What about Powell as director of rugby - I could see that happening - sadly. As long as what happened with Agar at Leeds and Sheens at Wests doesn't happen again

only one word for this - poopshow.

I really hope this is a serious final push to clear the decks of deadweight of which arguably Austin although not the main culprit is one of them.
He had x2 back to back games and people wanted a 2 year deal put in front of him since then, when we've needed him he's stunk, rocks or diamonds player and TBH bar a few flashes lets face it, he's underwhelmed.
If you dont want to be here then off you pop "Side before self every time"

The days of panic signing average players to long contracts need to end, we either go with our youth and bring them through or we get our hands in our pocket and go buy quality. I cant help but feel that with better communication and a little more openness by management / recruiting this could all have been avoided. Instead everyone has their backs up as yet again as it feels the club is again bantering our own fanbase.

It certainly feels like a defining moment which way that tips I don't know.

Said it before, there has to be a plan.
Everyone on here knows the recruitment for next year was make or break when it comes to moving forward and out of the limbo of the forever rebuild.

So Management will know. So either it's going to plan A and we have big quality coming in to replace/ improve or the plan B is to make do on the cheap for another 2-3 years.

Either way the Hardaker/ Walters/ Austin contract stuff hasn't made the club look professional,well run or on top of the situation

I wouldn't let Powel be director of the tuck shop.

It certainly appeared to be the result of a bust up between Austin and GH given the speed it moved. If the above is true and that's not the case it makes it all the more baffling to me. If the situation was Austin and his agent came and said they wanted to leave why did we suddenly say "Yes, leave immediately and go to a direct rival" doesn't make any sense. Something must have instigated the speed at which this all moved - even Cas said they didn't know he was available until late Wed night right? Something very odd going on. If it had been a big bust up then I can at least understand it but if GH is telling the truth (*if*) then I'm even more baffled than I was yesterday tbh

Even in our current form cas are not a direct rival.

I wonder if he has some insurance from Cas that they will give him a deal if Fev miss out on promotion. If not I don't understand what he has gained from leaving early.

To be honest I’d rather watch a team full of local youngsters finish in 8th than a team full of average imports finish in 8th.

Austin&Sezer in the halves was never going to transform our team. We have got the exact same players than Warrington and Huddersfield fans watched for the years prior to signing.

Apparently Austin saying Leeds didn’t even offer him a year, they’re still undecided he said. Someone posted a screenshot of a tweet he’s sent today. Clearly thrown his teddies out

Both Sezer and Austin were pretty good in their first seasons in the UK, so there was always potential.

If that's true then it appears they were wanting it both ways
Don't offer a contract to see if get a replacement but if not we will give you one

And? Doesn’t mean he has to ask to leave, he was welcome to find a contract elsewhere and see this one out if he didn’t want to wait, like Sezer has

What response should the club have given on Sky? Leeming was already demoted to interchange hooker.

I wasn’t suggesting that the club should respond on sky I am merely pointing out that Austin wanted a new contract. As far as I am aware the club until Austin left hadn’t responded either for a new contract or letting him go. As for leeming it doesn’t matter if he was interchange hooker or first choice.
He left and wasn’t replaced thus putting pressure on Conner who is still learning his trade.

And Austin can want a contract all he like the club doesn’t have to A offer him one or B automatically offer him what he wants.

The deadline for signing for next year isn’t August the 4th (I’m sure some people on SM think that by the comments)

Smith was happy to give O’Connor and Johnson a go at 9, Leeming didn’t need to be replaced. People moan we don’t give youngsters a chance, and we have, and you still get people moaning.

If we had signed a 9 people would of moaned it’s stopping their development, especially Johnson’s.

We also had no quota spots available, which British 9 would you have signed to replace him?

Austin might be a prat but he didn't deserve to be messed about. by August he should have been told if he was wanted or not.
I'm sure some will think the club are entitled to do what they want, in their world they do nothing wrong, but players are entitled, at this stage, to get there futures sorted

Austin could have sorted his future out, he’s been totally free to talk or sign with another club for quite a while, he didn’t have to wait for Leeds to offer him what he wanted.

Maybe there wasn’t the interest he thought there was (hence the fev rumour)

Looking back there was reports of his agent ‘shopping him round’ to other clubs in June, as I say maybe he didn’t have any takers.

Only that Austin preferred to stay at leeds and hoped they would offer him a contract based on his willingness at the time to pledge his future to the Rhinos.
Due to us not being able to make a decision on his future he has childishly asked for a move.
If we wanted him to stay we could have refused his request as I`m sure Smith would have wanted.
Hetherington on the other hand thought he could save a few quid and agreed to him moving.
Most of us on here thought we would need to find at least 1 halfback possibly 2.
I`m sure GH thought the same and should by now have at least 1 half lined up and the other on the radar.

as I said leeds can no wrong in some people's eyes

It was reported we offered him a one year deal but he wanted two - don’t know if that’s true or not.

This is the Blake Austin that said he was happy with one year desls.

A completely normal transfer at a completely normally run club. Nothing to see here.

The club has got plenty wrong in the last few years, This Austin situation isn’t one of those IMO

Not sure why it has to be so binary.

I am out of the country so I was surprised at the move. However. Rhinos didn’t want him or they would have offered him a contract. I just hope we can use the next 8 games to develop sinfield. I don’t particularly want to see another big name signing at the expense of academy player development