I personally don't mind us signing Olpherts. One of our first choice Wingers in Fusitu'a missed half of the season last year and has a history of injury problems and there seems too be uncertainty about his future anyway so can see him leaving after 2023 season if not before.

Imo Tindall or Luis Roberts aren't ready too be first choice Wingers yet and it gives them another Season too develop and maybe try claim a starting winger spot in 2024.

Nobody knows the in's and Outs of the Hardaker situation apart from the club, Hardakers agent and himself. For all we know he could have been wanting XYZ amount of money we didn't think he deserves and could have wanted a lengthy contract again we didn't Justify.

He's an upgrade on Briscoe.

ZH gone by sounds of it.
Between DH,Fusitua,Handley,Tindall I assume one will be moved to centre? Or was that guy from Wigan a centre?

Olpherts mentioned he's played fullback and centre before joining Cas. Olpherts might be our utility back to cover 1-5, in which case he'll play a fair few games. Hardaker is a loss,but he's really a class fullback who is a solid centre. If Myler is first choice fullback, where would Hardaker play if everyone is fit?

Well, Hardaker has proven time and again he is a very competent Centre, he's an excellent Fullback (better than Myler IMO) and a useful stand in winger. Olpherts is probably better on the Wing than Zak, but has no SL track record at all in any other position.

This whole thing is dumb. The truth is we signed Olpherts months ago, and then got stuck with no space for a more useful player in Hardaker who was arguably our form back this season.

Is it still a dumb signing if Macdonald signs also?

In my view yes, we just don't need Olpherts as far as I can see, so he's a waste of cap space. He was the first choice Winger at Cas, will have been on decent money say £80k, and won't have come here for much less to be a back up. This is a waste of cap space, Winger is the easiest position to bring a younger player in, look how other clubs have done it. Did we need to sign Luis Roberts and Derrell Olpherts as back up wingers?

If the plan is he plays Centre then where is the track record that supports it? There isn't one.

It's a dumb signing.

Good to see you give him a chance before writing him off.

We have needed better depth in the squad for a while, talk of ‘back up’ isn’t correct IMO he will get plenty game time all clubs will get injuries.

Also without knowing what he’s getting paid either at Leeds or at Cas you don’t know wether its a waste of cap space or not

Deary me. Really feel sorry for Olpherts. Top in the league for tackle busts, 2nd in the league for carries, 3rd in the league for metres. Scores two tries in every three games and plays in 90% of matches. Clearly not good enough!

Indeed. He has great stats, as good as the best in SL. Like i've said earlier he's prone to an error but he'll get much better coaching. Its not a bad signing at all. Batley needs to calm down a bit

A clear upgrade on Briscoe (of the last few seasons)

Now announce a centre and a prop

I doubt we will be signing a prop but I'm hopeful of Macdonald signing.

yet leigh say he has re-signed for them

If he has they are over the OS quota

He's probably looking at the new Kit they've released and calling Gary Hetherington as we speak

can you be over the quota and cap out of season?
honest question. I've no idea

Good question. I assume you can’t be out of season but then you just wouldn’t be allowed to register/play all the players.

Didn’t Hull Kr have to deregister someone (Campese) for Willie Masons (short and terrible) stint.

I think the cap is live and you need to be within it at all times, so you can’t try and fiddle it by trying to backload or frontload paying someone a load of coin in winter. But I don’t know for sure.

I expect Leigh have some room to adapt from Championship to L1 re. The number of overseas they have.

Reading Matt Shaw, the rules were changed and it's no longer live. Has to be balanced out by year's end but you can be paying higher for a while.

They’ve 8 on quota apparently… surely can’t be allowed

Derek Beaumont seems to think he can do what he wants so who knows

It cant plus they have signed a quota player so one will definitely have to leave.

I wonder if there’s any thought gone into Fusitua moving inside to centre and olpherts starting on the wing?

More likely Handley who started out as a centre snd has played there plenty.

We don't need anyone playing Centre that cannot pass. Tom Briscoe was bad enough...