The salary cap audits have just been completed.

As I said before we don't know the details of the contract - it could have been a really good offer, on the hand it could have been a Calderwood?

Leeds have decided he will not get selected regardless of how well or otherwise he plays/trains - so he is training will zero chance of being selected, that is not his decision that is a coaching/management decision.



He said he did not want to go to another club, he used the fight for my place as a reason not to go to Cas - if Wigan had come calling he may have taken a different tack.



Players spend 25-30 hours a week on the training field and 80 minutes on the field. Most people accept it is what happens on the training field that develops players and enables them to perform on the field. If I had a choice of training within an NRL set up or down at Kirkstall with Dumb and Dumber I know which I would choose. 99% of players would benefit from spending time in the NRL.



Worrincy will be a better player for his time in a NRL set up - not difficult I agree.



What both he and Burgess will be able to do better are the basics something that seperates us from the NRL and they will both be physically fitter and stronger.

What happens when we pick up a few front row injuries or has gh got someone in mind now to bring in ? Highly unlikely

Believe the sleeve.

Whereas what Burgess actually stated was this:







I suppose it's a case of 'which came first, the chicken or the egg?' but I read that as non selection - ask for a release - if not released - stay at Leeds until contract expires fighting for a place.



Not sure what else he could do after losing his prop position to Kirke.

Agree Tvoc. Biff v Kirke?? Souths would not be signing Kirke that's for sure! Bye Biff and thanks and congratulations!

That would swipe the taste from your mouth.

You can't polish a turd though. They are not miracle workers.



Biff is an interesting case. He is useful and there is something there. I have always questioned his lack of improvement over the last 3/4 years in a Leeds shirt. I don't think his improvement levels have gone up enough to warrant him a top end prop. But we can see what impact the NRL will have on his game.



Did Mathers, Tansey, Sibbit come back better players? Or were they not really on that level anyway, the bracket I think Biff falls into.



Morley, Ellis, Sam stand out as real handfuls over-there because they stood out over here first as excellent players. It does help.

Good move for Biff, From the interview I read we didnt come out of it very well. 3 days to make a life changing decision and removing the offer when asked for more time??

IMO Biff probably falls into neither catagory mentioned above, somewhere in gthe middle for me.

My thoughts entirely. Weve had a very large squad this year - sadly of average forwards in the main. Certainly the least productive squad of the last few years, but clearly not the cheapest. We can put 2 full packs out and still have spares!



Leuleui

Buderus

Peacock

JJB

Ablett

Sinfield



Cross

McShane

Burgess

Lauitiiti

Hauraki

Clarkson



Bailey

Ambler

Amor

Kirke

Pitts



Then theres always Delaney & Senior (pre injury) if we're short. Crazy!

Leeds and the Leeds CEO have never had the slightest whiff of trouble with regards to adhering to the salary cap in the past ..... which is now a 'live' assessment anyway with all playing contracts lodged with the RFL to ensure compliance.



No SL club should really have any issues in that regard.

Strange it hasn't taken three days to decide on a move to the other side of the world

Unless they have secondary contracts a la melbourne.

Difference being this 'life changing decision' was made over a year ago, which has been well publicised. Its not like the Souths offer came out of the blue is it?



My guess is that the Leeds offer was probably higher than he expected (& better money than Souths) which threw a spanner in the works. Better money or better lifestyle? You cant have your cake & eat it.



Good on GH for not wanting to be messed about with this.

It depends on how long extra biff wanted to decide. I cant imagine he wanted a few months to decide and for me its not "Good on GH" but stupid and pig headded to not give him at least a few extra days to decide

Sounds like he's got a good 2 year deal at South Sidney.



Good luck to the guy

GH has certainly proven to be the master of salary cap management since its introduction, but it is exceptional to release players mid contract with no obvious breach of discipline. I could only come up with 2 possibilities, firstly to trim the cap, secondly (and hopefully) to make room for a new signing. Over to you GH

Much better players than Luke have messed about with GH and failed. Luke had told everybody he was off at the end of season so the Leeds deal was (in theory) lip service. It doesnt take 3 days to say no

If Leeds have reached any kind of settlement with the two players to cover the remainder due under their contracts, that will come off this year's salary cap. I wouldn't expect to see any additions to the squad for the rest of this season.

As Burgess asked to be released from the remainder of his contract I doubt Hetherington will have paid him anything much for the priviledge.



Cross however, you would presume, will have been entitled to a settlement on the remainder of his deal (2011 and 2012) so on balance I agree that it's unlikely it will have provided any spare capacity for a signing this year without Leeds already had that space under the cap.

What it does prove however is that Hetherington's "we're operating at the full cap" mantra is actually a crock of brown stuff, assuming Cross did receive a settlement. Leeds wouldn't have been able to pay him up if they were at full cap as any payment counts towards this year, rather than the year for which it was originally due IIRC.

They would if it was settlement of this years salary. They wouldn't have paid any more (if that) if they were allowing him to become a free agent. Therefore his contract for current year wouldn't be exceeded.

I also think there is a rule whereby a long-term injured player can come off the cap (I think i remember that being the case - isn't that how Bradford afforded Morley on an end of season contract a few years ago) in which case Senior may be off the cap.