With three players leaving at the end of the season, especially Peacock and Sinfield it leaves a lot of room in our salary cap. I think it needs to be invested in a couple of new forwards. One player who is off contract is David Shillington, who is an Austrailian test and Queensland origin prop. 31 years old so coming into his prime years as a prop. I think it'd be worth GH at least having a look into his availability. Regarding other forwards Danny Kirmond is a player I like a lot and would like to see him in a rhinos shirt. m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league ... 4328b.html

With three players leaving at the end of the season, especially Peacock and Sinfield it leaves a lot of room in our salary cap. I think it needs to be invested in a couple of new forwards. One player who is off contract is David Shillington, who is an Austrailian test and Queensland origin prop. 31 years old so coming into his prime years as a prop. I think it'd be worth GH at least having a look into his availability. Regarding other forwards Danny Kirmond is a player I like a lot and would like to see him in a rhinos shirt. m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league ... 4328b.html

Ryan Bailey is without a club at the moment and we need a captain for next year

Our back line looks well set so need for moves in that area, and im almost certain Sutcliffe and Mcguire will be the half back partnership for the next couple of seasons at least. In the back row we have Achurch,Ablett,Ward,Walters,Clarkson(if we retain him) and a few other youngsters who may get some game time and step up for next year so are well stocked there. Then you have JJB who can play anywhere in the pack these days and i would also put Delaney into that category.Aiton is a steady hoooker and has been good so far this season, he he worth keeping for the foreseeable, hopefully until Robbie Ward is ready.Im not too sure with Burrow.I love him when he plays this role he does off the bench, he is a match winner but he may want to be a starter and who can blame him? we will see what happen there but my personal opinion is that Rob will move on to one last bumper deal elsewhere. Our weakest area as we all know is front row but with the emergence of Singleton so far and the superb Cuthbertson we have 2 high quality players to cushion the blow of Kylie and JP.Hopefully, Baldwinson will be ready to step up next year into the squad too.

I actually don't feel as worried about a fall off from the leading pack as i did this time last year,and with Sinfield's early announcement about moving on it gives us plenty of time to find the right player to bring in, and front row is clearly the place we should be looking imo. Add One high quality prop to that squad and we look in great shape.

Peacock and Sinfield - not all of their salary counts on the cap due to the service at the club (50% I think), so would've thought that most of that would've been spent elsewhere.
Rumour I have heard is Mickey Paea is Leeds bound, if we cant get him tied down to new deal at FC. couldn't blame him for leaving. Cracking player

A fair chunk of the freed cap space is likely to enhance the wages of existing players IMO. My expectation is that GH will continue current strategy, i.e. prospecting for unheralded bargains.

Shillington would cost a lot. From this www.zerotackle.com/nrl/rugby-lea ... ract-2015/, id go for - in order: Nate Myles Tom Learoyd-Lars Kade Snowden Dene Halatau Alex Glenn (unlikely) Adam Docker (unlikely)

Shillington would cost a lot. From this www.zerotackle.com/nrl/rugby-lea ... ract-2015/, id go for - in order: Nate Myles Tom Learoyd-Lars Kade Snowden Dene Halatau Alex Glenn (unlikely) Adam Docker (unlikely)

Quote ="krisleeds"Shillington would cost a lot. From this www.zerotackle.com/nrl/rugby-lea ... ract-2015/, id go for - in order: Nate Myles Tom Learoyd-Lars Kade Snowden Dene Halatau Alex Glenn (unlikely) Adam Docker (unlikely)'" Not sure I'd be that interested in Halatau. What Leeds need is a player who can be a difference maker with ball in hand, and Halatau doesn't offer much that the existing back row doesn't do IMO.

Quote ="krisleeds"Shillington would cost a lot. From this www.zerotackle.com/nrl/rugby-lea ... ract-2015/, id go for - in order: Nate Myles Tom Learoyd-Lars Kade Snowden Dene Halatau Alex Glenn (unlikely) Adam Docker (unlikely)'" Not sure I'd be that interested in Halatau. What Leeds need is a player who can be a difference maker with ball in hand, and Halatau doesn't offer much that the existing back row doesn't do IMO.

I forgot Thaiday was off contract. I think he might be bring pushed out of the Broncos, would love to see him play here. Be reminiscent of when Tony Carroll came over!

A lot of the more attractive players (Snowden, Myles) on those OOC lists are not "gettable" because they're running their contract down because they're in high demand. It's really hard to get top quality from the NRL atm, beyond a retirement-funder like Gallen and then you have same problem again in 2 years.

Having said that, looking at the OOC lists Shillington and Hannant are considered on the decline but might be worth a closer look. Thaiday would be a great get for SL but probably still out of range.

I'd like to see us have a go for Shillington, but reading the article above, with a new baby and all that a new little one entails, I just cant see him uprooting the family from a settled life and moving across the world.

Still like us to show an interest though!

Mike Cooper, Tom Burgess, Scott Taylor and Craig Kopczak all OOC at season end. With the loss of Kylie, Sinny & JP we should be able to get a least one of them to form a quad of props with Singleton, Cuthbertson and Yates, backed up by Mulhern, Baldwinson and Tonks.

