I see we're on the front page of the League Express. The headline is 'Centurions slam Rhinos' - wonder what that's all about then.

It's a bit premature Mish but Charlie has told me Derek and Gary Hetherington will be boxing next Saturday evening.

Squash him Derek

I think that press release went on a bit to be perfectly honest. Just look at the title of it - "Beaumont hailing the start of the full time era?" We don't play our first real match until mid-Feb for goodness sake! Perhaps simply an excuse to make a statement about Brierley and Barlow and million pound offers that don't exist.

Not quite Faisal Nahboohoo territory just yet but I regret the fact that we seem to be going down the one-man band show path for the umpteenth time. It never seems to end well.

And I have no agenda!

Mish does seem to have an agenda imo

What is realism is that the needs of the club have changed massively from when we came together to now, and the club must change how it is run to meet the new reality. People didn't get involved in 2013 for a blazer or a bit of Kudos, they got involved because nobody else was putting their hands up and the club was an inch away from administration after not paying players and an unpaid tax bill creating a winding up order at the High Court

The club today has a clear strategy on how to become the best it can be, and a majority shareholder with ambition and willing to finance the dream. Previous Directors will tell you of the pressures of running your own business whilst committing significant time to LRLFC,ie your own business often suffers or you simply cant give the time needed

In the main the BoM of 2013 where fans, today we are still fans, as we will be tomorrow, next year etc Our primary focus will always be the interests of the club we love and ensuring it is passed on for the next generation to enjoy as we have - no matter what role we play or title we have, personally I prefer 'Fan'

2015 will be brilliant - lets all play our role in its success

Well he can do it all he like if Sam doesn't put a stop to it Derek won't put up with it for long !!!!

Given how many forwards we now have it will have if rumours and true then if I were Sam if call his agent and tell him to stop it

Why is anyone on here bothered if we have one major shareholder or not? Law of averages tell you most sporting clubs have majority shareholders and to be absolutely clear without Derek as the majority shareholder we wouldn't have a cat in hells chance of Super League. The guy is putting in fortunes and with him we have every chance of SL.

It's time for the few on here to bite their tongue or should I say staple their fingers and enjoy the success Derek is providing!

I admire Derek for what he is doing and the drive and passion he has for Leigh RL. I have a lot of time for the chap.

My only concern is that he does not walk away again as he has done previously. If he does then we really will be up e creek and we will not even have a boat this time let alone a paddle. No one else will be able to cover the huge financial gap his departure would incur.

In the mean time I will do as you say and enjoy the ride.

Look if Derek has now taken full control of the club then so be it. He's done a great job so far and as long we achieve the dream of SL everything should work out fine, if we don't then I'm not so sure.

If he is in control, then great, why not do a press release about it? If not, and the other directors are still involved financially (didn't they all pledge to invest over three years?) then he has a duty when speaking to the press etc to at least acknowledge the presence of the BoM and not speak about the club as though it's his alone. He might be the majority shareholder but if they're still investing their hard earned cash the board deserve some credit too.

I'm not a sheep. I have a mind of my own and because free speech is still legal in this great country of ours I'm entitled to ask questions. Does it matter if I get a reply - of course not, but that doesn't mean I can't raise the issue regardless and if that makes it seem like I have an agenda then fair enough, I suppose I do.

For what it's worth, I think issuing that statement is a big mistake. The title says one thing but the content is something completely different. If Hetherington made illegal approaches to our players then Derek should have dealt with it privately, even if that meant going through the RFL, and also, it's now obvious to all that there have been some problems with the players and their contracts - does that really need to be the subject of an official press statement? I think not.

Well said, hopefully will put an end to all the nonsense rumours, although we all know it'll only be a matter of time before someone else's drinking buddy's friend’s uncle's son over heard someone say that Ryan was now signed for [draw random club name out of a hat. Hope Derrick means what he says about Hetherington being on his last chance, I know we don't want to be making enemies but you can't let people continually flout the RFL rules & unsettle our team.

