Come on guys, yes there is some let down here, but family has to come first. Girlfriend with a new baby, sadly her mum is no longer with us, she needs her family around her and with what happened she will need a lot of support.
Ok it hasn’t worked out with Merrin, but in my opinion he’s gained a lot of respect by sticking with his girlfriend and family. I wish him all the best for the future

Of course we should wish him and his family well but that doesn’t hide the way this has all been handled by Merrin, I was very homesick when I lived in Australia but what I did do before moving home was fulfilled the work commitments that I had agreed to before moving home, he should have just stayed in Australia and not come back.

But anyway what’s done is done and we need to move on

Gained no respect personally we gave him the chance to move he had offers which he didn’t like said he was coming back gave an interview how it was all good at Leeds for new season got an improved offer and buggered off.

If he had said at the end of the year am off for family reasons I would have had the respect but he hasn’t has he

I have full respect for anyone brave enough to step out on a rugby league field . Good luck to Trent and his family. Think we should only say things on here, we would be prepared to say face to face to a players face. Think people would suddenly become very understanding in the real world !

Didnt we get him at second attempt ?

That's and being a MAJOR part of us not being relegated.

Get over it.

Disappointed about the way this has happened but as others have said it's probably best to have this sorted now and not having it hanging over us during the season.

No need to get personal about this. He gave 100% in the Leeds shirt and deserved the captaincy, and as much as I'd have liked him to honour his contract with us, the rest is unfortunate, but part and parcel of the business IMO. Time to move on.

He carried possibly the worst pack SL has seen for the first half of last season. His metre making and effort was top class. He’s a back rower, he stepped up to the front row for us and put everything on the line.

We’re had plenty of big earners in the past who’ve not justified the wages, I don’t think Trent’s one of them. Perhaps if we were still competing for trophies he’d have been more motivated to stay, who knows.

Tried to bury it in the middle of the press release.

Pretty average from Trent.

Merrin won’t be missed at all, Prior much better player on less money which will enable another signing.

From the Aussie media

“Trent could’ve jumped like a kangaroo all the way back to Australia he’s that excited to come back to the Dragons,” said the club’s director of rugby league pathways and list management Ian Millward.

“Trent has indicated to the club several times over the past 12 months that he’d love to come home;

I understand the family issues but at some point you have to make a decision and stick with it, out of respect for all involved. If he was still open to going back to Aus he shouldn't have said what he did about returning to Leeds. Agree with some though that it may be a blessing in disguise if we have a bit of (overdue) luck with whoever we bring in next.

You have to wonder though if the Curse of the Sleeve will strike again? Segayaro mucked us about and things haven't planned out too cleverly for him.

Trent doesn’t come out of this looking good whichever way anyone spins it.

Only to Leeds fans. Nobody here will care about the wailing on here. Fact is he didn't want to come in the first place and whilst he put in on the field has spent most of the time since signing trying to leave.

You can blame Merrin but I'd say it was the club's bad judgement. Ad soon as it became apparent he really didn't want to leave Aus we should have looked elsewhere.

Personally I think you’re wrong here, I can’t see how the club have done anything wrong in this situation, they gave him free reign to find another club or commit to the Rhinos, he did the latter whilst wanting to do the former, he has been dishonest.

We twisted his arm to come in the first place. You shouldn't touch anyone who is clearly as unkeen as he was. He only came because we offered him a long deal on great money - he was still contracted at the Panthers and as a NSW and Aus regular would have got a gig in the NRL eventually.

I just don't see the need to wail about it.

The point being he accepted those terms and has ultimately renegaded on them

Can’t disagree with any of that. And to top it all, the club gave him the option to find a new club, with not one of these posters knowing when that deadline ended, or if it was still in place. And despite all this, a guy who had his arm twisted to come, gave it his all on the field, to an extent of being our best player by miles last season.

Not sure why he is solely getting the criticism. Just like with Segayaro, a player who single handedly saved us from relegation, told the club he was homesick, GH stirring things up with fake news, player goes and the harsh critisism comes.

We should be looking at our own back door first, and try and learn from it.

Correct

Which fake news?

Cannot blame the club over Segeyaro. He was a sh*t house with what he did. He signed a big contract to stay then got a an offer in the NRL and immediately reneged... great player and definitely kept us up that year for which I'm grateful but he was out of order

Having slept on this news now, I still think it’s a crappy way for Merrin to treat the club/fans but given his situation it’s understandable.

The bit I can’t get my head around is that Agar clearly said that Merrin wouldn’t be released until we have a suitable replacement. Where is the replacement? They’ve already said it’s not Prior...

Once again the club look like amateurs and things are out of control.

Wonder if Merrin had a get-out clause in his contract should an NRL side come knocking? I suspect he may have had, given the circumstances of his arrival and the way the club's meekly acquiesced all the way through his prolonged departure.

Having slept on it I’m actually more annoyed about how Merrin has handled it especially reading some comments from the press, but hey ho it’s done now, hope Prior goes well, I just want the season to start Now, I hate the off season.

He’s been less than completely honest about being committed to us, but my main issue is with how the club have allowed themselves to be played so easily by a bloke who went to get on a plane...

They should have said ok, go if you like, but we will hold your registration and you will be in breach of contract so we will stop paying you until you come back. That way we position ourselves for some kind of compensation either as a fee or as a player with contribution towards their salary.

We’ve been completely played here...