Maybe but I'd imagine he would also be involved in some sort of coaching role too. Nothing to stop us tieing him down in the coaching side and adding playing contract later.

Based on a Kiwi I work with, I suspect that he might be approaching the end of the five-year period where he either has to apply for residency - permanent leave to remain - or go home? And to apply for residency seems you need a sponsoring employer, I think? All sounds a bit chicken-and-egg to me, since he can't carry on working unless he has residency and no-one can employ him without it, but he needs a job to get residency? IIRC he arrived here around October five years ago, so this must all be pretty imminent? I suspect no employer will be able to or even be allowed to firm up a contract until he has permanent leave to remain? Whether coaching or playing or cleaning the bogs?

That I suspect is the current key issue? And Red has probably got it right earlier when he alluded to that?

wouldnt his wife having a business over here be a factor though?. surely he'd be allowed to remain as her spouse until such time as he gets citizenship/leave to remain?. If it takes a few months before we can officially sign him its not a major issue, wouldnt be first time a deal was agreed and kept in bottom drawer for a while.

His wife will have the same issue...

would have thought as shes running a business and providing employment for others that her application to stay would be more of a formality.

He also owns a business. Siginficant element in his application.

All 3 Burgess's on BBC Radio Leeds tonight @ 7pm - will be interesting to hear what Tom says when asked about joining the 'Clan' in Australia!

Piece about Andrew Bennet in T and A in response to the forum outlining his roots etc. It also states,

"Adrian Purtell, Luke Gale, Keith Lulia and Jarrod Sammut have signed and more acquisitions are certain to follow"

I would have thought that was written with todays development in mind. Up until then, there hadnt been much of a feeling that anyone else would be signing. Personally I would take Lee Smith, He isnt a World beater but outside of a good centre i think he could do a good job. I havent seen to much of the new Aussies but they both appear to be centre unless i am mistaken and so i would be loathe putting one on the wing to replace Raynor. I know it has been mentioned that Purcell can play wing but i thought that was to facilitate Sykes or Platt at centre as both of them were under contract still and couldnt be offloaded.

purtell has played wing all this year for penrith. he started out as a though so he's probably comfortable in either role.

he said himself in a news item that his preferred postion is centre, so i would imagine thats the primary position he has signed for. Adey on the TnA blog says that rumours are Darrell Goulding is being lined up to replace Raynor, centre or wing so fits Potters preferences for flexible players. Whatever, they need to announce soon on both replacements for Lynch and Raynor.

didnt mean in sense that his preferred position wasnt . just that he's perfectly capable of playing wing too.

gouldings a decent call. wouldnt be surprised to see one off d.goulding,l.smith or k.pryce being drafted in. think any of them would do a decent job outside a good .

Just in case anyone does not realise, the "Adey" on the T&A, a responsible poster, is not me. If I ever appear on there it is as Adeybull. I mention this because I quite often get folk telling me I have posted something on there, when its the other guy!

Wait so we're not signing Moi Moi and Hindmarsh like you said on the t&a site. Bummer