We will be losing JP, if we need someone with the quality and appetite for the ball to do the filthy stuff.

Of the 2 which one would you prefer in 2016? Gallen at his best is one of the best players in the world, but at 34(?) will he offer more value for money than Rapira?

Why not both? there must be a fair chunk of cash freeing up at end of the season, and with the marquee player coming in it is surely possible.Rapira, Cuthbertson , Singleton, Gallen and JJB. That would be a great rotation for the next couple of seasons and hopefully the likes of Mulhern and Baldwinson will be on their way to being ready to step up by then.

According to yesterdays RL press the vote will be very close, and they're still not sure how it will work if it's brought in so I have serious doubts as to whether it will be voted in.

I don't see why we would need the Marquee rule anyway. JP and Sir Kev are two of the highest earners at the club plus Kylie is almost certain to retire as well. Im quite sure a fewer of the younger players may end up released as well.

Gallen will probably have a list of SL clubs he would join Leeds Wigan &Warrington will be at the top, Realistically only us and possibly the Wire could afford him. We could have them both really as they would be the only players coming into the club, its the only area we need to strengthen .

I would be a very happy Person watching this Team play nxt season

1.Hardaker
2.Briscoe
3.Watkins
4.Moon
5.Hall
6.Sutcliffe
7.Mcguire (c)
8.Cuthbertson
9.Aiton
10.Gallen
11.JJB
12.Ablett
13.Ward

14.Burrow/R Ward
15.Delaney/Achurch
16.Singleton
17.Rapira



Admit it, Looks good

There's no doubt Gallen is a great player even if he'll be way past his best when he comes to UK (and he's out for a couple of months with injury at the moment - the shape of things to come). But the problem with signing him is that we'll be back to the JP situation of needing to replace an aging star prop in one or two years and won't have solved anything. What do we do then? Get Matt Scott over for a year and repeat ad infinitum?

....not necessarily. Anything might happen in the couple of years period....somebody with more miles on the clock could become available; one of the younger lads might step up; another Burgess type might materialise. Gallen would be a stop-gap yes, but if it solves the problem of replacing Peacock for a couple of years until a possible longer term answer manifests itself then good: sign him.

As always my main concern would be can the new signing slip easily into the so far maintained excellent team ethos that pervades at the club. Just look at how successfully Cuthbertson has done so.

Exactly.remember the doom and gloom around these parts probably only a year ago never mind two, contrast to the feeling now that the transition may not be nowhere near as bad as first thought and you can safely say a lot can happen in two years so i would not be put off Gallen one bit as long as he doesn't spend the majority of that two years in the treatment room.Thats the gamble to be weighed up i suppose.

The issue with Gallen isn't ability. It's attitude.

Will he fit into and be prepared to buy into the ethos of the club? The last thing you need is a player, however talented, who sets off a chain reaction of bad attitudes and sets a bad example to the young players coming through.

Gallen's attitude is my problem with him (ball-hogging is an issue but less of a concern). He's trying to carve out a place in the media post-playing days, which is fine, but he's incredibly arrogant. He helped destroy the Sharks caretaker coach last year by announcing midway through the season on radio that players would not respond to a coach that wouldn't be there for the long-term, and he's also claimed that every name player to join the Sharks has done so due to him personally. He's one of those people who thinks that heightened "honesty" (bluntness) is always good. The problem is some people can do it well, others come across as tools. He's in the latter camp.

From what I can gather he'd like to stay in the NRL. He's no doubt shopping around, and I suspect the main issue at his age is the length of his contract.

I found this post really interesting, as it highlights to me how important peoples perceptions are when forming an opinion, as I have almost the polar opposite opinion of Gallen - I'd say his honesty is absolutely one of the things that makes him such a champion player - his honesty towards the team and his own performances are what makes him train as hard as he does, put in a shift on match days like he does, recover from injuries and play injured like he does - what you can guarantee with Gallen is a whole hearted and honest performance. If he can get himself onto the pitch - which invariably he does, he'll put in a performance. Already this year he's played a game after zero sleep the night before as his new born daughter was in hospital with a serious illness, and he's played a game after being in hospital himself for the 2 days prior to the game with an infection. He sacrifices everything for the game and his team, whether it be NSW or Cronulla.

His professionalism and attitude towards training and the game in general is something that nearly every player in the world could learn from.

As for his media work - yeah he's straight down the line honest, and that will sometimes be a positive, sometimes a negative, but you'll always know where he stands. The thing with Peter Sharp again I have no problem with, Sharp had openly said he didn't want to be caretaker coach, and the Sharks were waiting for Flanagan to come back, all Gallen said was that the players weren't doing as they should and weren't listening to Sharp - he used an analogy of kids playing up when they have a substitute teacher. I think it was more a sig at his players attitudes and the whole ASADA situation.

For me, even at 33, Gallen would be an immense signing both on and off the field. He's not been as much of a ball hog recently, through clearly you don't get through the amount of work he does without demanding he ball often, but I don't think that's to the detriment of the team, he's the ultimate workhorse, with a bit of skill too.

Is Burrow likely to be signing another deal with Leeds for next year? At 33 and coming to the end of his current deal perhaps he might want a move to freshen things up and let a new generation come through???

They are not the highest earners at all. Peacock has been on a lower contract for his last two contracts signed, in order to have the longer term instead. Sinfields last contract was much reduced on his previous, and we have had the added benefit of part of his contract not counting on the cap due to the homegrown rule. Of course the Sinfield exemption will probably pass to someone else now.

According to third hand rumours, Watkins, Hall, and Ablett were the highest earners on our books last season.

kurt gidley to sign for super league in next 48 hours

[url=http://www.bridalcouture.co/images/bridal-couture-blog/Dally-M-Awards.jpgHope he brings his missus with him.[/url

Ding dong

I'm fairly certain Rapira is signing for Huddersfield guys.

Can he sign for Salford before Friday?

In other news, Lance Hohaia has just retired from Gidley's brother's old club.

Burrows has signed for Cas. Do keep up.

Maybe Maguire might fancy a change Tigs?

Given that Sinfield's off to Warrington, I can't see Leeds letting all three go at once.

Even with Willie Talau and Jonah Lomu coming in.

Don't forget Harris to sign for us now all the legal stuff is behind us

Like it. Bailey, Burrows & Maguire. The dream team.

When is Tonie Carroll coming back?