We would never be able to attract an international half back like that

We need someone to effectively fill the Andrew Dunemann role.

Im not sure we do TBH, Dunemann was brought in to help bring through Mcguire and burrow but they were already pretty much starters in the first team, weve got two experienced halfbacks, if were going to replace Gale with another HB id prefer it to be someone young and with potential.

Someone like McLelland you mean?

Batley you do realise McLelland played for Scotland which makes him a super duper international half back lol

Only in RU at junior level.

Nah mate hes played for Scotland RL too and as weve been told International half backs are all really good.

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Absolutely. I just feel with the susceptibility to burn out as well as injuries that the need for a prop is a little greater, add to that the pretty standard (compared to your typical squad) cover we have at half. I'd hope in the need for short term cover that Johnson is upto speed at 9 and that Leeming goes in there preventing Dwyer starting.

OK thanks mate hope you are well.

We offered mclelland a deal didn’t we?

Losing Gale is a blow, although The story that Austin had come to play 14 always sounded unlikely.

I can’t think of anyone we could recruit to fit the British 3rd half role, unless we did push the boat out and go for young Pryce which would be a great move.

No obvious British 5th prop options spring to mind either.

Keeping Sezer fit is now vital. If we need Leeming to deputise, Bentley could also play hooker as a grafter.

I have been unable to sign on as Mark Laurie for a few weeks and in the end gave up trying, so have taken the name of another hero of my youth.

We did, and as I understand it was pretty paltry.

With the saving of Gales salary i hope the club can offer some renumeration to the scholarship and academy lads that are being asked to play for free which is shameful by the club.

Arise Sir Gregory. Bowden at Hull is the only thing I can think of.

Decent shout Arthur but not sure how much he has got left and seems very injury prone, I’d guess if we were interested it might have happened as part of the Gale deal.

This ongoing policy of letting our better players leave isn't really working.

I find it very sad and hard to believe there is so little money in the game that this is happening in 2021.

About 30 odd years ago I knew a lad who got £50 Grand when he signed for Wigan, he was a stand out young player and went onto play test football but was not an all time great.

I knew a few others who got decent signing on fees including some who got £10 grand from Leeds and never made it at top flight level.

If you’d told me back then that 30 plus years later, the best young talent would get nothing more than a tracksuit I’d. Have thought the country must have gone communist.

I find it disgusting that a club like ours is asking some players from Lancashire to travel over 3 times a week to train and play all for nothing. Some of Gales wages should go towards that. GH should be ashamed of himself.

Again I don’t know the whole story but in some defence of the club they have invested in facilities, and I do feel they try to support and look after the young ones in other ways.

Not disagreeing with you Marty but ultimately it’s more likely the parents who are bearing cost to give their kids the opportunity in those earliest years.

To be fair there are probably some first team squad members who are not on what we might assume is professional sports money.

The current position isn’t a great sign for where the game is at financially.

Makes even more sense moving Gale on then.
Having a very highly paid player sat in the stands while the young lads are playing for a pittance would be pretty disgusting….

Lucky we offered him anything, we paid a transfer fee for him and would have been better keeping Jordan Lilley, Mclelland proved to be a poor project signing never looked anywhere bear super league std so any offer we gave him as being generous.
Ciuld we resigned lilley then loan him back to Bradford and just bring him in if we have a ling term injury

Paul Medley was my favourite as a kid until we signed Schoey, might change my name to “Paul Medleys Bottle”

Why is it disgusting? Chasing your dreams requires sacrifice. There's zero money in the game and Leeds are a huge part of keeping it going through the academy. But to play for the rhinos is a privilege, not a right. We're at the end of a global pandemic, where the club has just lost millions.

Unfortunately, professional sport is a business, paying first teamer their market rate over paying an academy player is what brings revenue into the club in the first place.

Hopefully once all has settled down, the club will be able to pay their academy players something for playing.

On the LG issue, writing has been on the wall. Barely played last season, and was shocking when he did! Right call by the club, and can hopefully focusing on retaining our excellent young players who are OOC next season.

Its tough all round at the moment for players and clubs, a dearth of real talent in the game coming through combined with the likes of Warrington throwing silly money at young players creating an arms race, GH was unwilling to go down that route and wanted young players to choose Leeds because we have the best facilities best pathway and want players who want to play for Leeds because its Leeds not because they will just get the most cash. Warrington have reigned it in as well as they got stung big time in quite a few high paid junior who were never good enough.

Getting the balance right us difficult.

Genuine question - do any clubs pay Academy players? Be it wages or refund all expenses or whatever it might be?

I don't know the set ups well enough but there is something heartbreaking about these lads paying for the privilege of being elite young players in a professional sport.