He has the full cap available

now whether GH is prepared to spend it on just anyone is another matter.

just a conversation, the quote was "maclellan will have an open cheque book next year" not my words.... was also said diskin is on his way and smith will be at wasps, apparently was a good RU fullback when younger.

I don't think its that uncommon for coaches not to be given the choice of who to sign.

We tend to think the coach draws up a shortlist and the CEO/Chairman does his best to get them, but there's many a signing - and not just in RL - that is made by the boss and not the coach. Coaches are short term appointments - maybe no longer than a player - and CEOs have egos and half an eye on signings impacts for ticket sales and marketing as well as on field contributions.

In the case of Hetherington you've got an ex-player and ex-head coach so it would be very tempting for him to have more say in who is targeted than we might expect.

Why should someone who doesnt work for Leeds have any say in team affairs?

That makes logical sense to me - Diskin was unhappy at having the 9 taken away, his agent represents several players at Hull KR, and Leeds have in McShane a player with serious potential

Don't you think that he has been granted a testimonial for next season will effect this?

Hetherington has always wanted Buderus. I am sure McClennan did not put any obstacle to that, but Hethering always wanted him. He tried to sign him 3 years ago.

You are right on Eastwood though. Although, I guess that is probably the only choice he has had so far with the squad since he arrived. Although even then, Hetherington tried to sign Pritchard first, McClennan always wanted Eastwood.

Mclennan himself was quoted in the YEP saying he wanted Buderus and asked GH to go get him.

Like I said, he wouldn't have put up any obstacle. Would you? I certainly wouldn't.

But Hetherington always wanted Buderus, and IMO he would have been signed whether Bluey wanted him or not.

I repeat.....Mclennan himself said he wanted Budreus. He said he asked GH to go sign him.

That is something more than "not putting up an obstacle" to the signing.

But Mclennan was quoted as saying that just before the signing was announced.

Buderus was signed September 2007, long before that. When Hetherington went to Aus back end of 2007.

Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

Actually, to be fair I shouldn't have said signed, thats an over exageration. A deal was agreed in September 2007, not signed.

Just to remind us all of the plans our CEO was making in March of last year.

[size=150Rhinos chief’s Aussie mission[/size
10th March 2008

[iLeeds Rhinos could have a replacement for departing Great Britain star Gareth Ellis tied up within a month. Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington was today en-route to Australia on a week-long recruitment mission. He will take in four games in the coming weekend’s opening round of National Rugby League fixtures and said he expects to line up at least one recruit for the 2009 campaign. Hetherington said finding a replacement is his number one priority. “It is primarily a recruitment exercise for both the Rhinos and Leeds Carnegie,” said Hetherington, before setting off today. ”I will be exploring the market for the rugby union club while I’m there, but in terms of rugby league, in Australia there is no deadline date as to when you can approach players coming out of contract. It is pretty much a free market, as was shown by Gareth Ellis’ transfer. Quite a few players who are on the market now might not be in four or six week’s time. I am going to firm things up with a view to primarily looking for a replacement for Gareth, but also we have got quite a bit of flexibility within our squad for 2009. Brian McClennan has identified a number of players he is interested in. While nothing is likely to happen while I’m there, I will be progressing matters and getting into such a position where we can make a decision. In terms of time scale, in the next four weeks I would think we could make some announcements. It is all for 2009, we are not looking to add any players for this year. Losing Gareth is disappointing, but the advantage is we know about it early. I will be meeting a number of players and managers and there is bound to be a lot of speculation, but I will not be commenting on any of it.” [/i

Three days later:

