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...

Newman can't pass either.

Correct so we do not want another one , we were better off with Hardaker than the lad from Cas , whoever came up with this one has made a massive mistake

I think some posters need to re-read this contribution!

I get why people are questioning Olpherts signing when other areas need improvement, but I can see the logic of this.

The back 3 are key to getting momentum in every attacking set now. People talk about Saints big men rolling down the middle, but all their sets are on the back of their wingers making good metres in the early tackles.

Handley is good at this and so is Fusitua. But Fusitua has been out more often than not. So that's meant Tindall coming in and he doesn't look ready yet. He was criticised for running sideways too much, but now people say he's ready to be the first choice backup.

So no doubt Rohan has a plan and if it's based on having his wingers making hard yards, then Olpherts fits perfectly. And we don't know what he's costing or who else was available. So maybe he's the best of what is available.

And we don't know what Hardaker was asking for. Maybe he doesn't want to be a utility back and wants to be first choice full back. Maybe he wasn't willing to take less money to play that role and then the Leopards came knocking. End of the day, the club has made decisions to mange the squad and salary cap, hopefully based on what Rohan wants. I'll see how it pans out before throwing loads of of criticism at them

Agree with all that.