Agreed to be released early from Wests at the end of this season.

Will he return to Leeds? He certainly won't be short of options.

He'll be turning 32 next season and won't be cheap.

Why is he coming back early?

Not getting any younger, had more than a few injuries, and misses the family back home.

Quote from Gareth.

"I feel the time is right for me to return to England," Ellis said.

"It was a difficult decision to make as I have really enjoyed my time at Wests Tigers. Everyone at the club has been terrific to me and my family. I couldn't ask for more.

"I have a young son now. My wife Rachael and I feel it is time to head home to our families at the end of this season"

probably the pick of the crop for next season.

Previously stated that he would like to play for Cas and he will be an absolute asset to whichever team is lucky enough to gain his signature.
Hope he picks Wakey

Money will be the deciding factor in a players last contract surely?
That would make it Leeds. (or Wigan) (or Warrington)

I expect he'll do a couple of seasons at whichever club will pay him the most, followed by a season at a club like Cas or Wakey, and fair play to him - he's certainly put the work in.

You haven't seen the article or the strengh of the aus dollar then.

He'll end up at Cas.

Its true, pound for pound players earn more in Aus now. Its only when we bring them over here and pay the lesser players more than their real woth that it pays to play in SL.
Unlike our guys going to Aus, where it tends to be the top players only, in England we like anyone with an Aus accent.

I can't see him ending up at us (Wire) as Jonesy thought. Great player, but we just don't need him, not on the wage he'll command anyhow. Westwoods a better player (imho) and Harrison, Grix and Trent Waterhouse cover our back row aptly along with youth cover and Ellis would probably want 3 of their wages combined! I think the same would apply at Wigan, so it's not one of those two imo. It'll be like Morleys return to SL, to a (then) mid table side willing to pay big

Hull maybe.?

But why would that stop you.
Only clubs that actually understand and work to the salary cap worry about stuff like that.
[size=10Yes I do see the irony in a HKR fan mentioning rule bending BTW.[/size

You picked my thoughts perfectly.

I think Warrington understand and work to the salary cap better than anybody else.

That is a genuine compliment to Wire's management and a mild criticism of the cap. It's better than nowt though, so I'm grateful.


Ellis - Maybe a year or two early for his Cas swansong, IMO. I reckon he'll go to one of the big 4. Wigan or Wire, at a guess. If Pearson wants to demonstrate his ambition at Hull, this'd be an obvious way to do it.

Wire are astute at managing the cap but people have been making assumptions not realising that in the past we were paying big for average players because clubs lower down the table have to; then when we lose and add year on year people aren't taking into account the overinflated wages of average players that were leaving. I don't think we could afford Ellis with the current squad, wouldn't be worth it

Maybe the Peter Gentle connection could put Hull in a strong position - but seriously, every club should be enquiring about him and speaking to him

I highly doubt it will be us. The competition for places in our back row is tremendous - Hansen, Hock, Farrell, Tuson, Lauaki, Flower, Burke and Hughes - so I doubt we'd waste a big chunk of the cap on a 32 year old commanding a three year deal (another reason I doubt Wigan will be in for him).

I sincerely hope he doesn't sign for one of the best six clubs (Wigan, Warrington, Leeds, Saints, Huddersfield and Les Catalans) because the standards at those clubs are already very high. I hope he signs for one of the lower teams, hopefully helping to raise the standards at that club. Widnes Vikings for example should be all over this.

Whoever he signs for, it will be a pleasure to see him back in Super League after a very successful stint in the NRL. Welcome back Gareth!

I hope you're right - but who was the last genuinely [itop class[/i British player anywhere near still in their prime to sign for one of the smaller/less successful clubs?* As Dico mentions, there is a success-discount for the top clubs. I reckon he'll have a couple of years trying to win stuff. Fair play to him, whatever he chooses.

*Morley perhaps - Wire were still mediocre when he joined them, is it fair to say?

Quote ="MikeyWire"Hull maybe.?'" Gentle has said previously that he wanted him at Hull www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ml&BID=480 Saints have the Flanagan & Simmons link to Wests, but Leeds have got to have the best chance if the do indeed want him back.

Quote ="MikeyWire"Hull maybe.?'" Gentle has said previously that he wanted him at Hull www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ml&BID=480 Saints have the Flanagan & Simmons link to Wests, but Leeds have got to have the best chance if the do indeed want him back.

wikipedia quick off the mark with the news - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gareth_Ellisellis profile[/url

Saints or Hull FC for me, Wests connection with both and one team is a proven commodity and the other is trying to show ambition.

Big "if" that - Snfield, Ablett, Jones Buchanan, Clarkson, Delaney and Hauraki all contracted for 2013 IIRC, plus some good young backrowers coming through the U20s.

Castleford. Coming to the end of his career, he's said before he wants to play there, would give them another weapon outside Chase.