players is hard often far too hard for most coaches e.g. Noble and CEOs - and we wonder why the SL comp is so poor.

On young players - no one knows how they are going react until they are exposed to the opportunity - who would have Hardaker would have been such a success - something we would never have found out unless Senior had got injured?

A bit economical with the truth there. Before Saints brought him over he was playing some low level rugby, and couldn't get a game in the NRL because his old club held his registration. It was a massive gamble, but one that paid off

He was 23/24 when he joined the Saints and he had played for Australia - so I would suggest the statement is correct. Your skills don't suddenly evaporate. Did he not win MOS in 2005?

Lyon never seems to play for Australia does he? He is one of the players come the end of the season you look forward to watching against England etc. It just never seems to happen......

How come developing young centres is so problematic? I'd have thought it was one of the easier roles to play in the backs. I'll probably be shot down by those more knowledgable than I for posting that but would welcome some clarification. As for Senior, he's the symptom, not the cause and it's pointless blaming him for wanting to carry on.

Not sure if this has been mentioned in the thread as I haven't read through it all, but.........

If anyone is interested, the deal offered to Senior was £35,000 plus £2,000 per game played. Him turning it down was, at least in Gary's eyes, his acknowledgement that he wouldnt get much game time in 2012.

Still, £35,000 doesn't seem a lot!

I can see what your saying, but we both know that he was not performing at his prime, and decided to try SL. He came here because otherwise he's have rotted in some low level competition in Aus. Age wise he'd have been around his peak, but thats not the same as being at your peak

Having spent 4 years as the hottest property in the NRL he decided he wanted some time out of the limelight to reassess. He was working in a bar and playing country rugby for fun - but the previous year he had played SOO so providing he wanted play the gamble was minimal for Saints.

I might be wrong, but I think if Keith had done the same thing as Jamie Lyon did, you wouldn't be whitewashing the situation in the way you are doing for Lyon. It seems to me that if Keith had done it then you'd be banging the drum about how serious and terrible the situation was, but for Lyon you just brush it under the carpet and want to move on.