www.therhinos.co.uk/news/15114.php

www.therhinos.co.uk/news/15114.php

So there's no question of "reneging" on any contract then, more a FACT of mutual agreement to terminate ?

Oh.

was there ever going to be anything else? only one person decided to try to say otherwise

Precisely

2 down... just 6 to go? www.therhinos.co.uk/news/14347.php

2 down... just 6 to go? www.therhinos.co.uk/news/14347.php

The announcement via the YEP was snappily titled 'Magnificent Seven' although Leuluai was already under contract for 2011 anyway so it was never more than 6 but yes it appears 2 have now departed.

[size=150Magnificent seven re-sign[/size
=#80000030th June 2010

[size=85Champions Leeds Rhinos have re-signed ALL their experienced out-of-contract players in one go. The seven senior men whose deals were due to end this autumn have committed themselves to the club for 2011. Winger Scott Donald, centre Keith Senior, hookers Danny Buderus and Matt Diskin, props Ryan Bailey and Kylie Leuluai and back-rower Ali Lauitiiti have ended speculation about their futures by agreeing to stay put. Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington said: “This is the best squad we have ever had and we want to keep it together.” Today’s news gives the Rhinos a major lift ahead of Saturday’s crucial engage Super League showdown with visitors St Helens. It is the first time an engage Super League club has announced so many deals for current players at one time and comes just over a month after coach Brian McClennan confirmed he has signed a new deal for next year. Rhinos have yet to make an announcement about young prop Luke Ambler, who has broken into the senior side this year, but it is understood he is close to agreeing a long-term contract. McClennan described today’s news as a “timely boost”. He said: “It shows the players enjoy being here at the Rhinos. They love the club and want to continue to strive for success. It is wonderful for them all to commit and it’s nice to know that they feel they can perform to their best within the environment of players and staff here. They feel this is their chance of getting success.” There had been speculation that the Rhinos would release one of their senior hookers, with Buderus being strongly linked with clubs in Australia.
And former New Zealand Test star Lauitiiti said earlier in the year that he was considering a return home. Donald is understood to have a non-rugby related job awaiting him in Australia, but decided to play on after missing three months of this season due to a serious shoulder injury. Leuluai and Bailey have been among the form players in the Rhinos’ pack this year, while veteran Senior said last weekend that he was keen to continue for another term. McClennan hailed his current squad as a “special group” and he added: “You don’t think about the financial part – you think about what you want to achieve and what you can do to get better. At the end of the day it is the success and enjoyment you get out of it that’s the most important thing.” Hetherington conceded that announcing all seven re-signings in one go is an “unusual step”, but he revealed: “We are keen to stop any speculation regarding the squad for the remainder of the season.” He added: “Our policy is always to review the squad at the end of each season, which is what we have done for a number of years, regardless of the success or failure of the previous campaign. We will continue with this policy, but safe in the knowledge that our own world- class talent is contracted to us for next season. In the current global market place and with more and more clubs spending to the full salary cap limit, the challenge of attracting and signing world class players is becoming tougher and tougher. Therefore, it makes sense to secure the very best players before looking elsewhere.”[/size

If we include the one-year contract extensioned McClennan, it's back to seven.

Donald - reneged on one-year contract extension.
Diskin - reneged on one-year contract extension.

<SPIN: Donald and Diskin compassionately released>

Having brought in Brett Delaney and Greg Eastwood at the start of the current season Leeds are clearly looking forward to having a consistent group of players for the next 18 months, safe in the knowledge that all that world class talent is contracted to Leeds next season.

Oh yes indeedy.

One more in there for all the many Hetherington worshippers that frequent this board:

[i“This is the best squad we have ever had and we want to keep it together.”[/i

If only he'd waited until July.

He's not the only one is he? There were many others happy to declare this the best Rhinos squad we'd ever had, back in January and February, weren't there TVOC?

BTW who was it who declared the 2010 squad our best ever and that it was possible we would go on to win all our games?!