[size=150Rhinos sign World star Buderus[/size
13th March 2008

[iThe signing of New South Wales captain Danny Buderus could benefit Leeds Rhinos for years into the future, coach Brian McClennan predicted today. Buderus, who has played 24 times for Australia and made 18 State of Origin appearances for New South Wales, will join the Rhinos on a two-year deal, beginning next season. McClennan believes Buderus will be a sensation in engage Super League and will bring the very best out of the Rhinos’ current first-team squad, plus youngsters coming through the ranks.
”His hooker/half-back partnership at Newcastle with Andrew Johns would probably be recognised as the best partnership ever in the game,” McClennan said today. “He is going to be able to play alongside and pass his skills on to Matt Diskin, Rob Burrow, Danny McGuire, Brent Webb and Kevin Sinfield. I was trying to think about how we can help our pivotal players become better – and they are terrific anyway. He is going to help them not just for next year, but for decades to come. He’s someone that I think is really going to help the Rhinos, not just for the next couple of years, but into the future.” McClennan insisted Buderus’ arrival does not threaten current first-choice hooker Diskin’s position at Leeds. “I know the big question on everyone’s lips is going to be, what about Disko?” he admitted. “This is going to end up helping Disko become a better player. I think he has been our best player this year, but – how could you not agree with this – the game gets faster every year. Come 2009-10 it will keep getting quicker and you need a two-pronged hooker attack. Most of the top clubs do that – like St Helens with Cunningham and Roby – and it will really help Disko. It is going to help make him an attractive option for England to look at.” McClennan added: “He has captained Australia, he is the current captain of New South Wales and I recall him playing in two winning Grand Finals in 1997 and 2001. He has done everything he possibly can as an Australian player and the beauty of it for the Rhinos is we are getting him at a good age.
He has only just turned 30, so we will be getting him as a 31/32-year-old.” It was revealed last month that the Rhinos were vying with Wigan to sign Buderus. His decision to join Leeds was announced overnight, British time, at a press conference in Australia, attended by the player and Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington. Said Hetherington: “We are excited about the prospect of Danny joining the World Champions for 2009. With Gareth Ellis joining Wests Tigers next season, an opportunity arose to recruit a world class player for our squad and in Danny Buderus we have signed one of the greatest players in the world. Danny has achieved everything in Australia with the Knights, New South Wales and the Kangaroos, but now he will be able to fulfil his dream of playing in England and the opportunity to play at places like Wembley and Old Trafford with the Rhinos.” Buderus said: “This is an opportunity to broaden my life and rugby league experiences while fulfilling my career ambitions of playing in England. While I have mixed emotions that come with knowing my NRL career is coming to an end, the time was right for me and my young family to make this decision.” Knights coach Brian Smith said: “He plays at a level others aspire to and has set the benchmark in a lot of areas of play around his own position. There’s very few players who can do that.” Knights chief executive Steve Burraston said: “When Danny indicated he would like to continue his career in England we did everything we could to make it happen. We’re thrilled he is joining Leeds because he deserves the very best.”
[/i

Thank you tvoc.

The deal was agreed long before Hetherington went out there for the official signed papers. He did it on his previous visit to Aus.

How do you know this?

I posted it at the time Gareth. At Christmas of 2007 Gareth Ellis was still going to resign with Leeds, but negotiating the best deal. I spoke with him personally about it. He told me then that Leeds had already come to an agreement with Buderus.

I have always posted since correcting people who said Buderus was signed to replace Ellis. Because he wasn't. Eastwood was signed to replace Ellis. He was the only signing after Ellis decided to sign for Wests.

As it happens, wether the above is correct or not, Buderus certainly agreed a deal before Hetherington flew out there, just by the timelines alone.

You did right. Anyone saying we signed a hooker to replace a 2nd rower is a bit backward IMO.

[size=150Maybe no replacement for Ellis?[/size
18th March 2008

[iThe Rhinos will “not necessarily” sign a second-rower to replace Wests Tigers-bound Gareth Ellis, chief executive Gary Hetherington said today at the end of his week-long scouting mission in Australia. “Danny Buderus is our replacement for Gareth Ellis, in terms of exchanging one international-standard player for another,” said Hetherington. “In terms of position, Brian has got to look at exactly where he wants to strengthen. We have only just started the season and a lot of things can happen between now and the end of the year.” Hetherington added: “I’ve been meeting up with a number of players’ agents and players themselves and I’ve also been checking out the market for rugby union players for Leeds Carnegie. I’ve been looking at who’s available and who’s keen to join us. We have got a terrific reputation over here, no doubt about that, and Brian has got a great reputation as well. There’s no doubt that players over here are looking towards England, at any age, whereas in the past to get top-class players you’d be looking at the back end of their career.
This trip has been about sewing seeds and progressing things. It’s good to get to meet people, so then you can get a better idea of if they are interested and how enthusiastic they are. It’s been a chance to meet people and answer questions they might have about the club. We may be gearing up to make signings, but it all depends on the salary cap. It may be possible there could be one more overseas signing, but we’re not looking to increase our reliance on overseas players. We have got some outstanding young players coming through, so there’s all sorts of factors, but there’s no shortage of interest in joining Rhinos. One possible option could be to recruit a centre, with Keith Senior moving up into the second-row. Rhinos have been linked with Melbourne Storm back-rower Michael Crocker as a possible direct replacement for Ellis and Sydney Roosters’ Kiwi back Sam Perrett is another name being mentioned in the Australian media. But Hetherington said: “We’ll be linked with a number of players, but I’m not going to comment on speculation.”[/i

Possibly - depends on how much he thinks he will generate from a testimonial against potential increase in salary over 5 years I suppose?

don't know anything either way on diskin, but paul cooke signed for rovers the season before his testimonial obviously due to a dispute he was having with hull, and reputedly collected a nice fat signing on fee to make up for it, or so most people believe in hull. So the testimonial may not necessarily be a sticking point.

A signing on fee going straight to a player won't be easy if KR are spending close to the cap as they reputedly are these days.

He had to move because he needed the money to pay his legal bills for his defence in the assault case?

The Hooker Could Be Ruled Out For Upto 6 Months...