I'm surprised Clarke has been so Average, compared to his previous.

This is bang on.

Aiton has different attributes to roby, Clarke or whoever but he fits how we play and that is far far more important than some marquee name.

Those calling him average simply don't understand what they are watching.

Confirmed that Ian Henderson is leaving Catalan at the end of the season www.catalansdragons.com/en/artic ... -catalans/

Confirmed that Ian Henderson is leaving Catalan at the end of the season www.catalansdragons.com/en/artic ... -catalans/

Aiton seems to work and fit with the team at the moment. The only concern is that with Sinny leaving at the end of the season a real playmaker/game manager at 9 might be the best way to compensate. Aiton is strong, quick and a tough defender, but game management comes from behind him. The channel he defends in makes us a very solid outfit up the middle when he's on the pitch.

As for Lunt, I was never happy with Lunt in the first place. Couldn't see what he offered beyond what McShane gave us at the time. Wouldn't want him back.

I'm unclear how a new hooked could help fill the void left by our legendary loose forward/stand off?

Really? Have you seen Cameron Smith. I guess that's the line he is talking about.

We are signing Cameron Smith? Awesome.

Seriously, there are very few hookers every decade as good as someone like Smith and trying to compare Aiton to him is plain wrong.

Aiton is a good hooker, who fits our style and has really improved. Let's just give the guy credit.

ainton has been in superb form this year and really speeds things up for us. Hope we can keep him, he is the best hooker in super league at the moment and pivotal to our play.He always looks dangerous with the ball and tackles all comers well. He really makes the opposition work hard.Staying with Rhinos gives him every chance to pick up silverware and i rate him up with Buderaus.

Why are people so extreme! To call him average is ridiculous-he's been very good this year. To compare him to Buderus is also ridiculous.

Ailton would be a loss but like others I think he probably is replaceable. I'd rather not have to replace him though. He gets us on the front front and we look a lot more dangerous in the opposition 20 with him at dummy half.

I don't think comparing Aiton's form THIS season to Buderus's in a Leeds shirt is unreasonable. Aiton's career in RL won't be talked about in years to come in the same way that Buderus's will be but taking this season so far, Aiton's had a huge influence.

Confirmed - will not be at Leeds next season, will be with another (as yet unnamed) Super League club.

From his own comments, he's moving for money. Fair enough, if he's more bothered about chasing a few quid and winning fewer trophies so be it.

Disappointing if he has gone for money. According to Peter Smith on Twitter, Leeds have been making contingency plans just in case so it will be interesting to see if anybody should come in.

Cameron Smith. World class hooker, organiser and kicker. Kill two birds with one stone. Jobs a good un.

No chance.

Come on that's a bit unfair. It is not his fault he joined a top club later in life. Like he said, it is only a short playing career, and he can hardly be blamed for trying to make up his pension at this time of his career.

Shame we are losing him, pretty gutted, but good luck to him.

I'd have to agree with that, He's 30 and may be about to sign his last pro rugby contract

[iGary Hetherington said, "It is not come as a surprise because Paul rejected a new 3-year contract from us and told us of interest from other clubs some time ago, but it is always disappointing when a player of Paul's standing decides to leave the club. He is a full overseas quote player, so that provides us with some flexibility for 2016 and the search for another good player is on and will take as long as it needs to."
[/i

Houghton or Lunt look probable domestically.

But with an overseas spot now vacant, wonder if Uncle Gary will continue in growing the ozzie beard pack?

No problem with him moving on, but that's the choice he's made. Let's not paint it as anything else. Given their appalling away form he's got naff all chance of winning anything at the Dragons, but he's happy to put up with that because he'll be financially well rewarded for a couple of years.

It's a choice that quite a few players at Leeds could have made over the course of their careers but chose not to, if we are to believe the skipper's (2011?) Grand Final speech. Different people are motivated by different things in their professional lives.

Big rumours on the replacement front are still Danny Houghton and Manly's Matt Ballin. Would be underwhelmed with the latter, not because he's necessarily a bad player - second best Queensland hooker behind Cameron Smith over the last few years - but because he'll be 32 come next January and doesn't offer much in the way of longer term continuity.

This is a big loss for next year. I know Houghton has been muted as an addition for next year, but i wouldn't swap Aiton for anyone else in Super League at the moment.

Would be very happy with Houghton and think he's a better player TBH.
He looks far better at Hull than Aiton did at Wakefield..

He's been really good this season and it's a shame he's going, but hard to blame a pro player for looking for the best deal towards the end of his career, particularly if it happens to be Catalans (as rumoured) and a chance to experience a different lifestyle and culture.

Houghton would be a good like-for-like replacement, IMO. He has a similar skillset to Aiton and it'd be interesting to see how he'd go in a better pack. Ballin's on the outer at Manly and we wouldn't lose anything in terms of quality if we recruited him, but we're a bit top-heavy with Aussies at the moment, in my opinion, especially in the pack. But if the option is that or Burrow as a full-time 9 then Waltzing Matilda all the way.

^
This

But I do wonder how much is about cash and how much about lifestyle. I would have thought if it was just about cash, GH ought o have been able to find a way to keep him.

I've thought the same. You may get a new lease of life out of him. If he needs one, he's chucked in over a thousand tackles this year all ready. I know some criticize his running game (i know others are better positioned to say) but when Ive seen of him over the years he seems to scoot with quality over quantity. I'd welcome him to Leeds and would be very interested to see if surrounded by a better crop, where he can take his game to.

Yep. You look at how Josh Hodgson's game has improved this year surrounded by better players and you wonder whether the same would happen with Houghton.

You can see the same in Aiton. Wakefield weren't screaming when they lost him. Aiton's game has improved (this year has been far better than last years) and his earnings have also improved!