He's looks like a quality and accomplished full back. Tall but slightly built and needs to build up his physique.

They've tried him on the wing a couple of times but TBH I think he's an out and out FB.

Ideally I'd hope we can retain him, build him up and then when Webb goes in 2 or 3 years he would be the incumbent.

The trick, I guess, is getting him game time to develop in the meantime and keeping him happy.

The salary cap strikes again.

Thnx for that, will be interesting to see if you can time the leaving of Webb with the introduction of him full time to the fullback position.

Correct. All this talk of how he won't be missed is garbage and to some extent misses the point. He is one of the brightest back prospects in the game and just because Kallum Watkins looks like he will make it too is no compensation.

Also, the argument that the clubs voted to freeze the cap is flawed too. All clubs have 1 vote and those that don't or can't develop their own players will happily see Leeds lose another.

Finally, the annoying thing is that at 22 he may well return only to function at a level beneath that which his current potential promises, a la Chev Walker.

Dead right.

I agree with the cap in principal, but it needs to be moved solely to 50% of turnover or raised to around £2.25million. Also, homegrown players under 20 or who have been with the club longer than 7 years shouldnt count on the cap.

Players who have come through the clubs academy be capped at 50% of there wage. Simples.

Without unduly criticising, why has there developed a 'political correctness' regarding the salary cap? Why cap players that have come through the clubs academy at 50%? If the RFL had any balls whatsoever it would take academy developed players off the cap altogether! This would, at a stroke, make it imperative for clubs to invest in youth development and prevent all the 'fudging' that has gone on in recent years. There's only one way to save our game from eventual extinction and that is to force the 'non-contributing' clubs to stop taking the easy option! However, the current administration would prefer to sit back and let standards decline, the game rot and become a feeder for Union whilst bleating about the 'levelling of the competition'! They've levelled it down to little more than a poor game of tick and pass for the most part!

I watched 'Living with the lions' the other night and was reminded of a time when many of the elite of British Rugby Union had played League at some time in their carreer. The likes of Scott Gibbs and Quinnell, Alan Tait, John Bentley et al where plying their trade for the pinnacle in Rugby Union long after we had had the best of them in league. Look at the current Lions. How many will ever come within coo-ee of League. I'm betting none. In fact I'm guessing the only players from League that will appear at the top end of the Union game from here on in are the ones they poach from us in the first place!

Smith is a big loss, I rated him and would have had him at Wigan in a shot TBH. It really bugs me that he is going to Union, ha she not learned from Ashton, Farrell, Walker, Paul etc they don't succeed.

He has been blinded by the cash and in 2 years he will come back a slower, less skilled and out of touch player and go to Hull and will be a shadow of his former self.

Feel exactly the same, that would promote home-grown players, and allow us to keep more once they request what they deserve.

Does anyone think that the RFL and SL chairmen are that bothered about lads crossing codes? I think that they could not give a tuppenny flip TBH, .hence why they have again voted to keep it as it is for another year.

They get to have the prestige of running a club with minimal expense, the fact that all the other clubs are adhering to the same rules means that they can all sit in the comfort zone financially.
Oh yeah they might bleat a little when they have to let players go “because of the Cap” but that is only to keep the fans happy.
I don’t care who the player is, be it a current MOS or a 13 year old who plays at school, if they change to Rah Rah it is a loss to RL.

Quote ="inside_man"Lee Smith likely to head to union after his contract finishes at the end of the year.... news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 108796.stm There goes another one!'" not going to sift through the rest of the posts but seems the salary cap is getting the blame again, or maybe its just greed

Quote ="inside_man"Lee Smith likely to head to union after his contract finishes at the end of the year.... news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 108796.stm There goes another one!'" not going to sift through the rest of the posts but seems the salary cap is getting the blame again, or maybe its just greed