Bit of hyperbole to describe any potential move as being for "peanuts".

Sitting on his backside for 12 months instead of taking a pay cut wiould leave him better financially off in the short term. But it's an unrealistic view that his 'stock' wouldn't drop if he takes that option and thus potentially hitting him more financially over the next 4/5 years.

Part of the bluffing involved in the game of poker it now is.
The other clubs bluff is that they aren't THAT bothered about Ferres and are almost doing Hudds a favour by taking him off their hands.
Hudds bluff is they won't sell him for nothing and will keep him if the right bid doesn't come in.

As usual, the reality is somewhere in the middle.

Hetherington's come out in the press and said Leeds won't be signing Ferres

*goes to get Ferres - 26 printed on back of new home shirt*

Aye. He said that about Briscoe.

Yeah, but Ferres is off to Wigan by all accounts.

Would indicate Bateman moving permanently into the centres then?

I'd be surprised if that happened, given they've already got Bateman, Farrell and JTomkins contesting second row spots. And while it could be argued that Ferres is better, he isn't so much better that his signing would make sense. IMO of course.

EDIT: Just seen AG's post. Bateman could play centre on a permanent basis and would be defensively strong. Falls a bit short as an attacking force though, I'd have said. Would make more sense to sign a centre and leave Bateman in the pack.

Personally I agree with you. The word is though he wants some distance, and Wigan are very keen.

Wigan have Isa too who's able to play both centre and second row.

Centres: Gelling, Sarginson, Gildart, Isa, Bateman?
Second Row: Tomkins, Farrell, Oloughlin, Farrell, Lloyd, Burke, Gregson, Bateman?

Either way, I think there isn't much space for them to fit in Ferres.

Out of the top teams I would say we are the one that is in need of Ferres signing for us.

We have got Ablett, Keinhorst, Walters who are currently our few that avoid injuries. We have JJB coming back from a serious injury at the later stage of his career. Delaney, Achurch are very injury prone. Ward won't be back until May.

Have heard a few noises from an unreliable source that sarginson has been getting into Mr wane's bad books on a fairly regular basis of late which may add weight to Bateman to centre thinking.

Imagine being Bateman's winger. You'd do less work than a union winger

I suppose Wigan aren't much different to us in this case.
They've got Bateman, Tomkins and Farrell already in the 2nd row, but we've already got Ablett, Delaney and Ward plus JJB.
And O'Loughlin generally seems to miss half the season through injury.