This smacks to me of PR by the Wakefield club? If Kear knows it's unlikely Les will even contemplate such a move, believing he will already be well on with tying up his next Union deal, then why raise the possibility at all?

Remember that Wakey still have the adjourned winding-up hearing to get through and all that. It hasn't gone away, you know.

Methinks this may be Wakey spin to suggest to the world that they have no financial worries and are dead ambitious and can swim in the same pond as the sugar-daddied clubs?

In any case though, Kear's comments allude very much to a short-term deal over the Union close season? That could be practicable for them if they have cap space and can get a sponsor to stump up?

Don't suppose we put any contracts in place with Les so that if he returned to League it had to be to us, and if anyone "cohersed" him away we'd be in line for some serious compo...?

If Vainikolo can demonstrate his fitness to be able to cope with RL and be better quality than what we already have then we should be interested. However if he's wants a large amount of cash we have to balance that against the needs of the team and whether it would be better spent developing one of our own or looking elsewhere. Like Adey I doubt whether we could afford him and making the effort to try and bring him back might be difficult given the need to attract sponsorship and the danger that it could bring up cap and tax issues.

Personally I'd say no. I think that boat has sailed. Les was a great servant for us but we had his best years. I doubt it would be good for us to bring him back when he's older, slower and more injury prone, even if close to the line he'd offer more of a threat than any other winger we have at the moment.

Better we spend any cash we have on finding the next Vainikolo rather than bringing back the old one.

Not many RU players come across and are fit enough for TGG imho. Big Les, for all the respect (as a person and player) and what he helped us achieve, wasn't in the best of nick before he left us. . . . so I'd have to say no . . . . unless he's v. cheap, fit, injury free

and able to fit within any prevailing restrictions (and not necessarily in that order)

That's exactly what I thought. But fair play to them - it seems to me half the battle of being a big club is hyping yourself up to be a big club even if you're not. From then on its like a snowball rolling down a hill until you actually ARE a big club.

That made sense in my head.

Surely you'd be a big SNOWBALL?



But it made sense in my head too, which is distinctly worrying...

I think all the talk of Les coming back as a winger seems to be ignoring the fact that currently he plays in the forwards at union so will almost certainly not have been doing any speed training. It would be very very difficult for him to regain even some of the pace that made him so formidable before he left(I think we can assume he still has the bulk

), of course he could play prop perhaps? Even then the harder summer grounds would take their toll on his knees. It all sounds a forlorn hope to be honest.

That's the crux of it. I don't think he'd offer a threat from anywhere else these days - not ideal for a winger.

He's been a winger in all of his union career, it may seem like he's been in the forwards as he often get brought into rucks he's not been in a lineout or scrum. He may not be scoring the tries he was doing in league and lost a bit of pace but he can still run through and bounce off defenders with ease and is still Gloucester's first choice winger. What im am saying is he is not completely spent and does still have a lot to offer, Lesley as a forward would be very appealing. I don't know what he would class as quota wise but I don't think any superleage club can afford him TBH and see him playing union in south of France next

"Sorry Lesley but you looked out of condition yesterday. Menatlly you are great for the team but after every run you looked like you were not fit enough."

Quote from a glouscester fans on their forum following a defeat earlier in Jan, its only one quote from a game I have no clue about, with no idea about context and form but it brought back some images of Les looking knackered on the wing for us before he left.

If he's looking that unfit in kick n clap now, I dont see how returning to league will do him any favours I'm afraid.

I think he appears far too early in the teamsheet for that. I`m not completely certain about the numbers in union but, I do know they do it the other way round and the first eight on the list are forwards. As for the south of France, with his knees he'd be better off sticking to the softer, muddy grounds of England, though he was such a great for us (and a smashing bloke as well) I have to wish him well in whatever he does.

He plays wing for Gloucester. Teamsheets usually start with fullback just like League. Les would usually wear 11.

What happened to all the Les to Leeds rumours? Was there ever any basis to them? Or did he just sign a contract as 'Shontayne Hape'?

Strange comment. Some of Calderwood's finest moments were giving Les nightmares chasing down kicks put behind him, the game-plan for the 2004 Grand Final being a perfect example.

Les was a quality winger, one of the best in the modern era, but aside from a couple of games when calderwood was a kid honours often finished even between them, despite their contrasting styles.

I would take Les above Calderwood now!!!

It was TV that brutalised Caldwrwood, wasn't it?

Nah, Fielden.

I'd take Ryan hall above the pair of them but that is not what we discussing.

Af, I agree with your recollection. TV gave Calders a cuople of frightening experiences when he first broke into the Leeds team but, as I said earlier, during the height our our battles I thought honours were fairly even overall between Calderwood and LV.

Macca is quoted in League Weekly to be interested in bringing Les back to the Bulls if the deal was right. He said he hadn't spoken to Lesley and wasn't sure of his intentions but would be keen on bringing him back if he fancied a stint in SL.

Would he be off quota now though?


At least it shows (well, possibly) that Macca realises the weakness in the wings?

You would assume that he must not count on any quota otherwise we wouldn't be in a position to even consider him.

Looking at Wakey, where every man and his mother and his gerbil seems to have an exemption, one suspects big Les would qualify for an exemption too?

On reflection, I could see benefits of a short-term deal here. Think we need an "unconnected" third party willing to pay big bucks for his image rights...come on Sir Ken, you know you want to!!!!

Macca heavily hinted that any deal would have to be on the right terms for the Bulls. I am certain Lesley could earn plenty more money elsewhere, so it may come down to what his motivation is right now.

It is pretty clear we could do with another wing option and even past his best I am pretty sure Les could barge he way over for a fair few short range tries.

Be a good signing for us.

Would be great to see the big fella back.....shot knees or not!

It would take the "buzz" up a notch or too, that's for sure!