One might already be signed. GH is usually good with his signings and I'm sure this one will be OK (whoever it is).

GH's record of overseas signings has been very mixed. On the plus side there's the likes of Luati'iti, Leuluai, Webb and (eventually) Buderus. On the downside you could have the likes of Cross, Eastwood, Hauraki, Millard and Mark O'Neill. The common thread across our recent failures, Eastwood apart, has been paying peanuts and signing monkeys.

What about Scott Donald, David Furner, Mark Granville etc. Any idea whether it's Mini or Williams?

I thought Toopi was unlucky getting injured when he did

Millard and Hauraki although overseas players were signed having impressed for SL clubs and in this context should count as domestic signings. At the very least if you're bagging GH for them you should also give credit for Poching and Dunemann who came to Leeds in similar circumstances.

Hauraki still has the ability to turn into a successful signing...depends if he can find some consistency.

Is it really fair to class Millard as a poor signing - he was a short time signing filling a gap after Dunneman left and Diskin got injured IIRC. I thought he did a reasonable if unspectacular job.

Quote ="nantwichexile"Pay peanuts.....etc etc .'" Not true. download.ei-ie.org/Docs/WebDepot ... Report.pdf Teachers salaries in the UK are amongst the best in Europe and have rose significantly during Labour's time in office. In fact I'd say that has actually compounded the problem. Teaching used to be a vocation for many highly talented academics but the attractive salaries for extremely average graduates (of which there are huge numbers these days) has seen an influx of dip$h!ts into the teaching profession - particularly in the infant and junior schools. Remember this on C4's Dispatches? www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... -test.html The teachers at our comp are on a different planet, they are recruited on performance and has a head who doesn't accept second best and it shows. Our comp is one of the best in the country.

Quote ="nantwichexile"Pay peanuts.....etc etc .'" Not true. download.ei-ie.org/Docs/WebDepot ... Report.pdf Teachers salaries in the UK are amongst the best in Europe and have rose significantly during Labour's time in office. In fact I'd say that has actually compounded the problem. Teaching used to be a vocation for many highly talented academics but the attractive salaries for extremely average graduates (of which there are huge numbers these days) has seen an influx of dip$h!ts into the teaching profession - particularly in the infant and junior schools. Remember this on C4's Dispatches? www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... -test.html The teachers at our comp are on a different planet, they are recruited on performance and has a head who doesn't accept second best and it shows. Our comp is one of the best in the country.

Wonder how Eastwood woould have gone if he hadn't had problems with his visa? That year at the Bulldogs was the problem. That said, he didn't come across as a guy who was interested in playing here - just making some cash. He could quite possibly have given it the "homesick" routine after his first season anyway.

Hauraki still has to show anything, Millard and O'Neill were cheap and nasty, Cross was rubbish. Having said that, Cross proved he was rubbish and then Wigan signed him! However poor we might seem I'd be interested in looking how well other clubs have really done with overseas signings in comparisson.

Me too. Can't ever remember thinking he was a poor signing.

Has there been any movement in Bradford selling players and should we be interested?

He was dire.

Was solid as a rock for Widnes and Broncos but simply didn't produce the goods for us. I imagine he was brought it for his old-head, he was around 30 when we signed him. One to forget. I try to.

The number 15 curse in full evidence

lunt to sign permanent mcshane off to hull kr

The only thing I really remember him for is scoring a try from dummy half in a game at Wigan - I think we were something like 16-0 down at half time and his try sparked a 2nd half comeback win. Beyond that, I don't really remember him doing much, but as has already been said he was only really a stop gap signing, so I don't really think much was expected.

Ahh that was a great 2nd half comeback in the Pie-Dome we won 24-16 i believe with Sinny amongst the try scorers in that awful silver/grey kit!

Kit geek alert

True ? Got to hope so.

The thing with overseas players - whether they're based in England or direct from the NRL - is that no club ought to be signing anyone who is "OK" at best. Going back to 2000 and looking at successes/failures, I'd say:

2000 - Barnhill, Bell, Mackay - 1/2 at best with 1 lucky find for 10 games, 1 huge disappointment and 1 sadly injured early (so excluding Bell from the numbers).
2001 - Carroll, Clyde, Mullins, Mears, Mercer - 1/4 (won't count Mercer who was previously a great player for Leeds). Carroll was great first year, poor the next, and Mears was a sook.
2002 - Adamson, Vowles, Walker, Poching - 0/4. I warned people Ben Walker was cr*p before he signed, and he was. Vowles was average at best, and Adamson a big-talking, walking example of a massively overrated player.
2003 - Dunemann, Furner, McKenna - 3/3. Always thought Dunemann was a very useful player to have around.
2004 - Ali, Bai - 2/2 Ali certainly the best overseas signing by Leeds in the modern era.
2006 - Donald, Millard, O'Neill, Toopi - 2/4 being generous to Toopi who was solid if a shadow of his former self.
2007 - Leuluai, Webb - 2/2 excellent.
2009 - Buderus - 1/1 questionable rationale but a class player
2010 - Delaney, Eastwood - being generous, a flukey 1/2 given that Delaney was originally signed as a centre. I don't think there was any 'bad luck' involved in the Eastwood signing - he came purely for the money (which he admitted in an interview the day he signed for Leeds) and should never have been asked to honour his deal when it became clear he really didn't want to be in England well before he arrived.
2011 - Cross, Hauraki - 0/2 so far, although Hauraki will hopeully become a better player, and possibly worth a punt given his performances at the Crusaders.

So a success rate I'd argue somewhere around 50%, given my initial criteria of being absolutely pointless signings if they are just making up the numbers. I've no idea how that compares to other sides - I wouldn't be at all surprised if most clubs are at about the same level.

It won't be Minichello... www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1y31n.html

It won't be Minichello... www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1y31n.html

Another "strong" rumour binned. Next.

Quote ="rhinoms"It won't be Minichello... www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1y31n.html'" If it was either Mini or the "Wolfman" does this mean that the player signed is the latter? I noticed Frostie was backing David Williams the other day. If the rumour is accurate it would mean BJB to fullback.

Quote ="rhinoms"It won't be Minichello... www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1y31n.html'" If it was either Mini or the "Wolfman" does this mean that the player signed is the latter? I noticed Frostie was backing David Williams the other day. If the rumour is accurate it would mean BJB to fullback.

I can't believe you didn't rate Poching as a good signing. Other than that pretty accurate

Yep I'd agree with that except for Poching & Adamson. I think both added much needed bite and go-forward in the second row.

Agree about Poching. IMO Adamson started well at Leeds but his ego seemed to get the better of him.

If we managed to sign Taylor from HKR as a replacement for Kylie I'd be happy.