I think this may well be another 1 signing year - with Sutty and Singo effectively stepping into the shoes of Kylie & Sinny it's only JP we need an external replacement for. I see the 25 for next year being something like:

1. Hardaker
2. Briscoe
3. Watkins
4. Moon
5. Hall
6. McGuire
7. Burrow
8. Singleton
9. Aiton
10. Cuthbertson
11. JJB
12. Ablett
13. Ward S
14. Ward R
15. Delaney
16. Achurch
17. Yates
18. Walters
19. ? / Clarkson
20. ?
21. Handley
22. Clarkson
23. Mulhern
24. Baldwinson
25. Golding

^^^^^^^^

Scott Taylor I wouldn't mind but seems destined to go to Hull. Can't see Clarkson coming back.

What are the chances of snagging a Burgess? I think it was Tom who was reluctant to go to Oz but went in the end cos the rest were there. Now Sam is in the UK is there a chance he may also want to come home?

All guess work but if you stuck a Burgess in the middle of next year's 13 and we would look in mighty fine shape.

Tom maybe a possibility. George I would imagine is too hot a property (i.e. Too expensive) for us to get.

Tom Burgess would also be up for a big pay rise if he stays in Oz. I wouldn't be surprised if Souths view keeping the twins as an absolute priority as they can provide the cornerstone of their pack for another 5 years at least. They work well in tandem with Tom rotating for George, and the only difference are George's defence-busting runs (which don;t happen nevery game anyway, and there are signs that Tom's offload game is better).

I wouldn't be surprised if we see a bit of a left-field forward signing from the NRL. TBH I would be less than enthused by Rapira - but then again I thought the same about Leuluai and he worked out OK.

Speaking of which, I do hope the club politely let Leuluai know he's 'free to look elsewhere' for next season. Losing Peacock and Sinfield gives an opportunity to set up the pack for a couple of years.

I'm leaning the other way on Kylie. I agree his output is lowering each year but I would only be happy to let him leave if we can get two new props in.

We are losing a lot of experience in jp and sinny and keeping Kylie for another year can offset that a little. A front row of Yates, singo, mulhearn and a new guy doesn't show a lot of top level sl experience alongside Cuthbertson.

No Sutty?

Not sure what people think is going to make the likes of Cooper or Burgess want to leave the waterfront lifestyle of Sydney to come back to the UK and play for Leeds, taking a pay cut in the process?

Taylor is a "meh" signing. Steady but unspectacular. Kopczak, if someone can get in his head and motivate him to perform every week, would be a much better signing IMO. Thought he went well in a poor Wales side both in the 2013 World Cup and 2011 Four Nations, has a bit of athleticism and power about his game.

In Cooper's case, his wife's possible homesickness may be a factor.

Probably the same thing that put him off moving to the waterfront with his pay rise in the first place. He only went because all his family were there. Now Sam is back in the UK, Luke has gone to Brisbane. You have to remember, him and George may be twins but personality wise they are very different. The clincher would be if his mum would move back to the UK also I reckon.

If, and its a big if I admit, we have the desire to sign a big prop, who is not looking to top up his pension, who is already good but had potential to get better and has a strong chance of settling quickly in the UK then Tom Burgess is the man.

Will it happen, prob not, but if Leeds don't at least look then it def won't happen.

But Sam B will probably be back in Sydney again within a year or so. What's he going to do? Follow him back again?

manly is a on the out skirts of sydney so the burguess boys will see each other all the time, luke and his mrs just had baby so wont be living with twins.i think its thomas is the one out of contract at the end of this season

Sam will go back I agree, but not in a year or so

We will have a lot of money available, and the possibility of a Marquee exemption and I think (or would like) to see three signings, Hooker, Aiton is average in my opinion, I think our halves take a lot more stick over the last few years than they otherwise would because we haven't had a great hooker doing great hooker things probably since 2004. Diskin's injury took him for potentially great, to merely good. Buderus is a legend of RL, if you are talking hookers over the last decade or so there are two names, Cam Smith and him. But we only got him for a short time and in fits and starts. Other than that we have been playing stand ins who have needed carrying. Burrow is a great runner and incredibly dangerous but he isn't a hooker. He can play there and be very dangerous from dummy half but that doesn't make a hooker.

Aiton isn't the answer there for me, We are seeing Sutcliffe come through and need to give him the best chance of success. We can make things much easier for him by giving him a good pack to play behind, and hooker who gets quick ball to him.

A long minutes prop obviously to replace JP.

Then I think we will go one of two ways, either a big battering ram type prop to replace Kylie. Someone who isn't going to do anything but run hard and hit hard for 30mins a game and have Cuthbertson play a bit at loose, or a skilful 2nd rower and see Ablett or Ward at loose.

Paul Gallen of even 5 years ago would have been ideal but for me he has all the hallmarks of a signing that a team is going to hugely regret. He strikes me as the type of player whose quality is just going to fall off a cliff.

Fortunately there are quite a few good forwards coming off contract this year. I would love us to make a huge play for Thaiday.