There are still affordability issues at Leeds - just because salary might not count on the cap, doesn’t mean it’s free money to the club. We’re investing in the back room staff it looks like (Carr?) and God knows how much the Furner debacle ended up costing last year - suppose it depends how much Agar was taking as interim.

For me Myler just doesn’t have the right overall skill set - and this was obvious before we signed him. His kicking game had been found wanting time and again this year, Gale will be an improvement on that. Passing too.

If Gale is named Marquee we save a wodge on cap, but we are then full of Marquees so kiss goodbye to any hopes of top drawer NRL players for a couple of years, unless Hurrell isn’t too much above the allowance (and he shouldn’t be), so we could include him fully under the cap...

I think Ava and Martin have been very astute non-Marquee signings, maybe that’s where we can get some more joy but we lack star quality - Gale and Hurrell are good but not full current international class.

More of an observation to be honest. If the pack continues to be as mediocre as the last couple of seasons then we need a 7 who can look after himself. If there's money in the pot for big transfer fees I'd rather see it spent on the pack than a player we released a few years ago because he wasn't good enough. As ever, time will tell!

He got motm in the semi final to take us to old Trafford!!!!

3 time dream team / Albert goldthorpe winner for a side who weren't exactly flying for 2 of them 3 years plus man of steel . I think you're doing him a disservice. He's miles better than Richie "drill it into touch 20 out" Myler.

I thought Marquee ment exemption of 175k above.If Gale's salary only counts on the first 75k then it would be pointless him being made a marquee player.Or do I have this wrong?

Very droll.

You're right - the dispensations would make it a waste of a marquee slot, and if Merrin goes we've got a chance to make good use of it.

Well it's official now https://www.therhinos.co.uk/2019/10/01/ ... 3zHtMMTx8w

Well it's official now https://www.therhinos.co.uk/2019/10/01/ ... 3zHtMMTx8w

Never rated him.

The merit of dream team selection can be adequately summised by Leeds having two players included this year, a season in which we were almost relegated.

I agree Gale had a good 2017, playing off an excellent pack in games that ultimately counted for nothing other than the hub cap. In the challenge cup semi, the grand final and the internationals he was non existent. Man of the match against Saints was only because Percival forgot his kicking boots!

I sincerely hope Gale makes me eat my words but paying good money for a thirty something who hasn't played in a long time seems daft. FWIW I actually think Cas will go better with Trueman/Richardson - with the benefit of a few grand to spend elsewhere.

Very astute signing for lots of reasons. He’s as good as any British half when fit (and has passed a fitness test), he’s a Leeds lad and will have pride in the jersey, and given his cap dispensations as Leeds trained he will not be expensive there.

Given he’s just effectively had 2 years off, we can reasonably expect him to go on to 35 or so as long as he doesn’t get any more serious injuries. The ones he’s had are just bad luck.

It’s solved a long standing problem for Leeds, now we need to fix the front row so he gets good service and field position. I bet Konrad Hurrell is happy...

Correct. Nice to hear some honesty from Cas perspective

Agreed. This not played for 2 years isnt correct though. He played 15 games in 2018 season

And was the reason it was realised that Golding is not a super league player, and when his Leeds career started to go back. He had a great game against us then.

Indeed

We didn't reach the challenge cup semi final that year, a playoff semi final is a big game as he got man of the match which dispelled your example that he never plays well in big games...

I don't buy this whole thing that Gale (or some other players) "bottle it" in big games.

At Leeds we were used to a generation of players who could find an extra gear, but we still lost plenty of big games too.

For me Gale is an improvement on Myler, and therefore move on. Are there better 7s out there? Of course but we have other fish to fry, particularly one or two key positions in the pack and maybe an outside back.

Apols if it's already been posted, the presser is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe9z_dT ... e=youtu.be

Apols if it's already been posted, the presser is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe9z_dT ... e=youtu.be

I think this is a good signing for us, he can add so much, his deliveries of passes as Hurrell will be lapping it up and we could see him at his full potential, game management, the general organisation of our game will be better, our kicking game will dramatically improve, he kicks 40/20s for fun, if Rhyse is having a bad day, Gale is a great back up kicker. Also people slating him for disappearing in big game like the 2017 final, that was all down to Hardaker, he was the catalyst in that squad and if he played things would have been different, I still think we would have won because we know how to win finals and big games, but it would have been a lot tighter! People need to stop slating him and wait and see, he looks determined, he wanted this and I just hope the injuries haven’t taken their toll!

Very interesting presser that actually. Myler clearly on the outer but he'll want to find a first team spot somewhere else you would think.

Reading between the lines, highly likely Merrin will go but we do clearly have irons in the fire.

Gale and Lui with McLelland as backup could work very well for us next season. If we can set the platform then those halves can link with our backline and we'll be a different side to play against.

Just hope Gale (and Ward) can stay fit through 2020 now.

quote="batleyrhino"Being controversial, Gregory looked incredible against poor athletes. He himself was never fit by today’s standards. I’d say that a direct comparison of him and Gale would favour Gale. If Gregory had access to today’s training methods, and could be bothered to use them, he could well have been the better player.

It’s nostalgic, but had to compare players of different eras.'"

Don't agree at all with this.

Gale's success or not at Leeds will depend on two things - fitness/injuries and how much our pack has really improved by the start of next season.

But regardless of how he goes for us, his spell at Cas has been outstanding. Was the best British half in SL by some margin for several years. There were severap games where Leeds found Gale unplayable.

I'll wait to see how he performs on the pitch. Heard this for years. Burrow wasn't good enough for some, nor Sinny or JJB.

Poor signing especially for 150k but he’s probably no worse than Myler, he might lift you to 7th or at a push 6th but no more, he’ll probably end up the same as Watkins and be shoved out of the door after a few poor performances

What we can say is this will be the side that KS built more and more, so anyone with an agenda there will at least have some real evidence in 2020.

Lui is a brave signing IMO. Gale also for different reasons - we’ve just lost previous captain and England shoe-in to knee injury; and our only other representative quality player has been busted up for years.

They must get Merrin’s replacement right if he does leave.