Watched Hunslet a few times this year and think he's a solid player, but SL standard? Not 100% convinced at this stage. I suspect the two years is to give him time to adjust to full-time training regime etc., progress his development and gradually blood him into the first team. Well done to him and good luck to the lad!

It's all the more hard to comprehend when Leeds seem to have made largely the correct decisions in the backs (apart from maybe Broughton)

How much of an effort did Leeds make to keep Dan Smith?

Frankly, the option of spending time out on loan or on dual registration at Hunslet against playing lower grade stuff in Australia wouldn't have been much of a pull to keep him in the UK.

Not sure we did make much of an effort to keep D.Smith AG!!

What I'm getting at is that if Leeds offered him a contract commensurate with his status - an Academy graduate who IIRC hadn't even been in the 19-man squad for a first team game at that point - and he's jacked it to go to Australia, there's not really an awful lot else the club could have done without setting a precedent.

It would hardly set a precedent Andy.

If he is/will be good enough then you put your faith in them. If still not enough then you move on.

This will not be the same offer to every player, so hardly a precedent.

You could argue now. What seems like a pointless signing in Yates, could be deemed by potential future stars as another obstacle in their development. Someone like Smith or a Baldwinson might not appreciate that, and money may not have been the decider.