How long were we talking to George though and expecting him to be the replacement?

And looks like Hull are signing Peats. I like Powell but I feel he needs to be surrounded by good players, when it comes to creativity he must be towards the bottom in Superleague hookers and with our likely half back pairing next season I think we need that extra spark.

I get your point and I do agree - I’d be shocked if Levi or Croft are either with those teams or even in SL in 3yrs and perhaps that’s the motivation behind not moving for a young, out of favour but talented NRL half. Personally I’d go for a half such as Jake Trueman. Transfer fee or not. He’s a longevity signing IMO and would, at most clubs he’d go to be honest, create a long lasting halfback legacy.

But it includes spending money, a lot of it. That’s why it’ll never happen, even if he was OOC. Why we haven’t sorted this the moment we knew Hastings was going back to the NRL, which was approximately the second the ink dried on his signing contract with us, we should have had a plan, a target(s). It just seems to me we’ve stumbled into it and offered Tommy a deal because we’ve ran out of ideas.

Tommy playing on looks to be official. Him and Kris Radlinski have spoken to the WEP saying he’s signed on for 12 more months, as it’s only right he goes out on his terms and not on an injury. I wonder if Rads thinks comments like that through sometimes. There is no room for sentiment in sport and even though I sit here thinking Tommy signing back on is because they’ve stuffed up the recruitment of a new halfback, that makes it sound like we’ve actually shelved the plans just to let Tommy play on. It all feels like the Tony Clubb deal again.

Incompetence, mismanagement and a lack of planning on an industrial scale spring to mind.

You can bet season ticket sales will sky rocket with this news…

If TL is playing at 9 next season then fine, if he's our main halfback then another long season beckons

I try to back the club wherever possible but that is poor.

Same.

No worries not making big signings, spending under the cap, cutting our cloth etc but you have to still be organised, put your irons in the fire well in advance and box clever. Tommy has been a fabulous servant but all good things come to an end and as a halfback, I think he should’ve called it quits at the end of 2020. I understand that they felt it was best he carried on this season due to Lockers retiring but it should’ve been more as a hooker, with occasional cover at seven and then with us looking to move him on to the coaching staff at the end of this year.

We really need to up our game on squad shaping and not letting personal feelings come in to decisions. We did it with Clubb and it feels like we’ve done it again here. I hope I’m wrong.

I see no pointers suggesting he will be 9 just more of dire fare he served up this season awaits

Yeah, I'm like a few of you, I think: Tommy as cover at 9, yes, I can live with that. As our starting 7 for most of the season, that would be terrible..

He always wanted to play half back given the chance he might come back.

Some of the Leeds fans would turn on Father Christmas.

Gale, without the injuries, is a class player.

Mute point now. We've signed Tommy for another season.

Don’t think Tommy has the engine to play 9 anymore, not been used their for a number of years (even to the point Hastings started a playoff game at 9 over him).

Could probably do a spell but can’t see him defending in the middle for long spells.