To be fair to Merrin his situation has been extreme this year and you cant blame his partner if she wants to stay home given what shes been through.

I would hate to think that would put us off signing top Australian talent if its available. Merrin was an excellent player, it just hasnt worked out by the looks.

It frees up cap space and a quota spot so lets hope we can move forward.

Agree completely. Nothing against Merrin but this keeps happening to Leeds

You do realise that if he goes back he will be without a doubt taking a pay cut on what he is on at Leeds? This would have nothing to do with money, and would be a far more understandable situation than simply money.

All the best to the lad. His circumstances have changed and family has to come first in any walk of life. I've had to change jobs in the past due to personel circumstances and i'm sure that there plenty of others that have too. I still get requests from my old company telling me my job is open any time i want to go back and i think the same will be applicable for Merrin, assuming space on slary cap and quota. He was by miles are best player in 2019 and if he does go it is with my best wishes and i will keep an eye out for him if he lands a gig back in Oz

Can't knock him at all.

He deserves a lot of credit for being able to carry himself in the way he did earlier in the year when everything in his family life was all over the place.

My comment wasnt specific to Merrin, you could easily insert seggys name, Sandow a couple of years ago, I'm sure there are plenty of others. It's the top class bit that is the issue as they will always have offers at home available.

If Cuthbo was to be having a child, as an example, he would find it much harder to just get another gig in the NRL.

It's something we need to be mindful of for me.

But the point made is that the circumstances with Merrin are not the same as Segeyaro and Sandow. I understand your concerns, but it is wrong to voice it in this particular occurance. This one is fully understandable, and is just what happens in life at times unfortunately. He is not doing it for the money, and I am pretty sure he would honour his contract in different circumstances.

Specific to you cash point I didn't say Merrin, or in fact anybody, was going back to Oz for the money. I said they go back for a contract.

I have the upmost sympathy for any player a long way from home who gets homesick or has any kind of family emergency.

My point is that acquiring top class Aussie talent is an arduous and competitive process that even when you win, let's take Merrin as an example, you are then fighting a never ending process of the lure of home and the increased risk of homesickness and issues just like we have seen with Merrin.

All I am doing is suggesting we need to cautious about signing big name Aussies and risking building a team around them as they are far more likely to not settle or go home early.

I’d much prefer to be signing the best of British rather than overseas for the reasons above.

The NRL is the premier RL competition in the world, and their salary cap is way higher than ours. ANY player who is ambitious to really test themselves and maximise their earnings would have a serious look.

Merrin came over here in the first place against that grain largely for the money, I'm not quite sure how that gives him a sunshine sphincter. He was being played less and less at Penrith and was going backwards in his career there. We were willing to chuck money at someone with a reputation, and there you have it.

Does anyone think he would have come to Leeds if the money wasn't better than he could achieve in the NRL at the time?

I'm not having a pop at Merrin at all because he's been a rock at times this year and he has persevered through some extremely tough times at work. Good luck to him if he can secure a decent gig back in the NRL.

He has been a real professional with it.

He seems a good character but positionally the things we really lack, he doesn't give - with the possible exception of "leadership".

Get a first grade starter prop to partner Ava, who can compete with the front rows at the top of the comp next year, that would make a huge difference with the young bulls Holroyd and Oledzki in reserve.

On a purely Leeds selfish point of view i'm pleased Ward has been omitted from the touring training squad.

There isn’t a British player anywhere near as good as Merrin that we could sign. The Aussies simply have a better standard of player than we do here and if you are going to pay top dollar SL simply isn’t a good investment.

Aye, and even the quality brits are wanting to move to the NRL. I expect more courting of english talent, mainly forwards, to happen now Canberra have shown the way..You can't really blame the players for wanting to go either.

Burgess, Graham, Walmsley? In theory we COULD sign anyone, it’s whether they would come is the other question.

I think there could be more big news on the way especially if Merrin goes .the club dont wa t another season like the last two

Yeah let's hope so. Kev and GH know they cant afford anymore seasons struggling

We have to manage the marquee and overseas allowances smartly.

KS must be working his nadgers off behind the scenes here.

Now we have 7 sorted for now, we need to sort out a few more squad players in the pack and concentrate the quality more.

If it were possible:

Ferres for Isaac Luke
Merrin for Sam Burgess or James Graham
Find takers for Cuthbertson, Petaru and Singleton and sign two very good props.
Myler makes way for Gale
Golding to Hudds

Then we are starting to look something like. We have space on quotas and cap and plenty of leaders.

I think you are spot on with Myler and Golding, hopefully Ferres will not be retained.I can't see either Burgess or Graham signing.The 3 props you mention will all I feel be here for another 12 months.Lets just hope Agar comes back with news of a top hooker or barnstorming prop.

My expectations for 2020 would rise significantly if this came to pass.
As it stands, we need at least two more signings that strengthen - big style - the areas where we're lacking before our plans start to look coherent. If Gale's the only significant upgrade on what we currently have then my guess is we'll finish closer to bottom four than top four.

Remember guys that Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that. We’re looking at an almost unprecedented, almost total squad overhaul at Leeds and even 2 seasons is quick for the scale of change needed.

What we are seeing is KS and Agar putting their stamp on Leeds and sweeping out the previous era players where the club got sloppy.

I do think we need one or two big name signings in due course, but 2020 is likely to involve some more rebuilding and some last-chance-salooning for a few more players.

We could make a singing or intent like Burgess for next year and he can still get injured. Or the players around him aren’t ready to step up and we still don’t compete at the top. Under the cap it’s more about balance and value for money - except your Marquees, where a club like Leeds could and should stretch the legs a bit.

Having said that morale and culture needs to be considered too, and as soon as someone comes in from the outside as a Marquee the existing players will need convincing that the new player is worth twice or three times what they’re getting paid, otherwise it’s corrosive.

Just show them the league table. If they still sook show them the door or a permanent place in the reserves.

Luke Thompson will be next

Which sounds great. But who do you play instead. You could play a team of amateur players who’d put all the effort in you want but will get you relegated quicker than a Daryl Powell smile.

Pure effort is rarely the issue. It’s correctly directed effort and conditioning in the right areas that’s the trick.

I have to say I think it's rare that a Leeds side goes out there and doesn't try. It's easy for fans to shout about that after a defeat.

In reality it's what you said there - organising a bunch of hard-trying individuals into more of a team (which I think Agar made good progress with), and then it's down to pure quality of player, which we've been lacking.

We're looking extremely healthy with youth now, despite getting knocked out of the play-offs. All those lads know they have a route to first grade and the opportunities are there to be part of the solution at Leeds.

I want to see who replaces Merrin and whether we're able to bring in anyone else (i.e. one or two others leaving, such as Myler)… but I just can't see next year looking like this year did.