No. Just the overseas quota.

HTH

Had it been Bradford Bulls who signed Ben Cross instead, I guarantee that every single Rhinos Feckwitt here would have been queueing up on a thread extracting the urine out of them for signing an over-the-hill, knackered old waste-of-money Aussie prop out of sheer desperation.

Bu as it's Leeds and their can't-do-no-wrong-in-their-eyes CEO and his illustrious sleeve instead, Ben Cross is automatically deemed a fantastic and astute signing and just what we need by the very same ts.

Same old dull sh*t from AP...all those months away and you still couldn't some up with any new material??

Where are the all these post...I can read lots of negative ones, a fair few mehs, a lot more wait and sees and a few that think he should be good.

Since it's been us who has signed an older player, I guarantee you will get at least one kn0b end who is desperate to get on a thread to immediately write of the new signing before he has even step foot in the country.

But even though we are experiencing our most successful period in history and mainly due to the enterprise and graft of our CEO, they assume the signing will be e and that they don't know how to do their job.

think it's 6 of 1 and half a dozen of another!

I think it's only fair we give this fella a chance to prove himself and time will tell. but for those who have doubts I can see why. from the nrl I've seen there a plenty of forwards better than this guy and younger. Some who have signed for our rivals. imho we have missed out with a lack of action in recruitment and this isn't a new thing. I like delaney but is an average nrl centre in the same time we have missed out on atkins(who is a Leeds fan) and shenton. I hope cross does the business and is not mark oneil or billy millard part 3. gh is great no doubt but I feel recruitment has slipped some what.

This signing is indicative of the ongoing problems with the game in this country which I identified earlier in the thread.

We needed a quick solution to compensate for Peacock's long enforced lay off and this aint a bad move. Just a replacement for Eastwood and Donald now then.....and cover for Mcguire's long enforced absence.

Assuming Peacock is still being paid his salary whilst absent through injury, that particular prop position/option now occupied by Ben Cross is turning out to be a very expensive chunk of the salary cap.



And if all those are replaced, Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all will be within their rights to be questioning whether Leeds are breaking the salary cap. The answer would be an unequivocal yes.

I don't deny the Leeds Rhinos club is sliding inexorably backwards. The club has left things far too late to see the imminent train wreck. Cross' signing isn't a bad thing under the present not unforseen circumstances. I imagine there was not... and is not.... a lot of choice...

No chance of breaking the salary cap: there aint anything to spend it on. I was being flippant about replacing Eastwood and Donald just to stand still. It is not gonna happen. Next season at least is going to be a tough un.

I would have thought the problem - again - was Eastwood rather than Peacock's injury, which just highlighted the weakness of our pack, and coming so late in the season was impossible to do much about.

The whole Eastwood sage is that its stuffed us for several years in terms of recruitment. We got one year out of the guy, 2010. In 2009 we were one down on our potential pack for the whole season as we waited for him. In 2011 and 2012 we now have a forward who with the best will in the world would not have been top of anybody's shopping list, and is certainly not as good as a fit Eastwood. Whilst he may do well for us (and as per Delaney I hope so despite being underwhelmed by his signing), had Leeds sorted the Eastwood situation out earlier, they would have been able to move for a better forward from the NRL.

I think it's a "needs must" signing tbh and IF he can stay fit he'll take some work-load off JP and allow Kylie and co to return to short spells of impact from the bench.
This also adds to our 30+ numbers but i do think that some will play their last season with us next year i.e Senior ,Buderus and possibly both Kylie and Ali so for the 2nd yr of his deal Cross will add experience to the pack.
Next season will be crucial imo how we shape the squad for future seasons we may just about get away with it in 2011 injuries permitting and hopefully more game-time for the likes of Ambler and Clarkson but 2012 i think we'll see at least 4/5 changes to the 1st choice 17.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 084422.stm Ben Cross interview. Decent talker for a prop.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 084422.stm Ben Cross interview. Decent talker for a prop.

Could be an astute signing. With Kylie and a fit JP we would have 3 props that go forward. Also while JP is absent it will give Ambler some game time to mature without too much pressure. Cross also has an offload game which we need in the pack.

Think we could see 1 more new player come in if Sydney get their wish by signing Biffa before start of new season. Fui Fui Moi Moi maybe?