Or you could interpret Sheens comments as an embarrassment to him and the NRL. If a Pom from the inferior league who needs teaching the basics goes on to be Wests player of the year what does that say about the Aussie competition?

This I think is on the money. Ellis has been somewhat of a disappointment to me at international level even going back to his Leeds days. Dominating in his domestic league but not in the same sense in the internationals.

They didn't need Buderus either.

Most unfair to say Delaney "does a job but is no great shakes" Delaney is our most effective forward this season. His averages make him highest metre maker and has the best metres per game, he has made the most carries and carries per game and he is our top tackler and shares the highest number of tackles per game with JJB.

Delaney is averaging over 100mtrs per game and is making 16+ carries per game and is putting in 31 tackles per game - OK only 4 games played this season but he shows no sign of playing any other way. I would be suprised if Ellis averaged anything like these stats and even if he had done then it is most unlikley that he will be able to do when aged 32

Yeah, guess we'll have to make do with Ellis since we missed out on Lauaki. Gutted.

RG has this belief our acadamy isn't producing and we only sign 30 somethings whereas the pies are the picture perfect club for homegrown players and never sign any past it players or those over 24 since at the very least when all time began.

It's the Wests Tigers players who vote on the player of the year. I'm guessing it translates into Ellis being a nice guy and being well liked at the club more than anything else. It's not as if he's made a significant Dally M challenge unlike his team mates Marshall and Farah have done in recent years. And he's no more of a stand out player at Wests Tigers than Chris Heighington is.

It'll be good to see him back in SL, but not in a Leeds shirt thank you.

Warrington, or even the Bulls maybe, and although he said before heading Down Under that he fancied finishing his career at Wakey, I doubt he'll fancy playing in what is a Championship level club nowadays.

And you would be a better judge of a player's quality than the players who play and train alongside him, including the aforementioned Marshall, Farah and Heighington?

Possibly not because I'm in no position to demand he gets the first shout in at the players bar!

Seriously though, Aussies and Kiwis like Poms, particularly those of an affable, sociable and good-humoured nature. Ellis fits into that category, as does Sam Burgess at Souths and he's won player of the year there too (good job it's nowt to do with match appearances). Keith Galloway was Wests Tigers best player last season by a country mile but he's never gonna be voted player of the year because he's ginger.

I do wonder from time to time how long your xmas card list is????

Probabley no need for a value bulk pack from asda.

in business speak most companies use "succession planning" when people move on or upwards people are there to replace them. gareth moved on in 2009

we won two grandfinals without him two challenge cup final apperances one world club championship. remember him for what he did and what a memory he gave us at 32 let us think about youth he is good but leave him grow old gracefully for a team who need him more and can share in the class player he is

we have sinny & jp as well as others we will have to replace in the next 3-5 years we dont want to add to this list

Would definitely have him back for 2 years or so, he still is of a higher quality than most superleague second rowers. People have become so fixated in playing youngsters they seem to forget about strengthening positions with high quality players as long as the average age of the team is down. See Menzies and Peacock, players can play longer than they used to.

No he's not.
I would quite like to see Ellis in a Leeds shirt again, but probably only due to nostalgia. As someone has previously mentioned, I'm usually wary of players returning to clubs they have previously played for. I would rather us develop our current crop.

Would have him back anytime but do not pay over the odds for him. Delaney is doing an excellent job in the second row thank you very much.

does the same mateyness extend to the Rugby League International Federation team of the year and Golden Boot nominations?

I have watched most West Tigers matches in the past few seasons. I'm not sure if you have also watched West Tigers games, Ellis has certainly been in the world class bracket consistently, and has collected high praise from pundits and coaches alike.

I am however indecisive on how much Leeds should offer him, and wouldn't be so sad to see him play for a different team. It is good for superleague that we have a world class player back playing in our country

Being a stand out performer at club level does not make you world class, to be world class you need IMO to be a stand out performer either in internationals or WCC, something that Ellis as failed to do. I would still have him back at Leeds though.

GH has a very rigid salary structure - Ellis will command a salary significantly higher than the best paid player at Leeds - Sinfield. GH will simply not pay what the likes of Warrington will. Given his agent he may well end up at Hull KR

for the sake of super league he needs to sign for cas or wakey, if he can improve either of those teams so that we go from a competitive top 4/5 to a top 7 or 8 then maybe the england team can benefit

its a bit unfair comparing anyones international record against the auusies as more often than not they are playing on a losing team, on a personal level i think most of the current england team could hold down a place in a aussie club side but collectively they just dont combine as well

They ruined Morely in the NRL. We sent them an 80 minute all action, back row tackling machine with brilliant hands and they returned a 20 minute prop who specialsed in knocking people out. I've never seen a players skill level deteriorate faster, apart from perhaps when Harris went to Union.

It was alleged Ellis joined Leeds for less money than was on the table at the time with Wakefield and I wouldn't be all that surprised if he did something similar for the opportunity to test himself in the NRL.

Perhaps his next deal will be all about the money and/or length of contract but I get the impression making life choices doesn't just simply boil down to the hard cash in his case.

As I said earlier if Leeds is his number one choice I hope a sensible deal can be done but if it can't then so be it. Time does pass by so quickly these days.

Re Ellis' International form - I think I've been underwhelmed by it throughout his career but as Leeds won't be playing the likes of Australia and New Zealand for the foreseeable future it's not something I'm going to lose any sleep over from a club supporting prospective.

Would have him back at Leeds, but hopefully for a sensable
Fee, not paying over the odds. On Delaney I think he is having a cracking time in the back row, his work rate is great he tackles anything and were he was fairly pedestrian speed in the centre in the back row is alot better. He strikes me as someone who loves to be in the thick of it rather than in the centre.

But to your point re world class. Don't fully agree. Yes it would be good to see him in the internationals being successful, but he has played and achieved player of the year 2yrs in a row in the best competition. It's a team game and internationally we are weak in comparrison and this won't do him any favours.

I would have the Gareth Ellis of 2007-2008 ,but we cant do it out of sentiment,and I am sure GH is thinking the same.He will be 32 and he is being released a year early,why?

As seen as GH refuses to deal with players who are with his agent eg shenton and later perhaps disco. I can't see it happening.

Apparently it's a clause in his contract. Can go early provided not to NRL