Have re-signed with Leeds from next year and going to join Bradford on loan for the rest of the season www.totalrl.com/bradford-bulls-s ... riors-duo/

Have re-signed with Leeds from next year and going to join Bradford on loan for the rest of the season www.totalrl.com/bradford-bulls-s ... riors-duo/

does that link state that they are still on Leeds' books?

Very good move by Leeds this. Gone out there got experience, now getting further super league experience before returning.

They got lucky things didn't work out for the players fully, but hopefully we now reap the benefits.

Good players, good news.

Didnt gary h get loads of stick on here from some for not signing these two up and letting NZ poach them?

Once again it seems his approach has worked out just fine

Not dissimilar to how Peacock started his career

This is what I find strange......

Luke Briscoe went to Wakefield and returned to Rhinos after playing one game. They considered dual reg with Hunslet but it was publicly announced that he could not get into the Hunslet side, so went back to Wakefield and hasn’t played since.

Baldwinson and Tonks for sure would have been offered dual reg with Hunslet, but again, as good as they are, were they told they would not get in the Hunslet team at this time?

So, it just goes to show what state London and Bradford are in if these lads (inc Minns, Foster & Ducky)can get game time in SL and not in the Championships.

Before people start saying they are too good to play for Hunslet, lets not be silly. Hunslet have around seven players who were in the old U20’s academy a few years ago and some were on first team contracts like Liam Hood and Jimmy Watson.

Perhaps these lads might get a stint at Hunslet next season when players and dual registration is being considered? Or perhaps they will play for London and Bradford in the Championship when they both get relegated?

Dear Me. Briscoe, Baldwinson, and possibly Tonks would get into the Hunslet team with ease.

What is the point in putting these players there, if they can get super league experience, and have just come back from playing the New Zealand comp.

IIRC the issue with Hunslet isn't one of quality, it's Barry Eaton (and March before him) wanting to give game time to the lads who are committed and contracted to Hunslet rather than just keep filling the team with dual reg players from Leeds.

Not as convinced about that as previous years. Don't forget Eaton is a coach now at Leeds also, and has an interest in player development.

Agree with the point to a degree, just think things might have changed slightly there.

Also the fact that Hunslet are League one now rather than championship is a big decider for the club. It is arguable whether League 1 is even up to under 20 standard.

Glad to see both returning still very young and we have the added bonus that they will hopefully have SL game-time under their belts.

I am glad they are coming back and hoped they learned from their experience down under. From what I read from what can be described as very unreliable information (fans forum) is Baldwinson did well but NZ warriors are not short of forwards so it was difficult for him to get a regular place in the first team and did quite well in the junior level. Tonks less so.

Purely out of interest does anyone have any idea how long their contracts are? I can find nothing on this.

Yep. Quite a bit from someone who is now saying "good move by Leeds this".

Anyway, I'm pleased to see Baldwinson back, given the reviews he got as a junior and think it's a masterstroke letting him play out the season at Bradford.

I always got the impression Tonks was just his boot boy but I could be wrong.

Dont forget this isn't an argument but just clearly a statement.......

Point One - You clearly didnt read what I wrote.....
Luke Briscoe went to Wakefield and returned to Rhinos after playing one game. They considered dual reg with Hunslet but it was publicly announced that he could not get into the Hunslet side, so went back to Wakefield and hasn’t played since. SO he cannot get in the team.

Point 2 - Also NRL U20s isn't quite the same as playing NRL first team. I expect its nearer to a bottom half Championship standard at most.

Point 3 - And although I agree much of the Chamopinship One sides are poor. The Rhinos U19s would give them all a game - with the exception of maybe Hunslet and York. I seem to remember Hunslet playing Rhinos second string in January and you had Kylie, Bailey, Singleton, Achurch and Clarkson all in the pack and still lost.

Point 4 - I do wonder whether playing at London and having 50 points put past them every week really brings on their Super League Skills.

Its funny how things work out isnt. good to see them both coming back.

The truly is the lack of an A team scenario, this was always going to be a mistake scrapping the A teams. It's time Leeds entered an A team in league one so the older junior players can earn their stripes in the open age against men.

I defended the club and was one who felt that if the lads could do better overseas then good luck to them both.

its good to hear they are coming back to us though and not a St's or a Wigan to go on to become great players.credit to the club for how all this has been handled,and hopefully the players will be better allround for the experience and kick on to be great players for us because an opening will be presenting itself in their position in the not too distant future.

Could call it 'hunslet'

Or bramley

It's so difficult to tell how teenage players will develop, but this has worked out very well for Leeds, particularly with Baldwinson who looked a great prospect. They tried some new things, hopefully picked up some knowledge and professionalism from the NRL and Dean Bell, and now they get to play SL level for half a season before they come back to us. Credit to the lads for giving it a go - bet they had some fun as well the jammy sods and I reckon Mr H let them know that if things didn't work out then all they had to do was call.

I wonder if a certain Wigan poster will comment.

Rather him than he

Was tempted to tip this happening the other week. Found it strange that on the Rhinos website/twitter there was a couple of news stories this season about the two and how they were getting on in NZ including reporting that they were going to be playing against Wigan in their WCC warm-up.

Seemed an odd move to be highlighting what 2 promising youngsters who we'd lost were up to. Can't recall them doing it for any others, barely any mention of the 5 who've gone to Wakey & London, or when Daniel Smith had a year down under, or when Amor was at Wakey they never said anything regarding him.

I was starting to think the plan all along was for them to come back to Leeds at some point, perhaps the opportunity to get a dozen or so games at SL level at Bradford sped up the process. Perhaps no coincidence that they went to a club with a strong Leeds connection in Dean Bell being there.

But it was a horrnedous indictment of Leeds' junior development that they left in the first place. We should have paid whatever it took to keep both of them, regardless of the team salary structure.

Sorry - couldn't resist.

The reality is either the Warriors had a look and decided they weren't good enough, they were homesick or they realised their chances of first team action were much lower at the Warriors than in England. I'd be surprised if there isn't an element of all three.

The good news is that this sort of failure will make the Warriors (and other NRL clubs) less likely to poach untried kids again.

Surprised Baldwinson is coming back, what with the offer he got from Leeds allegedly being so ridiculously poor and derisory, I thought he'd never want to speak to GH ever again

Hasn't GH in effect saved a whole year's pay - albeit peanuts - and yet had these two get more experience both overseas and most likely SL? The man's clearly hopeless. Get rid.

To be serious again for a second, it seems possible from fan comments that Baldwinson has almost been ignored by his teammates whilst playing for the Warriors juniors. At any other NRL club I'd say that was rubbish, but player power has always been a problem in NZ for some unfathomable reason (given how massively they tend to underperform).

I can understand other kids being annoyed - they're getting more money, taking my mate's position etc - but if that has actually been allowed by coaches at that level then the club's an even bigger mess than it looks from the outside.