Both asked to leave, computer said yes, no big deal

Ah the old charlatan, barla chav, soft-cock thing.

right on

10 seasons thereabouts in the team - jammy get

Surely 2 main squad members (one a "marquee" signing) not getting a sniff of the first team could be described as a big deal though

GH from YEP I empathise with his frustration, which has been caused in part by Jamie Peacock’s earlier than expected return to the first team and the outstanding form of some of our other front-row forwards"

???????????????

The only front-row forward who has approached consistent form this season is Burgess himself. No wonder he fell out with Brian Mc.

Not quite accurate.

He started like a house on fire, but he did tale off in his last batch of games.

That seems to be what we have seen from him over 3/4 years in the team. Alot of potential but his improvement levels never made huge strides forward IMO.

I hope he finds what he's looking for.

Random that Burgess is available for loan, would definitely strengthen Leeds' first choice 17 in my humble.

I'd take him at Saints for the rest of the year for sure.

Cross, on the other hand, is Weller Hauraki's less competent brother.

Do you know anything at all about the Burgess brother's circumstances?

Luke was NEVER likely to stay with us, no matter what. He made no secret of his desire to be in Oz with his brothers.

His omission from the team was baffling I agree but the pet lip he's shown as a result doesn't speak volumes for his character.

We held no cards. He was out of contract. We offered him a new one. He said no thanks, I'm off as he'd said he would for some time.

No big deal, un-twist knickers.

If I was a betting man I'd say the "pet lip" was BM's for not picking him when he said he was off and not signing a new contract.

Total baseless speculation of course, like most of my posts

I too would love to be in Aus, with or without my brother, it would be great. But my job is here and I don't have the time to upsticks.

I would also love to be where ever Cheryl Cole is, but again I don't think it would work.

People don't always get their desires, infact they very rarely do. Just because someone desires something does not mean it will happen.




So many made up statments there Gareth, was it to suit an agenda?

You have nothing to back up that we offered him a new contract. You have nothing to back up that he turned down a new contract.

But he did get a sniff at the first team and was far from "marquee"

If Luke Burgess wants to go to Australia and isn't really that bothered about whether he plays in the NRL or in some semi-pro lower grade, what's to stop him (visa conditions not withstanding)?

Irrespective of whether Leeds have or haven't offered him a new deal or not, in the age of freedom of contract all the leverage lies with the player. If he decides the grass is greener somewhere else, there's sod all the club can do about it once his contract is up.

I can't see how anyone can seriously argue that isn't the case?

What we've got here is two players on the fringes of the first team who have been told they can go elsewhere to get first team rugby. Excuse me if I don't regard it as some major disaster from which the club will never recover.

I would guess that Luke decided a long time ago that he wanted to go to Aus and to not renew his Leeds contract.

If Leeds did offer him a new contract he has obviously turned it down.

I like him and think he's a good player but him not playing for us for the rest of this year will not change the outcome of the season for the Leeds Rhinos.

Maybe GH wants to concentrate on a more long term replacement for Luke and that's why he's available now?

Good luck to him I hope he does well in Aus but I expect the Aussies will be expecting another Sam and get Matthew not Andrew (Johns)

Rats leaving a sinking ship?

Who is arguing that?

But back to reality, last year Burgess was not out of contract, he was a year off been out of contract, and was happy in his game. That was when in Leeds control was the opportunity to offer a new contract. They didn't.

Early this season Burgess was by far our form prop. He did an interview in the YEP where he stated that he was playing for a new contract. He wasn't offered a new contract.

Since then he was dropped, and despite his replacements not putting in the requied level of performance he has not had a look in. He has now asked for a release from his current contract to enable him to play first team. At the same time he has implied that he "may" now go to Australia at the end of the season when out of contract.

This is all not too dissimilar to when Lee Smith went. The club never got round to offering him a contract, they should have offered it a year earlier when he was asking for it, and when he was at the top of the game, but didn't. Smith left, then the club came back cap in hand realising their error.