I've no problem with the use of 1st person in the statement; Derrick is Director of rugby & so would be dealing with these negotiations himself.

I think a simple statement would have sufficed

" Contrary to recent speculation linking Ryan with another club, I have spoken personally to Ryan who has never expressed any interest to join another club and is currently fully commited to playing his part in helping Leigh RL attain its goal of SL during the remainder of his recently signed 3 year contract"

That would do.

I am still investing(giving) my hard earned Mish as it was a 3 year/payment commitment, yet I nor any of us felt a need to question this release, which was not the first time you had raised this ownership/derek issue.

Do you have a Derek issue Mish? Derek is not a man to leave us in pooh should he ever have a need to relinquish control and who knows what the future brings Euro Lottery win for Frank, Mandy K or Marwan realising Leigh is closer to home



Enjoy where we are, look at the glass as half full and look forward to a great 2015 ahead of us

I don't know Derek personally, but from what I've seen he is fully committed to the club. I accept he is a big personality, some people don't like that, some people do, but as I said the PR knockers, I'm prepared to give him a chance, and rather than attack or be negative I prefer to offer my support. So far, since Derek & others involvement, we have been financially stable, we have won 2 trophies, lost only 2 games in an entire season and as of today gone full time as a team.
Have we done everything right, probably not, but then again who is perfect? Will we get things wrong in the future, almost certainly, but, and this is key for me, we seem to heading in the right direction and I don't know any organisation that gets to its goal without a few bumps in the road.
So I shall continue to follow our progress with great interest and keep supporting whoever is at the helm as I trust they want the same success for our club as I do.

Three trophies Scubes - NRC 2013 dont forget

I would like to put on record my agreement with my dear friend Maurice.

Well at least we are making the headlines again and that can only be good news for Leigh. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... -and-leeds It even mentions MoiMoi.

Well at least we are making the headlines again and that can only be good news for Leigh. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... -and-leeds It even mentions MoiMoi.

Apparently Barlow has a 2 year offer on the table from Leeds with both players wanting to speak to Leeds but not getting permission from Leigh. Transfer requests may also have been turned down. Its a while since a transfer went to tribunal so will be interesting to see the outcome. I think Leigh would get a decent fee for Brierley but not too much for Barlow.

There's nothing to have a tribunal about. Both players are clearly contracted to the club, if we decide not to sell then they don't leave until their contracts are done.

It's sounds to me that we as a club are positioning ourselves to not have all our talent cherry-picked, and I agree with the standpoint. We have signed players up and they are obligated to the club for the duration of that contract. If they want to take their ball home then they can enjoy reserve rugby for a while.

How does he get a 2yr offer without his contract holder sanctioning anything?

Illegally.

Although it's ok, Barlow's mum phoned Leeds first

So not one person is telling the truth then, how about your source?

Hull FC have offered us a diamond encrusted crystal skull for Liam Kay but Derek says it wouldn't look right next to the GF trophy, plus we need to make sure we've got plenty of room for more trophies.

Ive no idea who is telling the truth all I can add is that my source is the same person who told me that Sam had signed for Leigh. I think it may have been Andy I ended up arguing with on here after Leigh came out and denied he had signed even though the contract had been signed long before that denial. It will be interesting to see how this plays out though.

