I don't think you can totally let the sharks off the hook as they most likely tapped up segeyaro

I agree with what everyone is saying, Segeyaro was a god send last year and certainly helped us at the end. The thing is hes gone and nowt we can do about it.
One thing that looks certain is we have a very good replacement who certainly looks the real deal on his pre season games I only hope our players can keep up with him

It was weeks after his contract obligations had begun. Leeds had planned and recruited around having Segeyaro. There are players for whom this season will be their last as a professional player, players for who Segeyaro's decision will have made a sizeable difference to their chances of lifting one more piece of Silverware.

If Segeyaro wanted a clause in his contract that he could leave whenever he wished, he should have negotiated one in to his contract. The reason he didnt, is that such a clause would have massively depressed his salary, if he was offered one at all.

Similarly, right now, he could agree to pay the transfer fee to break his contract himself. He could negotiate a lower wage so that the NRL club can pay his transfer fee. The reason he isnt is because he wants the money.

I disagree - whilst he'd agreed the new contract, in reality, his duties didn't really start until he returned for pre-season. Sure it inconvenienced Leeds, but ultimately have ended up in probably the same place as if he'd rejected the deal weeks earlier.
As for expecting Segeyaro to buy himself out - I doubt many people could afford to pay out that sort of money, and for what - inconveniencing Leeds for a few weeks.... it's overkill.
Those saying he would have expected to be paid had he got injured, I agree, he would - but the club are big enough to deal with that, as an individual, he's not got the same resources to deal with this whole fallout. Him leaving does not have anywhere near the same impact on Leeds (they've already got an adequate replacement), as him not being able to earn what he's worth from the game will have on his entire life.
I might be getting soft in my old age - but I've made mistakes, agreed to things I didn't really want to do and then changed my mind, and I'd hate to think anyone would have held me over a barrel for it....
Ultimately, Leeds have hardly been impacted by this and are fighting the matter of principle (and I repeat, wholly Segeyaros fault) but in doing so are causing a young bloke to potentially lose hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of earnings from what is already a short career with limited earning potential. Regardless of who's fault it is - that just doesn't sit well with me.

True the club is big enough to deal with that.....and Cronulla (or any other NRL team) are big enough to offer a fee if they want him and that's what we're asking of them to do.

For all the criticism of GH being tight with money, we've now got to a situation where he's being criticised for not allowing someone to leave for free just because another club doesn't fancy having to pay anything and want Segeyaro on the cheap.

Yet he will have been getting paid at that time. When you sign a contract you're a Leeds player all year round regardless of in-season or pre-season.

What do you think would happen if he got seriously injured whilst on his pre-season break? Do you think Leeds would turn around and say "oh well his duties didn't start for another few weeks so bye bye James"

The problem is, any fee counts on the cap - hence the Sharks always maintaining they can't and won't pay a substantial fee. They've been open throughout - if Segeyaro can get a release to return to Oz, they're interested, if not, they're not.
Which then leaves a young bloke unable to earn a fair wage from the game - and for what?

He'd have had at most 1 months wage of his new contract, get that back by all means, but hardly worth £250k fee.

And as I said, Leeds would no doubt have paid him if he'd got injured, but that's the same point I made earlier and does mean it's a bit of a lopsided agreement in thenplayers favour - but, when signing from overseas, this type of thing could always happen, and for me that's part of the gamble - with it only being a few weeks after signing and well before pre-season started,, I don't see the need to take him to task for wanting to backflip.

Leeds and the rest of SL can't afford the best NRL players anymore......should NRL teams just give them to us for free because we really want them?

That's the exact problem, Cronulla asked a player to go and get himself released from his contract, that's all wrong. You want a contracted player, you bid for him, you don't try what they've done.

Segeyaro could be earning a wage right now.......at Leeds, if he knew Cronulla weren't prepared to pay a fee then he shouldn't have taken the course of action he did and should've gone about it in a respectful manner like others who have departed early have done.

Completely agree - but, he always expressed his desire to stay in the NRL if a deal was available, nowni get the deadline for this passed and he's played the whole scenario terribly - he's lost all credibility, but I still don't think it's right to essentially prevent him from earning what he's worth in a limited career given the relatively small timescales of the whole situation and the fact Leeds have sorted a replacement.

He is 100% wrong throughout this whole situation, Leeds absolutely have the moral and legal high ground and are IMO legally in a position to demand a fee - but I maintain, given the promptness of his his wish to renege (the fact it was off season and before he'd carried out any duties), his 'homebird' personality and personal situation and the fact Leeds sorted an adequate replacement, just let it go....

Thing is Leeds didn't terminate his contract straight away when his first media piece about not wanting to return to came out. Between that piece and him being terminated GH will have spoken to him and told him he wouldn't be allowed to go for nothing, so Segeyaro has taken the option to not earn a wage by refusing to come back to the UK.

