Difficult to say with Russell, he was always an excellent prospect.

I think Remi will have improved because of his experience at the Roosters, especially having had Sonny Bill Williams as his team mate to learn from. He acknowledged the inspirational role of SBW in a recent interview.

Mathers too, who came back a shadow of the player who left Leeds.

It's Remigius.

With Casty returning, Tonga signed and Carney awaiting clearance,
those three could help Catalans become a top four club next year.

I would have thought perhaps even top two. After all the team already has the scintillating Morgan Escare there, so the attacking skill with Todd Carney and William Tonga added, and Remi Casty also back up front, will be enormous.

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Players don't return from the NRL as better players because if they improved a lot they'd stay. Sam Burgess is a miles better player than he was when he left, as are the twins. Graham has also improved - particularly his go forward which TBH wasn't that impressive when he first arrived at the Dogs.

Morley was considered past it in NRL terms when he left the Roosters, and in any event if you're comparing the second row he was at Leeds to the prop he returned as, they are quite simply different players. Mathers was a bit unfortunate in that the injury he suffered just before he left for Aus really messed him up. He wasn't that quick to start with and the injury left him looking pedestrian.

In other cases stints in the NRL have simply highlighted obvious shortcomings - like the fact that Scott Moore can't pass from the floor with any consistency, or that Chris Thorman wasn't actually that good in the first place.

It may be a little bit unfair to put Casty in the Thorman category, but it was quite obvious that he'd be likely to get shoved out of the first team squad as soon as someone a bit more dynamic came through the ranks.

I'm stunned that already talented, physically ideal prop forwards might improve after the age of 19/20, that never happens in England.

Bernard has told the local media today in Perpignan that Dureau will be coming back and part of the first team squad next season to.

So that's good news if he is over his illness and injury.

Of course Burgess is miles better now, he was only 21 when he left - a baby for a prop. Morley was a terrific attacking back rower when he left only to be mouled into a battering ram 5hithouse prop. Even at his best at the Roosters I don't think he was as good as when he left Leeds. Graham was already one of the best 2 or 3 props in the game when he went over there, now he's at his peak as a front row. Thorman, is an interesting one. He had all the skills and was a very good stand off whom had all his running game coached out of him in the NRL. Now I don't think he was ever good enough to play in the NRL, but he came back a shadow of the player he was.

I think Willie Tonga had a great couple of seasons around 2004/05.