Andy Gilder wrote:
Irrespective of whether Leeds have or haven't offered him a new deal or not, in the age of freedom of contract all the leverage lies with the player. If he decides the grass is greener somewhere else, there's sod all the club can do about it once his contract is up.
I can't see how anyone can seriously argue that isn't the case?
Who is arguing that?
But back to reality, last year Burgess was not out of contract, he was a year off been out of contract, and was happy in his game. That was when in Leeds control was the opportunity to offer a new contract. They didn't.
Early this season Burgess was by far our form prop. He did an interview in the YEP where he stated that he was playing for a new contract. He wasn't offered a new contract.
Since then he was dropped, and despite his replacements not putting in the requied level of performance he has not had a look in. He has now asked for a release from his current contract to enable him to play first team. At the same time he has implied that he "may" now go to Australia at the end of the season when out of contract.
This is all not too dissimilar to when Lee Smith went. The club never got round to offering him a contract, they should have offered it a year earlier when he was asking for it, and when he was at the top of the game, but didn't. Smith left, then the club came back cap in hand realising their error.
