Without Segeyaro, Leeds would have finished bottom of SL and they may well have struggled to emerge from the Middle 8's with any dignity either.

Yes and as pointed out with other examples there's nothing wrong with that if the player/coach goes out it the right way.

- Segeyaro went public when he didn't need to.
- He painted a picture that he was left alone to look at 4 walls every night when the club worked the balls off to make him welcome and happy.
- His agent is now claiming the contract was finalised.

All things he didn't have to do, so when people say he made one mistake by signing a new contract.....no he made a few mistakes now in how he's tried to force a move.

End of the day he could've been a Cronulla player 2 months ago had he, Cronulla and his agent gone about it professionally.....but they've chosen not to.

Agreed. No problem with that.

None the less, if GH so chose, he could sue Segeyaro for breach of contract.
The reason he hasn't is that he'd only be awarded sufficient damages to the amount that the club's out of pocket as a result of JS's actions.
Which would, in all probability, amount to the sum of f*** all. Even without knowing the ins and outs of the respective contracts of JS and Parcell, it's entirely possible that the club may be better off.
Instead, GH has preferred to prevent JS from plying his trade by playing the registration card.

This is where I do have a problem: this restriction - of dubious legality - wouldn't apply to anyone in pretty much any other walk of life.

You talk some cr*p Gotcha , the club never chose to forget anything . Both parties agreed a deal and signed the contract . End of story .

I agree Segeyaro hasn't covered himself in glory but the approach of the club doesn't show them particularly in a good light.

I am sure he told GH at their meeting in Australia that he wasn't going to return yet GH announced to all and sundry he was.

GH has history in that respect - his pronouncements on the stadium redevelopment when he knew it wasn't going to happen just to sell a few ST's is but one example.

GH is cutting his nose off to spite his face just like he did when Iestyn went to RU.

Nobody wins here and as has been mentioned the club is preventing somebody from plying their trade - morally someone has to take the higher ground and move on.

The club didn't know he wanted to be in the NRL? yet he had a clause when he came over saying exactly that. I think you need to see the reality.

They haven't forgotten that, it's just clear that the deadline to go had passed.

It's not about who "wins". It's simply one club wanting a player but not wanting to pay a fee, that Segeyaro has muddied the waters with his course of action doesn't change that.

Want a player, pay a fee, simple as that. Leeds "not in a good light"? They're asking for a transfer fee, that's all, that's not a bad light, that's totally reasonable and on the Cronulla forums I've seen most fans whilst wanting Segeyaro to join have actually applauded Leeds and GH for the stance they've taken and said fair play to them.

Segeyaro has prevented himself from plying his trade by his actions. Cronulla are stopping him from plying his trade by clearly going after him and then bailing when a fee was needed.

I'm also sure that when Segeyaro was in Yorkshire meeting with GH to agree his deal he wasn't the confused, lonely homesick guy he made himself out to be later.

If Leeds had turned down offers then I could understand the argument that we're being harsh, but Cronulla haven't even been in touch or offered a penny.

To be fair, I don't think the Sharks have done anything wrong, the blame is all on Segeyaro. The Sharks have simply approached his manager, but have maintained all along that they can't and won't pay a fee - they've put it back to Segeyaro and his management that the offer is there if they can agree a release with Leeds.

But, despite this all being Segeyaro's doing, I personally would still sooner we just cut ties. He's a young, misguided bloke who's made a bad decision - that happens in life. For me, like I said earlier, life is more important than rugby league - let him go on his way. In reality, Leeds have lost nothing and are in exactly the same position they'd have been in had he bailed before the September deadline. I'd no doubt have a different view if it was mid-season or mid-contract, but it's not, it was a couple of weeks later before his contractual obligations had begun.

What if sageyaro had badly injured himself playing under contract do you think this misguided player and his advisors would have waivered his wages?

I don't think you can totally let the sharks off the hook as they most likely tapped up segeyaro

I agree with what everyone is saying, Segeyaro was a god send last year and certainly helped us at the end. The thing is hes gone and nowt we can do about it.
One thing that looks certain is we have a very good replacement who certainly looks the real deal on his pre season games I only hope our players can keep up with him

It was weeks after his contract obligations had begun. Leeds had planned and recruited around having Segeyaro. There are players for whom this season will be their last as a professional player, players for who Segeyaro's decision will have made a sizeable difference to their chances of lifting one more piece of Silverware.

If Segeyaro wanted a clause in his contract that he could leave whenever he wished, he should have negotiated one in to his contract. The reason he didnt, is that such a clause would have massively depressed his salary, if he was offered one at all.

Similarly, right now, he could agree to pay the transfer fee to break his contract himself. He could negotiate a lower wage so that the NRL club can pay his transfer fee. The reason he isnt is because he wants the money.

