They are not just a couple of young lads. They were 2 of 6 identified and developed by the club to be the future. There is plenty of just young lads at the club, players who simply will not make it with this club. Possibly not even semi pro, but these two were above that in the system. You are now 2 short of something that the coach declares takes years to nurture.

I am not surprised Bob Pickles is pulling his hair out.

So we are just handing these two lads first team shirts because they were identified as being a bit above their peers development wise in the junior teams? Maybe thats why they have decided not to accept the contract offered as they have believed the hype themselves who knows?

I dont blame Leeds for not breaking through the pay structures for juniors no matter who the player is.Until they have proven themselves in the first team then they get paid accordingly.It would have been the way when Sinfield, Burrow,Mcguire etc.. broke through, and its the same now.If the lads havn't got the foresight or belief in their own ability to follow the career path and work their way through then fair enough, goodbye and good luck.

we didn't need to break the pay structure, that's the point. Only the clubs actions have resulted in pay being an issue.

Maybe, just maybe, the two lads saw the chance to play in the best league in the world and live in a beautiful country influenced them

Don't you think that was a leading influence?

NZ or leeds...... Hell, i picked London over leeds! if my company asked me to move to NZ for a pay cut id be chuffed!

but i think the point is that they shuld of been under "a" contract, so we could at least see some return on our effort. thats my only gripe really. All our time and effort squandered. I feel like a salford from from 4 seasons ago.....

Baldwinson was offered a deal was he not? if he has had his head turned because Leeds have not acted swiftly enough in the first instance the end result is still that Leeds wanted him to stay,offered him 'a deal above current position within our structure' according to Mac but he has still has gone.

At the end of the day these two lads could realisticaly go down to the NZ Warriors and not ever come within sniffing distance of a first team shirt in the next 2/3 years and get dumped at the end of their deals, by which time they are in their early twentys and their careers in the game are on the skids.Its a big risk on their part but the rewards could be huge and i hope they do make it work.

I hope you're right about the futures that lie ahead for these lads.

However, potential isn't always realised. I recall Richard Gunn was as highly touted as a junior as Shaun Edwards. Marcus Vass was supposed to become a GB captain.

Jamie Langley was GB Academy captain when England defeated the previously unbeaten Aussie schoolboys 10 years ago. He's been a a decent club player but not much more.

Like Mcdermott said, they offered a contract that was higher than Baldwinson's status at he club. What else do you expect them to do?

So we now know that Baldwinson was in fact offered a contract but turned it down in favour of playing in NZ for one year with a 2nd yr option and perhaps more money too. Therefore if a junior contract had been in place it would have made no difference to what they really wanted to do. Certainly these two players put aside their emotions as they chose NZ over Leeds. Let's hope the Leeds development team can do the same and keep their cards a little closer to their chests with the next batch of promising youngsters who they believe to be the future of the Club.

I wish them good fortune but I prefer to support the youngsters who show first loyalty to Leeds and whose ambitions are to make it into the Leeds first team. It is more likely that these lads will have that extra something/Leeds winning DNA or whatever that in future years will help them become part of a future Championship winning side.

What's done is done so time to move on to your next critique rhinoms!

So we now know that Baldwinson was in fact offered a contract but turned it down in favour of playing in NZ for one year with a 2nd yr option and perhaps more money too. Therefore if a junior contract had been in place it would have made no difference to what they really wanted to do.

My final comment on this, the point remains had he been given a deal earlier the approach wouldn't have mattered because like Foster he'd already have a deal and his future secured.
It's all well and good offering him a deal "above his standing" but it's a bit late after he's already been offered the deal by NZ.
It's a clear case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted read what was posted about Bob Pickles' opinion.
Yes i agree it's now done i wish them well and i'll continue my support for the Club but if i think somethings not right i'll continue to say so.

Baldwinson was offered a deal at Leeds before he even knew NZ Warriors were interested

Matty he wasn't ,the offer was after the Warriors confirmed their interest in him and also Wire were sniffing round aswell.

Quote ="rhinoms"Matty he wasn't ,the offer was after the Warriors confirmed their interest in him and also Wire were sniffing round aswell.'" According to Jordan he got the offer from Leeds before - audioboo.fm/boos/1501058-baldwin ... pportunity

Quote ="rhinoms"Matty he wasn't ,the offer was after the Warriors confirmed their interest in him and also Wire were sniffing round aswell.'" According to Jordan he got the offer from Leeds before - audioboo.fm/boos/1501058-baldwin ... pportunity

according to his mum he didn't.
either way my gripe is leeds, bearing in mind he was highly rated by the club, wasn't tied up straight away.
after losing a load to warrington you would have thought they would have been more careful

As has been said though Rhinoms,he was offered a deal,one above the usual contract offered to players of his standing.WHEN it was offered should not really make too much difference. If he had any commitment to wanting to become a first teamer,like the generation of players who have enjoyed the last decade of success did, he would have signed it as it is clear of late that he was going to get chances in the team.

Indeed ....very unreasonable not to have [ibeen[/i happy [ibeing[/i (hope that's right wheels?) back up to the likes of Bailey and Kirke

. He would be a Leeds player: enough said.

He is 18 years old, of course he will be back up to senior players for the next season or two while he adapts and grows into being a SL prop.You tell me a prop of his age who is commanding a place in a top end SL team at his age? He was starting to make the matchday 19 so i think that should have been enough to show the lad he was highly thought of.

No argument. Regardless of age I too would be happy to be back up to the man mountain that is Ian Kirke.

Hey, i cant disagree regards Lord Lucan, ive made my opinions about him quite clear on his personal thread

Does he like cake?

So the lad himself has said Leeds offered him a contract before his agent touted him to NZ. Brian McDermott himself has said the contract was above what the club would usually offer a player at his stage of development.

I think unless those criticizing the club are willing to acceot these as facts there's little point in further discussion, unless you're happy to discuss the premise that black is white.

G1 - I've tried your approach several times. Apparently it also makes no difference whatsoever that the Warriors' approach is unprecedented - the club should have been ready for it, and have had Baldwinson and Tonks contracted 'just in case'.

It should also be added that there is no indication that the Warriors plan for either Baldwinson or Tonks to play anything other than U20s next year. See also Daniel Smith at Souths.

Why did they see priority in signing up Kike and Kylie at first part of season, where nobody was sniffing around, and there is a deadline well into the season before clubs can talk to them, yet let there identified future planned stars wait?

The unprecedented makes no difference, the priorities were wrong.

Shame - real shame, I was looking forward to seeing Baldwinson break through to the first team in much the same way as when Ward did.

I as said earlier in this thread, Wigan did everything possible to hold on to Tomkins to try and stop him from going to NZ and they failed so what chance, realistically, did we have when trying to hang on to a couple of academy lads?

How long have these lads been seen as having such high potential?