Hull Kingston Rovers, are hours away from playing in the 2024 Super League Grand Final, which quite frankly is an amazing achievement. I have been considering how they got there, and if there is a timeline it all converges on 12th August 2023. The same day that Leigh broke a 52 year hoodoo and lifted the Challenge Cup. On that day Leigh went into the final having already defeated Rovers both Home and Away. Although evenly matched, Leigh had the measure of KR and in the end the game needed to be decided by Golden Point. Since this point the gap between Hull KR and Leigh has become a chasm many games between the two teams (mostly played at Craven Park) have gone the way of the Robins.
Hull KR took that defeat as a sign and have been ruthless in the transfer market and are looking even stronger for the 2025 season regardless of what happens today. Rovers have become the road map for building a successful club, and in my opinion have achieved this by being more ruthless than teams like Leigh. Players have come onto the market that Leigh have been linked to or that I as a rabid fan would like to see Leopard print.
Wakefield were relegated at the end of the 2023 season and as per usual practice the remaining Super League team picked the carcass clean. Tanginoa and Whitbread are both players that were linked to Leigh but both turned up in East Hull and became integral in the 2024 team. Having lost a starting halfback, Leigh could have been interested in Tyrone May, who was instrumental in a successful season at Catalans, but true to form he appears at Craven Park. The strangest example was possibly the menage a trois with Oliver Gildart, signing for Hull KR and appearing on loan at the LSV.
The rollcall for 2025 is no different, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves might have been considered a good fit for a team losing Amone, O’Donnell and Asiata, but no KR snap up a marquee forward. Rhyse Martin turned down an extension at the Rhinos, Leigh offered what was reported to be a sizeable contract, before dropping out with interest from both Leeds and Warrington. Guess what? he signs for the Robins.
The question must be raised as to how certain teams are able to fit their talented squads into a Salary capped sport. Beaumont has stated that Leigh are salary capped and can only support around 21 squad players, with handful of reserves and both today’s Grand Final teams are bursting with talent. It is a shame the salary cap is not more transparent for the fans, so we can all see the creative accounting going on at Wigan and Hull KR.

As a Hull fan, I don't think KR are abusing the cap. If you look at their squad depth for next year, it was in the HDM a couple of days ago, they are very cap heavy in the first 17/18. After that, their depth is non existant and is down to kids with no SL experience at all. Further showing that their luck with injuries this year keeping their players on the pitch. May and Lewis both played 30 games in the halves for example

And I'm pretty sure that they won't be able to play that many games next year, with the limits being introduced, so any lack of depth will be more exposed.

The better the kids coming through are, the more depth you will have. Leigh were likely paying Ben McNamara more than Wigan were paying Tom Farrimond. Probably even paying Jack Nisbet as much as Zak Eckersley was on this year.

I think the missing out on Martin wil be more down to his agent Ayoub who has a habit of messing clubs about with contracts trying to get more money, lachlan Lam, Blake Ferguson and Ricky Leutele are all examples of this and Derek Alluded to it on the Super League Raw podcast, it cost Leutele a new contract with the Leopards and I think we will probably see the back of Lachlan Lam at the end of 2025 unless he changes agent, it’s no coincidence he was poor the back 1/4 of the season.

Thanks to Binosh, who has filled in some gaps about the murky world of Rugby Agents - https://ultramanagement.com.au/players/ makes for some interesting reading. Sam Ayoub (Director) of Ultra Management has managed to stay out of trouble by the skin of his teeth on several occasions. Interesting players on the books of Ultra Management: Anthony Milford (Not coming to Leigh any time soon) Blake Ferguson (Retired) Jackson Hastings Joe Shorrocks Josh Drinkwater Ken Sio Kelepi Tanginoa (Hull KR as per the thread) Lachlan Lam (Let's sell to Hull FC) Matty Nicholson (Off to the NRL) Rhyse Martin (Hull KR as per the thread) Tom Amone Zak Hardaker Ricky Leutele

Thanks to Binosh, who has filled in some gaps about the murky world of Rugby Agents - https://ultramanagement.com.au/players/ makes for some interesting reading. Sam Ayoub (Director) of Ultra Management has managed to stay out of trouble by the skin of his teeth on several occasions. Interesting players on the books of Ultra Management: Anthony Milford (Not coming to Leigh any time soon) Blake Ferguson (Retired) Jackson Hastings Joe Shorrocks Josh Drinkwater Ken Sio Kelepi Tanginoa (Hull KR as per the thread) Lachlan Lam (Let's sell to Hull FC) Matty Nicholson (Off to the NRL) Rhyse Martin (Hull KR as per the thread) Tom Amone Zak Hardaker Ricky Leutele

Quote ="Septimius Severus"Thanks to Binosh, who has filled in some gaps about the murky world of Rugby Agents - https://ultramanagement.com.au/players/ makes for some interesting reading. Sam Ayoub (Director) of Ultra Management has managed to stay out of trouble by the skin of his teeth on several occasions. Interesting players on the books of Ultra Management: Anthony Milford (Not coming to Leigh any time soon) Blake Ferguson (Retired) Jackson Hastings Joe Shorrocks Josh Drinkwater Ken Sio Kelepi Tanginoa (Hull KR as per the thread) Lachlan Lam (Let's sell to Hull FC) Matty Nicholson (Off to the NRL) Rhyse Martin (Hull KR as per the thread) Tom Amone Zak Hardaker Ricky Leutele'" I believe there were issues Tom Amone and links to NRL as well. Trouble is, if you refuse to deal with a particular agent, you could cut your nose to spite your own face, if they represent a player who would be a good fit.

Quote ="Septimius Severus"Thanks to Binosh, who has filled in some gaps about the murky world of Rugby Agents - https://ultramanagement.com.au/players/ makes for some interesting reading. Sam Ayoub (Director) of Ultra Management has managed to stay out of trouble by the skin of his teeth on several occasions. Interesting players on the books of Ultra Management: Anthony Milford (Not coming to Leigh any time soon) Blake Ferguson (Retired) Jackson Hastings Joe Shorrocks Josh Drinkwater Ken Sio Kelepi Tanginoa (Hull KR as per the thread) Lachlan Lam (Let's sell to Hull FC) Matty Nicholson (Off to the NRL) Rhyse Martin (Hull KR as per the thread) Tom Amone Zak Hardaker Ricky Leutele'" I believe there were issues Tom Amone and links to NRL as well. Trouble is, if you refuse to deal with a particular agent, you could cut your nose to spite your own face, if they represent a player who would be a good fit.