I disagree - whilst he'd agreed the new contract, in reality, his duties didn't really start until he returned for pre-season. Sure it inconvenienced Leeds, but ultimately have ended up in probably the same place as if he'd rejected the deal weeks earlier.
As for expecting Segeyaro to buy himself out - I doubt many people could afford to pay out that sort of money, and for what - inconveniencing Leeds for a few weeks.... it's overkill.
Those saying he would have expected to be paid had he got injured, I agree, he would - but the club are big enough to deal with that, as an individual, he's not got the same resources to deal with this whole fallout. Him leaving does not have anywhere near the same impact on Leeds (they've already got an adequate replacement), as him not being able to earn what he's worth from the game will have on his entire life.
I might be getting soft in my old age - but I've made mistakes, agreed to things I didn't really want to do and then changed my mind, and I'd hate to think anyone would have held me over a barrel for it....
Ultimately, Leeds have hardly been impacted by this and are fighting the matter of principle (and I repeat, wholly Segeyaros fault) but in doing so are causing a young bloke to potentially lose hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of earnings from what is already a short career with limited earning potential. Regardless of who's fault it is - that just doesn't sit well with me.

True the club is big enough to deal with that.....and Cronulla (or any other NRL team) are big enough to offer a fee if they want him and that's what we're asking of them to do.

For all the criticism of GH being tight with money, we've now got to a situation where he's being criticised for not allowing someone to leave for free just because another club doesn't fancy having to pay anything and want Segeyaro on the cheap.

Yet he will have been getting paid at that time. When you sign a contract you're a Leeds player all year round regardless of in-season or pre-season.

What do you think would happen if he got seriously injured whilst on his pre-season break? Do you think Leeds would turn around and say "oh well his duties didn't start for another few weeks so bye bye James"

The problem is, any fee counts on the cap - hence the Sharks always maintaining they can't and won't pay a substantial fee. They've been open throughout - if Segeyaro can get a release to return to Oz, they're interested, if not, they're not.
Which then leaves a young bloke unable to earn a fair wage from the game - and for what?

He'd have had at most 1 months wage of his new contract, get that back by all means, but hardly worth £250k fee.

And as I said, Leeds would no doubt have paid him if he'd got injured, but that's the same point I made earlier and does mean it's a bit of a lopsided agreement in thenplayers favour - but, when signing from overseas, this type of thing could always happen, and for me that's part of the gamble - with it only being a few weeks after signing and well before pre-season started,, I don't see the need to take him to task for wanting to backflip.

Leeds and the rest of SL can't afford the best NRL players anymore......should NRL teams just give them to us for free because we really want them?

That's the exact problem, Cronulla asked a player to go and get himself released from his contract, that's all wrong. You want a contracted player, you bid for him, you don't try what they've done.

Segeyaro could be earning a wage right now.......at Leeds, if he knew Cronulla weren't prepared to pay a fee then he shouldn't have taken the course of action he did and should've gone about it in a respectful manner like others who have departed early have done.

Completely agree - but, he always expressed his desire to stay in the NRL if a deal was available, nowni get the deadline for this passed and he's played the whole scenario terribly - he's lost all credibility, but I still don't think it's right to essentially prevent him from earning what he's worth in a limited career given the relatively small timescales of the whole situation and the fact Leeds have sorted a replacement.

He is 100% wrong throughout this whole situation, Leeds absolutely have the moral and legal high ground and are IMO legally in a position to demand a fee - but I maintain, given the promptness of his his wish to renege (the fact it was off season and before he'd carried out any duties), his 'homebird' personality and personal situation and the fact Leeds sorted an adequate replacement, just let it go....

Thing is Leeds didn't terminate his contract straight away when his first media piece about not wanting to return to came out. Between that piece and him being terminated GH will have spoken to him and told him he wouldn't be allowed to go for nothing, so Segeyaro has taken the option to not earn a wage by refusing to come back to the UK.

He's the reason he's not earning a wage right now, nobody else.

Were Cronulla to pursue a libel action against you over the above, would you consider it as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Or would you regard it as a justifiable and proportionate response?

Considering the same thing has been said in national Australian press I don't think they're bothered by one poster on a English message board saying it.

Not really the point. Feel free to imagine they did and answer the question.

In reality, his obligations started when he agreed them. Just as Leeds did. It would have been similarly unacceptable for Leeds to simply decide not to pay him.

All the equivocating about the impact on Segeyaro ignores one simply but crucial fact. Segeyaro could have honoured his obligations to Leeds. He could have earned a lot of money for playing rugby league. It was his choice to give up that money. Segeyaro knew, when he decided to avoid his responsibilities that he wouldnt earn that money.