IN---Darrell Griffin on a 2 year deal
OUT---Kyle Amor to widnes on a 2 year deal
OUT---Luke Ambler to widnes on a 2 year deal
OUT---Danny Buderus to newcastle knights as assistant coach as andrew dunemann is going to HullKR as coach.
IN---Chad Randall from Harlequins on a 1 year deal

If you get 3 out of 5 I'll be impressed.

Sources? Didn't think so.

In other news we are signing big les and Webb and Sinfield have agreed deals at warrington

Big les lol
sinfield and webb are going nowhere

oh,and what about the unhappy lee smith whos on his way to the giants as a replacement for david hodgson??
wait and see old pal

YOU SHAKE IT ALL ABOUT---
YOU DO THE HOKEY COKEY AND YOU TURN AROUND---
THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT---

I don't know how accurate these details are but maybe 1/2 may be near the mark. Any news about an experienced centre coming in to replace Senior,a back row forward for Ali and a back up half back for cover?

if these are right and the sleeve has stated we will be spending the full cap who on earth has we signed? Makes you wonder if Gawwy is keeping his cards close to his chest and will be releasing the names beofre the play offs as a little crowd and moral booster

Season tickets go on sale this Wednesday so GH might be making 1 or 2 signing announcements in the next few days to encourage us to renew and he'll say what a great season 2012 should be! He has a lot of money available if he spends upto the salary cap.

How many threads do we need on this subject seriously??

and one and 1/2 of the above are correct as this moment in time.

Those would be the Griffin and Buderus ones. There is no way we are interested in Chad Randall, and Dunemann is staying at the Knights for a year with Bennett before moving on. Amor and Ambler to Widnes is just folly, and based on Widnes signing me if I was available....

I assume that the correct ones are the signing of Griffin and Buderus going back to the Knights? Gary still has a lot of money available upto the salary cap for 1or 2 quality signings?

Plenty of cap space but no one of any good available.

So if we have plenty of cap space and no one decent to spend it on, how does Gary keep his public commitment to spend to the cap limit? Do we just sign a load more dross?

GH could of aready signed up players and also maybe got someone who was still under contract but his club has released him so the player could get a 2/3 yr contract from us. What is certain is that Gary has spent upto the salary cap!

maybe so the Bulls chairman (2009 season) said they were spending the up to the cap but was filled with mainly crap.

dont think Amor would go to Widnes, hopefully he'll come to wakefield

When did he make such a commitment? Do you have a link?

from the official site



Hetherington has also confirmed that the Rhinos will be spending their full salary cap for next season despite the costs of redevelopment work at the stadium. "It is true that we hope to commence this development in one of the toughest financial climates the country has faced for many decades however we are committed to improving our facilities for the future generations of supporters here in Leeds who expect to watch their team in a top class stadium. The current board have been responsible for the first piece of major development to the ground in over 70 years with the construction of the Carnegie Stand in 2006 and we are just as committed now, as we were then, to investing fully in our squad and rugby operation. We will be spending the full salary cap again and it is very important, of course, that we manage this in the most effective way."

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Is an interesting quote but it doesn't quite amount to a commitment.

it also doesn't mean we will be signing quality in the area's that it's needed

The salary cap has not increased for 10 years, so has decreased against inflation by over 30%, and by more against the cost-of-living. Spending the whole cap now should be no stretch at all for the (few) higher-turnover clubs, but also does not get you the same sort of buying power or team it would in 2004 or 2007.

It's quite conceivable that with improved contracts for Hall, Watkins and BJB kicking in and possibly (don't know how they work it, but it might work like this, and this might have kept us under the cap in previous years) back-loaded contracts for the long-termers like Burrow and Sinfield, we might not have massive room on the cap even with loss of Senior, Lauititi, Burgess and Cross. We should, if the cap's been properly managed, have *some*, but not necessarily four top players' worth.

Why is "we will be spending the full salary cap again" not a commitment?

It's a commitment to make a commitment, that commitment being to make a commitment to spending the full salary cap again and being committed to managing that full salary cap in the most effective way.

In light of funding set aside for the new stand, perhaps Leeds full salary cap for 2012 is significantly less than in 2011, hence the commitment to manage it in the most effective way?

I think GH was meaning we would be spending upto the £1.65m max as in previous years (club's turnover over £10m). However with the £/Aust$ exchange rate not been favourable we probably have got diminished spending power.
I saw on Newcastle Knights site that they are speculating if Buderus does not go back to the club they might sign Seu Seu from Manly! They reckon he's good. Is he still in the frame for the Rhinos?