He's the reason he's not earning a wage right now, nobody else.

Were Cronulla to pursue a libel action against you over the above, would you consider it as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Or would you regard it as a justifiable and proportionate response?

Considering the same thing has been said in national Australian press I don't think they're bothered by one poster on a English message board saying it.

Not really the point. Feel free to imagine they did and answer the question.

In reality, his obligations started when he agreed them. Just as Leeds did. It would have been similarly unacceptable for Leeds to simply decide not to pay him.

All the equivocating about the impact on Segeyaro ignores one simply but crucial fact. Segeyaro could have honoured his obligations to Leeds. He could have earned a lot of money for playing rugby league. It was his choice to give up that money. Segeyaro knew, when he decided to avoid his responsibilities that he wouldnt earn that money.

Isnt the problem there the NRL rules rather than Leeds actions?

He could - but it means moving to the other side of the world, and given the opportunity to earn similar money and stay nearer his family, I don't blame him for wanting to take that option instead - and given it was only a matter of weeks after the deadline, and Leeds are now sorted, Leeds should just let him do that and move on.



Absolutely, but thems the current rules. I don't think Leeds have done anything wrong, I just don't see the point in holding him to task, even though Leeds are well within their rights to do so. Each case should be looked at on merit, and in this case, there's no lasting damage, so move on.

You are correct in assuming Leeds have the Legal and moral high ground and therefore can legally demand a fee, where you are wrong is the fact he missed his notification ( 1st September ) deadline by a couple of months and if that is what you call prompt then lets hope you don't become a time keeper.

He had also carried out his duties from he arrived in the UK until the point of informing Leeds of his intention to walk on on his contract ( Continuation of service ).

The players want to have large long term contracts as they have a short playing career which is fine but this deal has to work both ways employer / employee. If players want short termination contracts say one months notice then fine but I am sure clubs would not be prepared to pay the big dollars.

The main problem is the NRL clubs can pay a lot more then we can and therefore players will be enticed however if clubs don't stand up to this tactic then how many other players will be 'homesick' / retire and then turn up somewhere else for more money.

I did answer the question, that you didn't like the clear answer is your problem.

I might be over simplifying here but until Jan 3rd Segeyaro was given permission to be in Australia by Leeds. Leeds, knowing he wasnt going to return, signed Parcell as a replacement.

Shouldnt Segeyaro's agent have advised him to return to Leeds on Jan 3rd? Leeds would then have had a problem and would probably have ended up releasing Segeyaro to go to Cronulla.

Personally i understand Leeds' stance but realistically the game needs Segeyaro's on the field, we have replaced and moved on so get a deal done with Cronulla asap and let him play. We can keep him out of the game for 2 years but what benefit do Leeds and the sport gain from that?

The benefit is that contracts actually mean something and can't just be ignored. This is of vital importance to the game here. Whilst the game here might miss a player of Segeyaro's quality, the NRL will not.

It's pretty simple for both Segeyaro and Cronulla. If Segeyaro didn't want to stay at Leeds, don't sign the contract, nobody forced him to. If Cronulla want to sign a contracted player then they should do it through the proper channels and pay a transfer fee and not tap him up and try and persuade him to get out of his contract. Something which many NRL clubs have been active at doing over the last 10 or so years.

I agree and thats why i said do a deal asap, im not saying release him, but there is a bigger picture. The last thing we need is to fall out with his agent as he is one of the big players in RL. We also dont want any potential signings thinking if it doesnt work out at Leeds my career will be on hold for duration of my contract.

Its not like we developed Segeyaro and invested time and money in him for a long time. He was a Leeds player for 2 months. He clearly wont play for us again so whats point in not getting a deal done. Clearly 250k is a nonsense and an unobtainable amount.

Leeds are looking to do a deal, that's why they have publicly said that Segeyaro is available for a transfer fee. If he really wants to leave then as I have said before why not say to the Sharks,
I will sign a reduced salary of say £ 60,000 per year on a three year deal and you offer Leeds 180k. ( Sentiment mentioned before not amounts for anyone who goes back and checks posts )

I am pretty sure that doing this he would still be on more than he was here, He gets to pay and play, we get a transfer fee, Sharks get a squad player, happiness all round. Oh hang on though would they be worried he might not honour a three year deal and therefore not worth the risk.

On future overseas players all they have to do is negotiate a release clause that if not happy after x months then they can give notice and leave, oh hang on just like Leeds did with Segeyaro..

If I was cronulla or any other club, would you want to splash out any transfer fee under any circumstances to sign a player who has already renegaded on one contract, what's to say he did agree a smaller salary and cronulla pay a transfer fee then he decides to f*** of again.

I did like it as your evasiveness tended to undermine rather than strengthen your argument. So no problem here.