From what Ive read it seems he is only coming because no NRL club can fit him under the cap

No thanks, we need players who want to be here

But at his age, I'm hopeful that he'll want to shine and earn an Nrl contract for next time (if he doesn't fall in love with Leeds). Id much rather have someone like that than Farrah, who it seems doesn't want to come and would have no reason to try and improve and play at his best form.

Lots of 2+2=5 here but if the Cuthbo rumours are true then we might have space to fit the Segeyaro rumour under the quotas.

Hope cuthbertson isn't leaving .I know his form hasn't been as high as last but he's still needed I think.

Good point, he does have a reason to play well, but I wonder how much an NRL team would even factor how well a player is doing in SL when evaluating pay etc.

My point is that players who are forced to come here, usually because none in the NRL are willing to pay the wages they demand, usually do worse than players who could still play in the NRL but want to come to SL (even better if they want to come to Leeds specifically)

Who would have though it would be Cuthbo and not Todd Carney who would be nominated for man of steel last year?

Be a big shame to lose Cuthbo if true, I reckon we could see the best of him again with a top quality 9 in the team.

Could it be a swap deal for hardaker?

A troubled player but undoubtedly world class.
3rd behind Smith and Friend for the Qlds number 9.
On his day he has everything, good defence, quite stunning attack and a 80 mins player.

He seems to have found himself on the outer due to Penriths "culture", I'm amazed another NRL club , probably one out of Sydney, hasn't made him an offer.

I'd argue 4th with Jake Granville ahead of him and Friend - but even so still an awesome player.

If you go through the NRL who needs a hooker? Who has cap space? There arnt many clubs if any. It's a position well serviced or teams are at full cap and are twitchy due to the Parra saga.

Newcastle? But nobody wants to go there.

How many NRL players genuinely "want" to be in SL, let alone want to be at Leeds?

No matter what noises they make, Antipodean players end up in SL for one of two reasons. They either can't get a club in the NRL for one reason or another, or a SL club has made them a ridiculous offer and they figure they may as well cash in while it's on the table.

This is true, but it still means the odd Jamie Lyon or Ali Lauitiiti comes over, whether it's for a couple of years like Lyon or a career like Ali. I wouldn't complain if Segeyaro is anything like that.

^ This.

Cuthbertson Galloway and Simms were all playing pretty well and could have easily got NRL contracts if they wanted
Now in fairness there may be an element of them wanting to extend their careers, as players can play for longer

Its not that long ago that we were able to attract the blues captain in Buderus to come to SL for a few years
Its amazing how low the opinion of SL has fallen since then, even among those who watch it

GH in last night's YEP: "All bar Mitch Achurch and Beau Falloon are contracted for next year so we have got very little in terms of flexibility for recruitment"

Suggests whatever cap space those two take up will be absorbed by deals already in the pipeline - Segeyaro and Ferres, presumably. So unless Hardaker leaves, the 2017 Leeds Rhinos squad isn't going to look a great deal different to the 2016 one that has underperformed significantly.

Means that Ferres, L Briscoe, JJB and Lilley have been given new deals unannounced.

It's interesting that he said all bar Achurch and Falloon are contracted when, as far as we know, Ferres isn't contracted after 2016 either. Either GH misspoke or a deal's been done there.

Just spotted on Twitter somebody claims that Segeyaro hasn't arrived for training today which backs up the statement from yesterday claiming he told his team mates that it was his last session as he was coming to Leeds.

On another note, Leeds posted a picture of the squad with JJB last night at his play and there was no Achurch or Hardaker but Falloon was there.

Hall too.

Few too many people in that picture wearing baseball caps indoors. Kids today.

Wouldn't imagine attendance was mandatory.

I read your posts and think sometimes you just make it up as you go along...

Galloway was absolutely shot in his last NRL season - Tigers wanted him off their cap and no other club would have paid him decent money - too slow and ponderous for today's NRL, particularly with reduced interchanges

Cuthbertson - Has always been a bit of a journeyman. Had a couple of good seasons at St George, was decent overall, but generally too many risky offloads for most NRL coaches - Knights were happy to let him go, there was no clamour for his signature

Simms - Granted played very well in his last year at NQ, however he'd already signed with Wire at the beginning of the season, and NQ had been happy to let him go - again no clamour for him.. Too inconsistent, too many penalties and bans.... He may well have had suitors based on his last season but he'd already signed with Wire - before that season, he'd been average for years, with the odd good game when he got his pecker up....

Buderus - Wasn't the Blues captain, and whilst I'm sure Newcastle would have kept him, we paid him a kings ransom to come....

AG is bang on the money - they're here as a last resort or for a big payday....

No Mags or Moon in that pic either, nothing to read into any absentees.

Cuthbertson and Delaney being true Aussies with the flip flops on.

And yeah on attendance the players do have lives and responsibilities. The likes of Hall, Singleton and Moon all absent have had kids born in the last few months so perhaps spending time with family.

The deal for Ferres this year was on a lesser sum, and we had to fit under the cap, hence the announcement of one year. But they agreed right at the start on a three year deal, with the other two following on from this one year deal.

I'm glad, I don't think we have seen the best of Ferres yet and if Achurch is leaving and Ablett wants to retire it's a good plan given jjb age, Delaney's fitness and Ward returning from injury.