Quote ="Greg Florimos Boots"Apparently Barlow has a 2 year offer on the table from Leeds with both players wanting to speak to Leeds but not getting permission from Leigh. Transfer requests may also have been turned down. Its a while since a transfer went to tribunal so will be interesting to see the outcome. I think Leigh would get a decent fee for Brierley but not too much for Barlow.'" I have no idea about whether any of the speculation about any of the leigh players, I can answer your question about the fees: Quote C1:3:17 Where a transfer is to take place pursuant to Operational Rule C1:3:16 above and the two Clubs are unable to reach agreement then the following scale of payments shall apply: Player moving from Championship to Super League. A sum equivalent to the sum of £70 per week of training and education invested in the Player and a further lump sum of £5,000 if the Player attains a salary of £25,000 per annum or more with the new Club. Player moving from Super League (or from a Championship Club running an RFL Endorsed Academy) to Super League. A sum equivalent to the sum of £115 per week of training and education invested in the Player and a further lump sum of £5,000 if the Player attains a salary of £25,000 per annum or more with the new Club. Player moving from Championship to Championship (regardless of whether either Club runs an Endorsed Academy and where the Guaranteed Payment under the Player’s contract with the new Club is at least 50% higher than the Guaranteed Payment under his most recent contract with his previous Club) a fee will be paid which is equivalent to a sum of £60 per week of training and education invested in the Player Player moving from Super League to Championship. A fee will be paid which is equivalent to a sum of £70 per week of training and education invested in the Player In all cases training and education is deemed to start from the date on which the Player signs a professional contract with the Club and end on 30 November after the Player reaches the age of 21 and to last for 52 weeks each year. Payments which fall due when a Player reaches a salary of £25,000 per annum or more are not payable if the Player achieves that salary with a Club other than the one who paid the initial payment under the formula (other than if the Player is on loan at the time he achieves that salary). '" www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/rules/i ... section=E1

Quote ="Greg Florimos Boots"Apparently Barlow has a 2 year offer on the table from Leeds with both players wanting to speak to Leeds but not getting permission from Leigh. Transfer requests may also have been turned down. Its a while since a transfer went to tribunal so will be interesting to see the outcome. I think Leigh would get a decent fee for Brierley but not too much for Barlow.'" I have no idea about whether any of the speculation about any of the leigh players, I can answer your question about the fees: Quote C1:3:17 Where a transfer is to take place pursuant to Operational Rule C1:3:16 above and the two Clubs are unable to reach agreement then the following scale of payments shall apply: Player moving from Championship to Super League. A sum equivalent to the sum of £70 per week of training and education invested in the Player and a further lump sum of £5,000 if the Player attains a salary of £25,000 per annum or more with the new Club. Player moving from Super League (or from a Championship Club running an RFL Endorsed Academy) to Super League. A sum equivalent to the sum of £115 per week of training and education invested in the Player and a further lump sum of £5,000 if the Player attains a salary of £25,000 per annum or more with the new Club. Player moving from Championship to Championship (regardless of whether either Club runs an Endorsed Academy and where the Guaranteed Payment under the Player’s contract with the new Club is at least 50% higher than the Guaranteed Payment under his most recent contract with his previous Club) a fee will be paid which is equivalent to a sum of £60 per week of training and education invested in the Player Player moving from Super League to Championship. A fee will be paid which is equivalent to a sum of £70 per week of training and education invested in the Player In all cases training and education is deemed to start from the date on which the Player signs a professional contract with the Club and end on 30 November after the Player reaches the age of 21 and to last for 52 weeks each year. Payments which fall due when a Player reaches a salary of £25,000 per annum or more are not payable if the Player achieves that salary with a Club other than the one who paid the initial payment under the formula (other than if the Player is on loan at the time he achieves that salary). '" www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/rules/i ... section=E1

Operational rule C1:3:3
A Club or Licensed Agent or other person acting on a Club's behalf shall not approach any Contract Player or Conditional Contract Player directly or indirectly (which shall include statements made to the media) until 1st May prior to the date upon which the Player's contract is due to expire without receiving the prior written consent of the Club to whom the Player is contracted and such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Where such consent is withheld the Club wishing to make the approach may appeal to the RFL who shall be the final arbitrator. Both Clubs shall have the opportunity to make submissions to the RFL in the timescale set by the RFL. From 1st May prior to the expiry of his current contract any Club shall be entitled to enter into a contract with such Player subject to the compensation rules set out in these Operational Rules.

Well I don't care as Derek says there's no one for sale !!!!

Leeds will have to wait 2 years for Ryan and 5 for Sam as it's stands