There is nothing wrong with signing lower league players, or indeed lesser top division players as you per your example.

But they need to be of the required level of potential, and show something to convince they can play super league. Rather than possibly just as a PR exercise to show "duel reg rules man".

How do you know that Andy Yates doesn't have 'the required level of potential'? How many times have you seen him play?

I have a good mate who is very close to Barry Eaton who absolutely raves about the lad, and is convinced he will make it in SL. No offence, but I'll take his word over the majority of 'experts' on here...

Time will tell, but I know I'm willing to give him a chance before writing the signing off as a 'PR exercise'.

I don't, and no I haven't seen him play either. But then again this discussion was in relation to putting down Warringtons signin.



Good luck to him then. I have heard others say they are surprised that Leeds have looked him, as doesn't look to be super league standard. But I am sure Barry Eaton knows more than anybody else.




Whilst I don't think anyone has suggested writing him off or wishing him anything other than luck, you would have to be pretty naive not to see a coincidence to a duel reg PR exercise.

Look at it from an unbiased position. Does the lad have the same standing as previous championship signings across the league, Amor, Hill, Walmsley, as examples?

A PR exercise or just us exercising our right to be able to sign their players?

Two different things and i'm not convinced the first one would benefit or be worth the time for anyone at the club, even GH.

I thought both Mann and Faimalo were decent, except when the former was asked to play stand-off. Then again Leeds won nowt in those days, and admittedly I was a kid who didn't know that much about the game at the time. But I'm pretty sure the likes of Barrie McDermott and Harvey Howard did in fact play for Leeds alongside those two imports, so our recruitment policy wasn't as bad as G1 is making out. Bigger problems were the coach, the lack of a decent youth set-up and certain egos in the team, IIRC.

It might also be that dual reg does work and the investment that Leeds have put into Hunslet is starting to pay dividends?

It may well be. As I said on page one and two of the Andy Yates thread.

But at this stage, more probable that a signing was always going to be made from Hunslet to try and prove a point with duel reg, and he was the best one to highlight it.

I certainly wouldn't knock Warrington for signing Asotasi, given the players they are losing at season's end. However, IF in two seasons down the line Yates gives us close to the value that they have had out of Chris Hill, I'd say we would have made the better long-term signing.



I don't see it like that, and as LeedsDave has already said, would it really be worth the club's time and effort if that's all it was? We all know GH has a tight grip on those purse strings, I'm not sure he'd be throwing money at any player (even if it is a relatively low cost) just to prove a point about dual-reg?



How do you judge what the same standing is? I know Yates has played over 50 games in a row at prop for Hunslet in a pretty tough league. That's no guarantee that he will be able to manage the step up of course...but I'd suggest that at least gives him a bit of 'standing' when compared to your named players?

I dissagree. I don't think Leeds have anything at all to lose from it, unless with salary cap rules it stops them promoting a youngster from the academy who should be taking that spot. He is at Hunslet, and he is going to continue playing at Hunslet, as confirmed at the announcement. So to me nothing to lose.

Like I said, hopefully it also ends up paying off and he turns out a gem. But I do think regardless of what was there, that Leeds were going to make an announcement about a Hunslet signing no matter what. Purely because of GH campaign to prove it all works.

Mann was OK, Flymo was terrible.

The point I was making was that whilst Leeds were making splashy, sexy signings for 30 year old antipodeans the WIgan club signed a couple of relativey un-known British youngsters from lower clubs. That is why I brought it up, as a comparison for the Asotasi/yates discussions not as an observation of Leeds recruitment policy in the 1990s.

That Mann and Flymo had the careers that they did at leeds and O'Connor had the career he did at Wigan proves the point. It didn't work out for Barrie at Wigan and, yes, he did end up at Leeds but only after a hefty transfer fee had been paid, again proves the point I think.

Not sure what Harvey Howard has to do with it but as I mixed up Flymo with Koloto I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

I'm not saying Asotasi won't be good for Wire, but he has done nowt in the NRL for years. He doesnt make the Souths team when Madge has a fit squad.

That's what was supposed to happen with Zak Hardaker & Featherstone, but it didn't quite turn out like that did it?

Hopefully he will show enough so he doesn't have to carry on playing for Hunslet. I will agree with you that there is nothing to lose from the club's point of view though!

flymo had a bad injury, eyres was the worst ex widnes (if basnett pre dougie)

other bad lancastrians mick worrall and goodway

Goodway was from cas, redhill

You are bringing back some unhappy memories, for a number of years we had some disastrous signings,the worst part being we paid top prices for the majority of these.
In those days I used to attend all games including the away matches so had to put up with plenty of ribbing at places like widnes, Wigan ,saints etc etc.